Relating the Title to the Novel and Novelist in Their...

In Zora Neale Hurstons novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, there are many major points in the novel that reflect the meaning of the title. 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 title also reflects a sense of lacking control over the outcome and direction of life. Through Janies experience with Teacake and one of the major turning points in the novel, the hurricane, the reader can see the relevance of the title to the novel as well as the novelist. Janies relationship with Teacake is the area in the novel where references to God begin to emerge. Janie associates God with love as many people do,†¦show more content†¦The hurricane is another area in the novel where God is often made reference to and it also changes the good life on the muck that Janie and Teacake had become accustomed to. Although Teacake thinks the hurricane will pass over and Janie decides to stay with him, a fear-inducing burst of wind and rain makes them both realize that it is actually a very serious storm. Hurston shows how she and the characters feel about what happens when, Six eyes were questioning God (235). They are no longer looking to the boss or the white man for direction, but to God. The specific time when the title was produced in the novel was during the hurricane when they seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God (236). While Teacake was dying from the rabid dog bite, Janie also shows that she believes God has power of the outcome of the situation when she says, Was He noticing what was going on around here? He must be because He knew everything (264). This alludes to the characters seeing God as having the ultimate control over destiny and Hurston was no doubt reflecting the prevailing attitude of the time in which she lived. Zora Neale Hurston had many interesting experiences that helped to diversify her opinion and experience relating to God and her people. While she was a folklorist and an anthropologist she was able to gain exposure to many different ideas, including a stint with a LouisianaShow MoreRelatedLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pagesand practice law. When he learned blacks were not eligible to take the exam, Jim became angry and blamed the color line for blocking his progress. Searching for a better position, he eventually took a job in Mexico. Carrie refused to follow her husband. Instead, she traveled around the country, living with friends and relatives and working at temporary jobs as a maid or waitress. She had ambitions to become an actress, but roles for black women were scarce. Sometimes she took young LangstonRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagescentury does not appear to be a very coherent unit. The beginnings and ends of what we choose to call centuries are almost invariably years of little significance. But there is little agreement over when the twentieth century c.e. arrived, and there were several points both before the year 2000 (the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reunification of Germany, the surge of globalization from the mid-1990s) and afterward (9/11, or the global recession of 2008) when one could quite plausibly argue that