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Works Examined
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Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) is often considered Hurston's finest literary achievement as both novelist and folklorist. The novel poignantly captures Janie Crawford's physical and emotional struggles towards self-awareness and womanhood in the early 1900s. Primarily set in Eatonville, Florida the story details the life of its protagonist as she relates her experiences to her best friend Phoeby Watson. The novel is constructed through the various acts of storytelling during Janie's three marriages. Spanning over two decades, Janie's progression towards womanhood commences at the tender age of sixteen as she witnesses the blossoming of a pear tree and the bees penetrating the flowers bloom. She attempts to replicate or experience "kissing bees singing" in her brief encounter with Johnny Taylor at the front gate. Nanny, Janie's grandmother, awaked from her sleep to find Janie with Johnny. Realizing Janie is no longer a child, Nanny fears she will fall into the cycle of sexual exploitation both Nanny and Janie's mother had endured. As an elderly woman, Nanny is aware of the inevitability of death and wishes only to ensure Janie a stable life and security. Therefore, she implores Janie to marry Logan Killicks, a middle-aged farmer whose sixty acres of land represent security. Unable to express her yearnings for romantic love, Janie consents to marrying Logan. Thus, as at sixteen Janie enters her first marriage with a spiritless man, primarily focused on farming. Because of this marriage, Janie dons an apron and begins married life as a helpmate, worker for Logan Killicks. Soon after she finds herself unfulfilled and thus, the first marriage expands her knowledge of relationships and women's experiences. Janie's second marriage is to that of Jody Starks, an ambitious man set on making a name for himself. Jody first meets Janie on his way to Eatonville, the all black township, at her farm. Struck by her beauty, Jody decides to remain in town a few days and eventually asks Janie to join him in going to Eatonville. At first Janie hesitates in accepting his other. To her, Jody still does not represent the "pollen and blooming trees" but he represented change from the farm. Finally, she is convinced to leave with Jody, forsaking her marriage to Logan, and heads to Eatonville. Without benefit of divorce, the couple marries and takes up residence in the new town. Immediately, the town is struck by Janie's appearance and Jody's ambition. The men find Janie's light complexion and long hair attractive. Sensing this, Jody insists on her covering her hair with turbans. Meanwhile he has entered the town and in rapid succession has purchased land, the general store, and declared himself mayor of the town which previously had not found need for such a position. Jody converts his land holdings and store into financial security and constructs a place for Janie in the community. As the mayor's wife, she is to reflect refinement, decorum, and an aversion to public displays of common behavior. Thus, Janie is neither encouraged nor permitted to participate in the community's favorite pastime activity: the telling of tall tales or playing the dozens (humorous exchange of insults). Increasingly, throughout their twenty year marriage, Joe intensifies his obsession with material possessions regarding Janie as one of them. The inevitable demise of Janie's marriage occurs in a public space, the storefront, and is rendered visible in an exchange of words between Janie and Jody. After enduring twenty years of his verbal abuse Janie lashes out. In front of others, Janie challenges Jody's manhood revealing his inadequacy. Humiliated, Jody loses the will to live and takes ill. He becomes bedridden and subsequently dies. Jody's death represents the final closure in Janie's second marriage. Janie's third and final marriage is to the much younger Vergible "Tea Cake" Woods. At thirty-seven years of age, Janie is a financially secured widow in the community. She no longer requires a man for security and now chooses to enter into a relationship based upon romantic sentiment. Against the objections of the community, Janie begins a relationship with Tea Cake based upon his ability to view her as an equal. He encourages Janie's participation in the community's activities and assists in activities around the house. Hence, Tea Cake stands as a stark contradiction to both Logan Killicks and Jody Starks. The couple decide to head to the Everglades in search of work for Tea Cake. When he finds a job, Janie joins in alongside him on "the muck." In this activity, Janie makes a conscientious decision to work. Tea Cake neither attempts to suppress her wishes nor to force her into working. For the first time, Janie's activities are dictated by her own wishes. With Tea Cake, Janie finds a source of liberation from traditionally defined women's roles. She is neither viewed as merely a helpmate to her husband, nor is she placed on a pedestal removed from the community. Janie and Tea Cake find an enjoyable life together until each begins experiencing fits of jealousy when the other engages in too familiar conversation with members of the respective opposite sex. Eventually, Janie and Tea Cake fall into a regretful round of physically abusing each other. Still, they remain very much in love and devoted to the marriage. Janie's life begins to evolve full circle with the events of a devastating hurricane in the Everglades. With tremendous material damage and death, Janie and Tea Cake are forced to survive with little to assist them. As they try and make their way to safer territory Tea Cake is bitten by a rabid dog trying to protect Janie. Several days later he falls ill with signs of the disease and in a confrontational moment, Janie must end her husbands life in order to save her own. With Tea Cake's death Janie finds herself, once again, in the town of Eatonville. The neighbors, unaware of her experiences, offer various scenarios as to what has happened between Janie and Tea Cake. She returns to her back porch where she meets up with her friend Phoeby. There, Janie begins to recount the events of her life and the act of storytelling unfolds. | |||
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