...of the world’s most prized artists; Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. Though they were both men of the same race and products of similar backgrounds, Monet and Degas developed contrasting artistic styles. While it is unlikely that they ever publicly reviewed each other’s work, the prospect of Edgar Degas, a devout realist, commenting on Claude Monet’s works of impressionism likely evokes phrases such as ‘stylistic misunderstanding’ and ‘representational disdain.’ Both Claude Monet and Edgar Degas actively sought to achieve some level of worldly representation through their works. They achieved this representation through vastly different methods and fundamentally different brushstrokes. As brushstrokes are to the canvas of the painter, diction is to the pages of an author’s work. The stark and frequently unadulterated realism that Richard Wright, one of the major novelists to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance, is known for, is often contrasted to his contemporary and rival, Zora Neale Hurston’s, more socially appealing racial and human sensuality. Much like Monet and Degas, who aimed to achieve some level of inspiration through their art, Hurston and Wright both actively sought to expand the minds of their audience through socially provoking writing. While no record of contemporary criticism is in existence between Monet and Degas, the same cannot be said for Hurston and Wright. Both authors were passionate about their own methods and styles and rarely shied away from an opportunity...
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...Danielle mordon Zora Neale Hurston's love of African-American folklore and her work as an anthropologist are reflected in her novels and short stories--where she employed the rich indigenous dialects of her native rural Florida and the Caribbean. In her foreword to Hurston's autiobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road, Maya Angelou wrote, "Her books and folktales vibrate with tragedy, humor and the real music of Black American speech." A published short story writer by the time she came to New York in 1925, Hurston studied anthropology at Barnard, where she was the college's first African-American student. After graduation, Hurston pursued graduate work at Columbia with renowned anthropologist Franz Boas. She left New York to conduct research in Florida and in Haiti and Jamaica, and her field work resulted in the folklore collections Mules and Men (1935) and Tell My Horse (1938). Her classic novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was published in 1937. Still, Hurston never received the financial rewards she deserved. (The largest royalty she ever earned from any of her books was $943.75.) So when she died on Jan. 28, 1960--at age 69, after suffering a stroke. Her neighbors in Fort Pierce, Florida, had to take up a collection for her February 7 funeral. The collection didn't yield enough to pay for a headstone, however, so Hurston was buried in a grave that remained unmarked until 1973. In 1975, Ms. Magazine published Alice Walker's essay, "In Search of Zora Neale Hurston" reviving...
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...character in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” novel personifies a resilient, strong-minded black woman who finds herself through numerous loveless marriages. Janie is not one to silence her voice nor will she let a man walk over her. All of these characteristics represent that of a feminist point of view. Therefore, Zora Neale Hurston’s story, “Their Eyes..”, is a feminist novel. Nanny had morals of a women who had been in a box her whole life. She taught Janie that the most important thing in life was to find a man that is financially stable enough to provide for you. She didn’t teach her to get an education so she could make a living for herself. “De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.”...
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...The title of Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, can come off as confusing to some readers, or it may trigger a certain thought process on trying to figure out what the title means. The title, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was only mention verbatim once throughout the entire novel. The title derives from a quote in the novel, “They seems to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God” (Hurston 187). The title, as well as the quote holds a significant meaning to the entire book. One thing to take from the title, is that even though the book is mainly about Janie, is does not say “her” but it says “their” eyes making it known that we as humans (all humans) are susceptible to God and His will. The title symbolizes the fact that we do not have absolute control over our lives and that we look to God for direction and answers. It is easy for us to forget how similar we all are in our vulnerability until we face a situation that is out of our control. Janie’s eyes were watching God because she knows that their lives are in His hands. Only He knows...
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...Zora Neale Hurston – Naturalism Naturalism is defined as the view that whatever man encounters in any area of human experience is natural. In can be described in detail as factual or realistic representation, especially the practice of describing precisely the actual circumstances of human life in literature and the practice of reproducing subjects as precisely as possible in the visual arts (Yahoo! Education - Dictionary). Zora Neale Hurston, an African American writer, anthropologist, and folklorist, was a naturalist. She was born in the town of Eatonville, Florida, which is five miles from Orlando. Eatonville was the first all black community to be incorporated. Ms. Hurston grew up uneducated and poor, but she was immersed with black folk life. She had little experience with racism early on in life which caused her to have unconventional attitudes later in life. After graduating from the Morgan Academy, Ms. Hurston attended Howard University and received her associates’ degree in 1920. Ms. Hurston worked several jobs during her college years but was still often in debt. She struggled with poverty throughout most of her life despite her hard work. From 1925 on, Ms. Hurston lived in New York and eventually joined the Harlem Renaissance. She was one of the shapers of the black literary and cultural movement of the twenties. Ms. Hurston was the first black scholar to research folklore on the level that she did. From 1930s to the 1960s, Zora Neale Hurston was the...
