Janie in "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

Paper Summary:

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Specifically it contains a character analysis of the main character, Janie. It looks at how Janie grows to be a woman in this story, and eventually finds her own brand of peace, as well. At the beginning of the story, she is unsure of herself, and begins to rely on men to prove her own self-worth. By the end of the book, she is strong, independent, and alone, but she has found her peace and her place in the world.

From the Paper:

"Janie, the main character in this novel, is a mulatto woman who has lived most of her life the way other people thought she should instead of the way she has always wanted to live. Her mother abandons her when she is young, and her grandmother (Nanny), raises her. The story takes its title from the passage, "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God" (God 151). Throughout the novel, she attaches herself to men who are not right for her, trying to establish her self-worth through others. However, each man teachers her something about herself, so that finally, she learns something important from each of them in turn, and then can create a viable and happy life for herself. Her first husband is Logan Killicks, an older man that Nanny chooses for her. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Perennial Classics, 1999.

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