The use of language and its effect on the purpose of the novel
“There is no book more important to me than this one"
-Alice Walker
-Alice Walker
Borrowed from the movie "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
Upon her return to Eatonville Janie is constantly being gossiped about behind her back by her neighbors. |
Borrowed from the movie "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
Although Teacake had his flaws, he helped Janie find her voice by encouraging her to express herself. |
Borrowed from the movie "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
Janie's first two husbands forced her to repress her individuality and conform to their idea of what a woman should be. |
Zora Neale Hurston’s use of the theme of language provides her with a stepping stone to express the ideas of self-realization and acceptance. The novel explores the ways men and women use language differently; essentially, men dominate conversations, making demands and issuing orders, while women are cowed into submissive silence. Janie’s journey is one of speech and silence, for the majority of her life she let others make her decisions for her, simply settling for whatever was given to her. Janie’s second husband Joe Starks, represses Janie’s speech, as when he prevents her from talking after he is named mayor; her hatred of him stems from this suppression of her individuality. Tea Cake, on the other hand, engages her speech, conversing with her and putting himself on equal terms with her; her love for him stems from his respect for her individuality. As the novel progresses we see Janie learn to use her voice and become empowered by it. Learning from her experiences Janie learns the importance of both speaking and being silent. Following the death of Tea Cake Janie returns to Eatenton where she greets her neighbors but doesn’t stop to talk in return she is greeted with the judgement of her neighbors and peers behind her back. She then speaks to her dear friend Phoebe where she tells her all she has seen and been through, and although she misses Teacake she finds empowerment in herself and her new found self.
Zora Neale Hurston's mastery and use of rural southern black vernacular sets "Their Eyes Were Watching God" apart from other novels. |
Picture I took of the book "Their Eyes Were Watching God"