Ivy Fahs
5/1/2011
Journey to the Horizon
A Feminist Review of Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God tells the story of a woman’s soul, a soul that gazes at the distant horizon and stretches towards independence. In recounting Janie’s story, the book paints her journey along life’s path with both pain and the joy. It tells of Janie’s desire to be herself unhampered by others’ expectations or a husband’s will. This work of Zora Neal Hurston is truly a compelling tale, voicing the fulfillment brought to one woman’s life when she discovers the courage to live out the dreams deep within her heart.
The main portion of the book is structured from the point of view of Janie, a middle-aged black woman, as she recounts her life experiences to her friend Phoebe after returning home. The story follows Janie through two unhappy marriages and a final third marriage to a man she loves. The book’s primary conflict is Janie’s desire to follow her dreams, and reach “her horizon” (Hurston, 192), in a life where she is expected to obey her husband and follow the rules that society mandates. Slowly, Janie is able to overcome this conflict and find peace by embracing an independence that enables her to overcome all circumstances.
There are a number of symbols that Hurston uses throughout the book to describe different aspects of Janie’s character and life. The first is that of a flowering pear tree. It is a reminder of an experience that occurs early in the story, where Janie realizes what characteristics she desires to have in her life and her relationships. The pear tree stands for the ideals of Janie’s life, and she reacts to different romantic relationships in her life based on these previous beliefs about what a relationship should be.
Janie’s beautiful, waist-length hair is also used as a symbol in the book, displaying her power over the men around her. The main theme in the book is the conflict between male dominance and female suppression, as seen in Janie’s marriages. In her first marriage, her husband Logan does not love her, but rather wants her to work on his farm. Janie is unhappy with their relationship and runs away to marry a different man, named Joe. She soon discovers that while Joe showers her with beautiful things, he also verbally abuses her and demands that she submit to him. Janie rebels against such suppression, as demonstrated by her concluding refusal to wear her hair covered. Instead, she wears it in a long braid down her back, showing that she can control men through her beauty and appeal.
At the book’s climax, a hurricane forces Janie and her third husband, Tea Cake, to run for their lives. The storm serves as a symbol of the pain and trouble in life that Janie must overcome. The title of the book comes from this scene, and the line, “They stared into the darkness, but their eyes were watching God” (160). The characters become aware of their own weakness when confronted with the terrible storm, and they feel that they are at the mercy of the forces of nature and, ultimately, God. Though she is unable to control some circumstances in life, Janie discovers that she is able to thrive in the knowledge that she has control over herself and her own choices.
Throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie reaches towards her elusive hopes, searching to satisfy her unspoken desires. Naturally free-spirited and a lover of beauty, Janie struggles with the role she has been forced to play in life. But she remains true to the ideals she discovered under the pear tree, and she is empowered by her own femininity and her ability to succeed despite life circumstances she cannot control. Since she has seized her independence, Janie is able to live happily without even her greatest desires. When her tale is at last told, she has drawn her horizon in, having achieved her independence and “draped it over her shoulder” (193): a triumphant banner proclaiming the fulfillment of a woman’s soul.
Works Cited
Hurston, Zora N. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Print.
