Vernacular in "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a couple of passages out of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and examines the text. It shows how Hurston creates a voice marked by weaving Black vernacular and standard American English to create a steady, flowing narration. This use of free, indirect discourse is used throughout the narrative.

From the Paper:

"The New Historian critical approach to text investigates how power is distributed and draws on the works of American cultural anthropologist, Clifford Geertz. Anthropologists have used the works of Clifford Geertz to - illuminate the integrative significance of cultural symbols with particular communities? ( Lears,1985,p.573) in the belief that certain subordinate groups participate in their own domination through the work of cultural symbolism. Not unlike Geertz, German-American anthropologist, Franz Boas emphasized the importance of environment in the evaluation of individual capabilities. Boas also accentuated the magnitude of linguistic analysis from internal linguistic structure and pointed out that language is a fundamental aspect of culture. (Rassman. 1999,personal communication). Author Zora Neal Hurston studied anthropology with Franz Boas at Barnard College when she was about 35 years old (Gates,1990, p. 212). Boas? influence on the importance of language as cultural collateral is evident in Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God by virtue of her use of free indirect discourse and signifying."

More papers on Vernacular in "Their Eyes Were Watching God":

• Analytical Essay # 54156 : "Regional and Gender Identity"
• Book Review # 118128 : "Jane in "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
• Book Review # 106757 : "Janie in "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: