"Their Eyes Were Watching God"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Zora Neale Hurston's novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," is flooded with colorful imagery of life in Southern Florida; the pages are brought to life by the changing seasons and blooming trees, which mark the milestones of Janie's life. It looks at how Hurston injects images of Mother Nature, primarily a blooming pear tree, to define Janie's emotions throughout the novel. The natural conditions that surround Janie throughout her youth and marriages measure the development of Janie's inner life.

From the Paper:

"In the early stages of chapter two, a teenage Janie watches joy unfurl from a blossoming pear tree. Janie, "saw a dust bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace," (11). This sexual description of the pollination of the flower defines Janie's dreams for emotional and physical fulfillment. Janie is clearly thrilled by the surrounding atmosphere and exclaims, "So this was a marriage!" (11). Hurston uses words such as "delight" (11) and "glorious" (11) to describe Janie's happiness. While watching the pear tree, Janie's emotional high sets the bar for her well-being later on in life. Mother Nature has shown Janie the meaning of fulfillment, and Janie is looking to match the bee's gratification. However, Janie's first marriage does not accomplish all the she hopes."

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• Analytical Essay # 61896 : "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and Voices of Characters"
• Analytical Essay # 61210 : "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and Spiritual Development"

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