Overview Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God was written by Zora Neale Hurston and published in 1937. Hurstons book guides us through character Janie Crawford’s hectic journey while taking place in the 1900s. The story starts out with Janie, a middle-aged African American woman, returning to her hometown in Eatonville, Florida. Her surprise visit gets the town talking. They wonder where she had gone, what she was doing, and why she was gone so long. Janie’s friend, Pheoby Watson, visits Janie to find out what happened. The conversation that they share frames the rest of the entire book. Janie begins her story explaining that her grandmother raised her because her own mother ran off. Janie’s grandmother worked as a nanny for a white family, so Janie grew†¦show more content†¦It’s very clear that the historical events that occurred during the time period in which this book was written influenced Hurston’s writings. Her book was published in 1937 and it was based in the early 1900s. Hurston was born in 1891, and the Civil War had just ended about 30 years before she was born. Therefore, racial tension was still intact. Her book slightly shows the differences between black and white people in segregated communities. In the book, Janie’s grandmother was a slave and Janie’s mother was â€Å"lighter† skinned. Janie is considered to be a â€Å"lighter† skinned woman, and that has a big influence on how people view her in the book. The story takes place in Eatonville, the â€Å"first incorporated African American town in the United States† (Sherry, Dustin). Women and African Americans were given very few rights due to historical events, including the time after the Civil War. Throughout the book, it’s evident that we see a theme that is common in the early 1900s. For example, Janie’s grandmother wished for Janie to marry a man that would be able to financially support her. Janie is forced to work hard labor for her first husband, Logan Killicks, and we later see her get beaten by her second husband, Joe Starks, in their unbearable marriage. This theme is commonly seen in the book and in the time period in which the book was written. Dustin Sherry believes that â€Å"this story was written as a reflection...she wroteShow MoreRelatedCritique of Oprah Winfreys Film Version of Their Eyes Were Watching God1771 Words   |  8 PagesOprah Winfrey lied on the opposite end of Zora Neale Hurston’s spectrum when she produced her atrocious rendition of Hurston’s stellar novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. She modified characters and symbols, altered the theme and relationships, and utterly desolated the significance of the title, making it almost unrecognizable to someone who has read the book. Winfrey totally eviscerated Hurston’s unsurpassed novel, extrapolating what she thought important without going in depth in to the trueRead MoreJohn Lewis s Writing Shines New Light On What Happiness714 Words   |  3 Pageswhich [Clare] states† (96). Being so lenient when it comes to happiness only reaps discouragement as this quest can defile the Law of Nature (96).This theme, to think about what our actions effect, is seen in Lewis’ other writing. In â€Å"C.S. Lewis: Overview†, David Langford recounts all of C.S. Lewis’ literary writings. Many of Lewis’ books deal with the human spirit and how we deal with certain situations when they are posed to us. Throughout Lewis’ writings, he challenges the reader to think criticallyRead MoreSelf-Actualizing Through Loving Others1685 Words   |  7 Pagesachieve self-discovery and happiness in life one must serve and love others. Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God moves around from place to place in order to find happiness. Author Zora Neale Hurstons life parallels with this story, as she attended four different schools after growing up in Eatonville, Florida, Americas first African-American town, where Janie first escapes for a new beginning (McLeod). Hurston studied cultural anthropology and started writing her books during the Great DepressionRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in t he World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesISTORY In the series Critical Perspectives on the Past, edited by Susan Porter Benson, Stephen Brier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed