The strongest symbol in Their Eyes Were Watching God is the pear tree. Informational Wiki about the Novel by Zora Neale Hurston. Throughout the novel, the pear tree is invoked again and again as a symbol of Janie’s rich inner life, her sexuality, and her vital desires. He is drawn to Janie because of her unique beauty, which reflects her White ancestry. Symbolism In Their Eyes Were Watching God By: Nick Wikenheiser 1. 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' Characters, 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' Quotes Explained, The Lost Generation and the Writers Who Described Their World, 9 Books From the 1930s That Resonate Today, Frankenstein Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices, 'Pride and Prejudice' Themes and Literary Devices, Great Books from High School Summer Reading Lists, B.A., English Literature, Cornell University. When Janie marries Tea Cake she is making up for her lost youth by marrying a much younger man. Their Eyes Were Watching God: a Novel. Hurston takes everyday objects to create these symbols. Janie does not give up on her quest. Janie’s hair is also symbolic of the ways race informs power in the novel. 10 = the best symbol, greatest importance, extremely creative, strong connection with main character. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/their-eyes-were-watching-god-themes-symbols-and-literary-devices-4692236. She breaks social norms, working in overalls in the Florida muck with her husband, because she shares a genuine emotional connection with Tea Cake. In today’s society, head shawls are commonly worn for religious purposes or used as accessories. Set in central and southern Florida in the early 20th century, the novel garnered attention and controversy at the time of its publication, and has come to be regarded as a seminal work in both African American literature and women's literature. One day she meets a man named Joe Starks. Sometimes it takes some searching, though, to find hidden meanings in some things most readers often just overlook. The horizon is the most important symbol in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Some symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God are obvious. Hurston seems to relate God to love and life and this could be one reason why a book about love and self-realization would have a title relating to a higher power. The fifth most important symbol is Sam Watson’s old mule. As author Neal Hurston introduces new characters into Janie’s life, one of her attributes seems to have an effect on all of them, this being Janie’s hair. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. Janie’s second husband, Joe Starks, forces Janie to wear a head-rag when in public. Quotes from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. She describes the experience in both religious and unitary terms. This duality allows Hurston to weave her poetic prose—which details the character’s rich inner lives—with the vernacular dialect of the characters. Julia Pearson is a writer and editor who specializes in English literature and composition, creating content in partnership with CollegeBoard for CLEP study guides. Janie has her first sexual feelings one afternoon beneath a pear tree. Some symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God are obvious. Her hair is an integral part of her attractiveness and femininity. The Horizon The Horizon is another symbolic element that the author mentions quite frequently throughout the story. Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3: The Symbol of the Mule in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, many different symbols are used to express Janie’s longing for love and acceptance. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. (2020, August 19). The novel explores main character Janie Crawford's "ripening from a vibrant, but voiceless, teenage girl into a woman with her finger on the trigger of her own destiny". Conclusion The quiet tones found within the ironies, symbols, and themes create a connection that highlights the true meanings of the novel in terms of people's basic interactions and Janie's self realization - which of course can be applied to modern society and issues prevalent Rather, God is diffused throughout nature, and the natural world is a source of divine strength for Janie. Their Eyes Were Watching God is primarily a novel about love, the transcendent nature of love, and how it affects one’s identity and independence. Janie’s hair is a symbol of her power and unconventional identity; it represents her strength and individuality in three ways. This is contrast to other culture where tiny bound feet (China), neck ring (Kenya) or breast implant (USA) is consider feminine beauty. Definition: Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Janie’s long hair is unusual as it is a result of her mixed heritage. Gender roles and power hierarchies root her relationships, which are further informed by Janie’s sexuality and spiritual understanding of the world. The first time the symbol appears is in the spring when Janie was just sixteen years old. Zora Neale Hurston uses symbolism creatively throughout her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Novel Soundtrack » Symbolism Evaluation. “Simple-ism”In Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, many examples of symbolism pertaining to Janie’s long journey to self realization can be found. The power of language and voice is another predominant subject matter. Hurston explains this symbolism at the first of the chapter, describing Janie as ìa great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Symbolism In Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston 1914 Words | 8 Pages. By Michael Hands. The pear tree is then representative of Janie’s sense of self—her soul—as well as the ideal love she seeks to share with another; a transcendent, mystic power. Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory. The sun demonstrates, by rising day after day, that life goes on- no matter how tragic yesterday was. A symbol is something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention. For some they come in with the tide. What is the significance of the mule in Their Eyes Were Watching God? The spiritual and sexual nature of the pear tree is manifested in Janie’s life when she meets her true love, Tea Cake. Nothing can dim the light that shines from within Maya Angelou. The gate symbolized the many new beginnings Janie had throughout the book. The sun is also a symbol in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God Introduction + Context . From barren brown stems to Jody aims to emulate the behavior and lifestyle of a wealthy White man. Though he still is possessive, he listens to her and validates her feelings. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston portrays Tea Cake and Janie as the Egyptian gods Osiris and Isis, respectively. Throughout the novel, Hurston keeps pointing out the position of the sun and in the end Janie eventually comes to associate Tea Cake with it. Her desire gives her the strength to move on from two passionless, abusive marriages. But one interpretation is this: Free will is not real, only God’s will matters. Because of this, it is also an object of desire and a site of power struggles. The five main symbols are the pear tree, Janie’s head rags, Tea Cake, the old mule, and the gate. Throughout the whole novel Janie is seeking after it, trying to obtain it. Janie is finally able to express herself with Tea Cake. Speech is synonymous with power in the novel, and when Janie finally stands up to Jody, she realizes its power. Her journey for a relationship envelops many correlated themes. One commonly found symbol is Janie’s hair, which represents her personality, individuality, and character. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 1937 novel and the best-known work by African American writer Zora Neale Hurston. The other symbols within nature, like the pear tree and the horizon, show the beauty and synchronization of life and nature, but with all … As a sixteen year old, she watches a bee pollinate a bloom directly prior to her first kiss. When Jody brings lamps to Eatonville, it shows that he believes he is as important as God, and wants the people to treat him in the same way. Janie could never talk back to him or defend herself against some of his rude comments no matter how much they hurt her. The gate is the second most important symbol in the novel because it also occurs multiple times. ThoughtCo, Aug. 19, 2020, thoughtco.com/their-eyes-were-watching-god-themes-symbols-and-literary-devices-4692236. She wonders, before wedding Logan, whether their union would “end the cosmic loneliness of the unmated.” Unfortunately, their marriage is frigid and transactional. Some of the women in the town worked just as hard as the men and they were not allowed to enjoy a lot of the things men got to. The fourth most important symbol in the novel is Janie’s head rags. With this edict, Jody effectively curtails her femininity, and subsequently, her power. Lamp posts are also a reference to the Bible in that God is the one that brings light to the community. Tea Cake foregoes many of the harmful ideas about masculinity and femininity, and treats Janie like an equal. Sometimes significant pieces of the story like the hair are clearly noticed, but they aren’t characterized as symbols like they can be. They look towards God … Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory. Others though, like the mule, hurricane, and the bee are often overlooked. Looking into darkness it seems that their destiny is not light. But her growth is mirrored by her usage of language. Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts. For most of the novel, Janie sacrifices her dreams to abide by the wants and opinions of others. Instant downloads of all 1408 LitChart PDFs (including Their Eyes Were Watching God). Feeds: Posts Comments. "'Their Eyes Were Watching God' Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices." The author of the novel was known to Pear tree, blossom, pollinating bees 3. April 23, 2009 by sjolive. In the novel, God isn’t always present as a single deity. The “weight, length and glory” of her hair is restored, as is her sense of self. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. He tells Janie that she should not be doing such hard labor and convinces her to run away with him. This mutual love amplifies her voice and provides her with the nurturing environment to be herself. In the book Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses three main ideas of symbolism: the pear tree, Janie's name, and her hair. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, it was used to hide someone’s beauty and identity. Aspects that arise include racism, community and feminism. Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is, at its heart, a story that validates the potency of love. Learn about the different symbols such as Pear Tree in Their Eyes Were Watching God … Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Pearson, Julia. As Zora Neale Hurston writes in Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie’s hair symbolizes her independence throughout the different times during her lifetime and the transitions between Janie’s hair style contributes to the normally white male power that she exerts, which assist her distort traditional power relationships throughout the book. The association between the mule and the women was not all that creative, but it still provided a powerful relation between the two. Change ). Select some of the key passages in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” where nature plays a central role. This segregation was unfair to the women of Eatonville. Jody told her that he “aimed tuh be a big voice” and that this would make “uh big woman outa you.” He believed that women should never speak, and that his status—and voice—would be enough for the both of them. FONTS The Significance of Food in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" By: Abby Nejako Food and Relationships Food and Culture Zora Neale Hurston Nanny Jody Starks Hurston uses many symbols and metaphors in Their Eyes Were Watching God to develop Janie's story. She believes that love should be a perfect harmony between two people. She endures years of abuse at the hands of Jody because she feels bound by his authority. The people were not educated, but enjoyed their lives in ignorance. This was very creative because head rags usually aren’t a sign of freedom. Watson’s mule was worked hard and was not fed properly so he didn’t look healthy. Symbolism in Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston underscores her timeless classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God with several important symbols. In the book we read that "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." The men liked to relax on the porch and play checkers. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Throughout the book, Janie’s hair changes from being let down to tied up due to … The most important symbol in Their Eyes Were Watching God is the pear tree. Macy Osborne symbolism Hair Janie’s hair represents her strength and individuality throughout the story in multiple ways.