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...For some readers, Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God falls short of challenging the outdated societal views of the 1930s in any meaningful way. However, for many other people, it has clear value as a piece of literature that explores sexism and racism through symbolism and the characters’ actions. Hurston utilizes language in her novel as a symbol of the power, or lack of power, that certain groups of people held in society during the 1930s. In some sections of the book, this symbolism relates to women’s lack of power. Throughout her marriage with Joe Starks in particular, Janie is controlled with verbal abuse and manipulation; Joe’s voice represents his power over her. He repeatedly tells her not to speak in public...
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...Their Eyes Were Watching God tells a story about a young woman going through life and finding her voice, the movie made by Oprah Winfrey flips the story and its characters making the main character and everyone in the story different. Oprah does a wonderful job at completely destroying the morals of the time period, and the symbols shown in the book. The movie changes relationships making the main character stronger and more independent. The beautiful love story shown by Oprah became a ridiculous rendition of Zora Neale Hurston’s classic novel missing key elements from the book. Oprah Winfrey completely disregards the moral fiber of the time period. In the movie some scenes got extremely graphic with the kissing and love making. These scenes...
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...Only when Jody is near death does she finally reveal her contempt for his hierarchical position in the relationship. Hurston then narrates, “She took careful stock of herself, then combed her hair and tied it back up again. Then she starched and ironed her face, forming it into just what people wanted to see, and opened up the window and cried, ’Come heah people! Jody is dead. Mah husband is gone from me.’” (Hurston, Ch. 8). Hurston’s use of plastic words like “starched” and “forming” highlight the stark difference between Janie’s persona and her own self. Janie herself despised the poor treatment that her husband inflicted on her, but any chance of trying to convey it to the public eye would simply be inconceivable. Thus, she fabricates a persona that fits in with the community of Eatonville. Any other personality would inevitably lead to the ostracization of Janie from her...
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...When generating symbols for a novel that is completely filled with them, it is extremely difficult to choose two that are the most influential in the novel. Some different symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God include the horizon, the pear tree, the gate, Janie’s hair, the mule, and the hurricane. In this analysis, I will be choosing the horizon and the hurricane that are the two most important symbols in the novel. Both of these symbols represent something that is more than the book itself and have a great connection with the reader’s thoughts. The horizon represents the possibility of what Janie’s life could be like in the future. The hurricane represents the power of nature and what it can cause in the character’s life. Overall, the hurricane and the horizon are two of the best symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God over all of the other symbols. To begin with, the horizon is one of the first symbols that the readers are introduced to in the novel. Zora Neale Hurston...
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...Desired Equality Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God shows speculation of expressing feminism in a time where women were as equal as mules. Her novel was boldly feminist and was not appreciated until later after her book was published, when feminism was on the rise and after the civil rights movement. The feminism is obvious in the novel and is presented through the main heroine, Janie. In Hurston's novel, the heroine, Janie, represents aspects of feminism when she takes the initiative to liberate herself from each of her three domineering relationships. Janie grows up sheltered from the real world by her Nanny, and creates an ideal of love in her mind that may not be fit for reality. This "pear tree love", as Janie describes it, is far from what any woman could dream of during this time period, especially a mulatto woman. As she grows up, she never thinks herself different because of the color of her skin. Janie can be justified as feminist as seen throughout her three marriages: marrying into security, money, and content. She never finds her sixteen-year-old desires, but she escapes what could tie her down forever. Although Janie expresses a strong sense of feminism throughout the novel, her behavior sometimes contradicts that feministic view of her. Janie's first marriage begins after her Nanny passes away and thrusts her into the arms of Logan Killicks. Janie realizes that this first marriage isn't ideal to her own desires though, but rather her grandma's...
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...included Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay. These poets not only encouraged African Americans in Harlem and around the world, they also paved the way for many subsequent African American poets. Each poet had a different style of writing and they each wrote about different things. For instance, Langston Hughes’ writing reflected his belief that black culture should be celebrated because it was just as valuable as white culture. Zora Neale Hurston’s writing reflected her belief that her people should be honored. She, like Langston Hughes, believed in celebrating black culture and uplifting the African American society. Lastly, Claude McKay’s writing reflected his belief that black aggression could suppress white supremacy. He wrote fairly militant poems challenging white authority in America. Although these poets each wrote about different topics, their contribution to the African American society will forever be remembered and embraced. To begin with, Langston Hughes embraced the African American community through his work of poetry and writing. In his poetry of “Fine Clothes”, Hughes explained the negative aspects of African American life. It says “If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter. If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn't matter either.” (Hughes). In this, he explain that it doesn’t matter what people feel about the black community as a whole, they were going to be themselves...
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...Beauty and Devastation "It [the tiny bloom] had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously"(10). In Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” her use of imagery, particularly of nature, is used to stimulate the audience's imagination while communicating deep significance in the novel. The imagery of nature creates a unique parallel between the two sides of nature; its beauty and its devastation. Janie's idea of contentment is shown in Hurston's imagery of a pear tree, which represents nature's beauty. The pear tree represents Janie's idealized views of nature, as it demonstrates her naive and romantic character which constantly seeks true love, and her idealism of the harmony in a marriage based upon love as she travels a path of self-discovery throughout the novel. She was lying across the bed asleep so Janie tipped on out of the front door. Oh to be a pear tree—any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world! She was sixteen. She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her. Where were the singing bees for her? Nothing on the place nor in her grandma’s house answered her. (11) In this part of the novel it deliberately describes the pear tree in this fashion to show the relation between a blossoming tree, which is blooming as it grows, to the significant character...
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...Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is heavily embellished with themes and motifs that contribute to it being an eccentric piece of work. The novel prompts insightful questions over whether or not love and independence can coincide and brings up themes of sexuality and power. One thought provoking aspect of Hurston’s writing is her frequent application of nature to the novel’s symbols and motifs. A great deal of the symbolism in the book is portrayed through nature; such as, the pear tree, the hurricane, and the horizon, which are all aspects of nature that Hurston utilizes. Along with nature, Hurston uses physical attributes as well. The roles of the pear tree and Janie’s hair aid Hurston in creating the significant themes...
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...Classic Novelist, Zora Neale Hurston, writes of the end of Joe Starks in the novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” through many different types of rhetorical devices. Hurston's use of personification, metaphors, and similes in the pages 84 and 85 in chapter eight are used to show the way Janie feels about the passing away of Joe. She adopts a very descriptive and rhetorical way of writing and a rather gloomy tone to revisit some of the trends Janie’s character shows throughout the novel and also create a more interesting passage for the audience. Previously in the chapter, Janie discovers that Joe is dying of kidney failure after having a doctor visit him in his soon to be death bed. On page 84, Janie begins thinking of the fate of Joe,...
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...Dansdill February 20, 2012 Of Books Books either encompass my thinking or they stretch the limits of my imagination. Some of the most inspiring books are those which capture life, as I know it down to every specific detail. These books are similar to watching an HD TV; every detail is just so pronounced and accurate. Books that resemble this beautiful real life portrayal could be like J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in The Rye. Every emotion that Salinger delineates through his characterization of Holden Caulfield is so potent that those details resonate even more for someone dealing with a similar internal struggle. When I read the book at 15, every sensory detail that Salinger described helped better illuminate part of my own internal struggle. The over exaggeration of the resentment of society as being in genuine really captured my own internal resentment for molds that people contrive themselves to fit. The one scene with Caulfield sitting in the bathtub depressed after refusing sex from a hooker will always be infused into my constant sub consciousness. When I just feel worn out and pushed to my emotional limit, I see that image burned bright into my memory because that scene is the ultimate depiction of frustration and stress. Although, this style of writing may be beautiful, sometimes it is nice to escape the hyperrealism captured in a book like Catcher in The Rye, and instead read something that expands the mind’s imagination. The contrary to the book that affirms one’s emotions...
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