A Review from the Biographical School of Criticism
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston is a deep and entrancing novel that outlines the life struggles
of an African American woman by the name of Janie Crawford. The novel is set in the rural South in the
early twentieth century. The main theme
of the novel is Janie’s search for love and fulfillment. This theme was likely developed as a parallel
to the life of Zora Hurston, because she had several marriages that lasted only
a short while and she was constantly seeking the love and fulfillment she
desired but could not find. In the novel
a similar scenario unfolds, with Janie having had three husbands, and in each
one expecting to find love and fulfillment.
The primary conflict in the novel
is Man vs. Society, because Janie is always at a crossroads of what she feels
she needs to be happy, and what society tells her she needs. This is evident by her first two marriages. The
first marriage was to a man she did not love and the other was to an abusive
husband; she stayed in the second because she thought it was what society
demanded. The life of Zora was similar
as she was told where her place in society was, but rebelled against it.
Janie’s hair is a symbol of power in the
novel, representing the power that Janie has over society in her rebellion
against society’s standards. This symbol
was likely influenced by Zora’s own rebellion against society’s norms. Another symbol is the abused donkey. It symbolizes Janie’s own struggle against
the abuse of her second husband, Jody. Zora’s
life had its own share of hardships and abuses as her father cheated on her
mother and Zora was forced to fake her birthdate to get free schooling, since
her father and step mother refused to pay for her tuition. One of the final symbols in the book is the
hurricane. It represents death and
destruction and foreshadows Tea Cake’s death.
Zora’s personal “hurricane” was the accusation that she molested a ten
year old boy. This incident did serious
damage to her personal life and reputation, just as the hurricane did to Janie’s
life.
The main character of the story,
Janie, is abandoned by her parents, just as Zora was, although at a later
age. She then spends the majority of her
life seeking love and fulfillment in men.
Several of her marriages end up failing, just as Zora’s did. Janie is in a struggle between societal norms
and what she wants, and in the end what she desires wins out. This is the same situation that happened in Zora’s
life, as she eventually threw off what she had previously been taught and lived
as a strong willed independent woman. This was an entertaining novel and a good read
from start to finish. I rate this book 4
out of 5 stars, for an intriguing plot and the deeper meaning that lies behind
it.
