How Do Literary Texts Both Reflect and Challenge The Spirit of The Time and Values of The Culture

Danisa Qinthara 12B
Q) How do literary texts both reflect and challenge the spirit of the time and values of
the culture?
“Their Eyes Were Watching God” is a novel written by Zora Neale Hurston that
reflects on the African-American society in the 1930s. The story provides an
enlightening look at the journey of Janie Crawford, a girl of mixed white and black
heritage, while also capturing the lives of the dark skinned community during that
period of time. The author uses the power of voice to explore the identities and the
significance of the blacks living in the United States.
Janie began her quest for identity at the age of sixteen, as Janie lies beneath the pear
tree when “the inaudible voice of it all came to her. “She saw a dust-bearing bee sink
into the sanctum of bloom”, “So this was marriage!”. After discovering the idealism
of love under the pear tree, Janie quickly comes to understand the reality of marriage
when she marries Logan Killicks, and then Jody Starks. Both relationships led Janie
to believe that passion is always tied to violence as Killicks threatens to kill her, and
Starks beats her to assert his dominance. Despite this, Janie struggles to remain
resilient in spite of the physical and verbal abuse. When Joe becomes the mayor of
Eatonville, his need to be respected by the society segregates Janie. His use of
violence restricts Janie to speak her mind and voice her opinions, a challenge that is
also experienced by other married black women during the time. Janie uses pathos
frequently by making the audience feel emotional for her situation because she is
constantly falling in and out of love.
One of the most prominent literary devices used in the book was the metaphor on a
mule, “De woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see”. This metaphor serves
to illustrate the strained relationship between Janie and Jody Starks. However, the
figure of the mule does not only refer to Janie herself, but also to any black women
struggling for independence. While Jody had the power to free the mule, the same
pride and ambition cause him to be able to enslave his wife as well.
Zora Neale Hurston uses the search for love as a way of changing and developing the
characters. This can be seen in Janie’s vertical progression, as she goes from being
held in a state of silent submission under the rule of her second husband, Joe Starks,
to being treated as an equal by Tea Cake. By exploring Janie’s emotions through the
key relationships in her life, the author reveals the turmoil Janie experiences as she
restrains her voice due to society’s expectations of the female role in a marriage.
Hurston reveals the consequences of Janie breaking the societal norm and how it may
affect the reputation of her relationship. With time, Janie learns and utilizes the power
of her voice by lashing out against her oppressor, breaking free of not only her
silence, but also the stereotypical patriarchy between men and women. The gradual
change in the Janie’s demeanor can be seen in the line “But Ah ain’t goin’ outa here
and Ah ain’t goin tuh hush. Naw, you gointuh listen tuh me one time befo’ you die”.
The author presents the theme of gender roles and their significance in the African-
American culture during the 1930s. Although it is Hurston’s best known work, this
novel received a majority of negative criticism by the male readers. Specifically
targeting the feminist image of the heroine, Janie, critics seem to be bothered that
instead of taking a political stand for the black community during that period, Hurston
chose to write the novel based on a female protagonist, in search for love and her
identity. Not just this, but Zora Neale Hurston was also criticized for dealing with
racism throughout her writing. Mrs. Turner, a woman of mixed heritage, is a character
that is vividly illustrated as a victim of internalized racism. This is shown on the line
“Ah ain’t got no flat nose and liver lips. Ah’m featured woman. Ah got white folks’
features in my face”. The use of hyperbole in her description satirizes America’s
obsession with racial differences, turning it into an absurd spectacle. Despite her
physical imperfections, she strongly believes in white superiority and only accepts the
white features of her appearance, such as her pointy nose and thin lips. Mrs. Turner
aims to create a different sort of class hierarchy based on beauty standards.
Published long after the Harlem Renaissance, this novel focuses on alienation, a motif
that is projected in the movement. Hurston uses the characters in the book to portray
the hierarchy in colorism, which was still frequently seen within the black
community. Janie becomes the symbol of status for black men because of her beauty
and physical features (her light skin and long hair) supported with the society’s belief
in white supremacy. An example for this can be taken by Jody Starks, who only
married Janie for a good reputation, “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de
front porch and rock and fan yo'self”. Although he was introduced as a charming and
ambitious man, it was later seen that he had a superiority complex that led to an
uncontrollable jealousy over his most valued possession, Janie. While he was still the
mayor of Eatonville, Starks was treated like a man that had “white privilege”, despite
his own race. Similarly, after the Okeechobee hurricane had hit the Everglades, it was
revealed that the bodies of the black people are to be thrown into holes and sprinkled
with lime, whereas the bodies of the white people are to be put into coffins. However,
Hurston later reveals that in death and judgement, we are all the same and created by
the same God. This can be seen in Tea Cake’s line, “They’s mighty particular how
dese dead folks goes tuh judgement…Look lak dey think God don’t know nothin’
’bout de Jim Crow law”.
Regardless of the issue on white dominance within the black community, segregation
between the whites and the blacks was still significant. Furthermore, this self isolated
community is meant to foster togetherness and feelings of fellowship amongst black
people, as well as to protect them from the racism presented by their white oppressors
and bosses. This is portrayed by how the Everglades behaved when Janie and Tea
Cake initially moved in, as they tend to make the most out of their lives even with the
presence of alienation in the society. However, this does not always take place
throughout the book. The porch sitters were a group of men and women that have
always taken a significant role in Janie’s life, diligently minding her business. The
porch sitters represent the community from which Janie came from, and her
conversation with Pheoby Watson in the beginning of the novel shows how Janie is
different from them, which was why she was treated like an outcast.
This novel presents many themes such as love and marriage, speech and silence, and
gender roles. Zora Neale Hurston shows how Janie has transformed to become a
strong and independent woman, and as she changes, so does the porch’s meaning,
echoing Janie’s childhood belief that we are all ever changing.

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Danisa Qinthara 12B

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