The novel Their
Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston is a captivating journey of a woman
named Janie Crawford. Hurston uses many literary devices such as
personification, similes, and foreshadowing to help bring the story to life and
add suspense. There are also various examples of literary criticism used
throughout the story. We go through most of Janie’s life with her and we see
her journey in hopes of finding love.
The story starts with
Janie living with her grandmother who is her only family. Janie is an
independent, beautiful, and strong willed African-American woman. Even at a
young age, love and marriage is brought to her. She gets married to her first
husband Logan Killicks.
This marriage is short lived however, as she finds herself discontented and
unable to love this man. That is when a new man comes into the picture. Joe
Starks literally sweeps her off her feet with his big dreams and his
mannerisms.
The
next part of Janie’s search for love and happiness is spent with Joe. She and
Joe move to Eatonville and turn it into a thriving town. This may sound
exciting, but Joe gradually falls more in love with his dreams and his position
as mayor than he does with Janie. She begins to feel trapped in a cage as she
walks around like Joe’s puppet. Joe controls what she does, who she talks to,
and where she is seen. Janie snaps at him and he reacts by hurting her right
back. As their marriage comes tumbling downhill, so also does Joe’s health. A
little later on her husband, Joe, becomes deathly ill and passes away. She
knows that she has not yet found the love she dreams about and desires so desperately.
Knowing that she can now explore the world for this love a sense of freedom
takes over inside of Janie as she moves forward to the next chapter in her life.
As
she begins her new life as a widow, Tea Cakes comes into the picture. A tall,
darker, and younger man begins to fall for Janie and her beauty. Without the
support of the town, Janie too develops strong feelings for Tea Cake. The two
fall in love and decide to get married rather quickly. Next, they venture off
to the Everglades and settle down there. They work in the sun, make new
friends, and for the most part are satisfied with each other and their life
together. This is when disaster strikes. A massive hurricane comes. Oddly
enough, the hurricane doesn’t prove to be as disastrous as the bite inflicted
into Tea Cake turns out to be. Tea Cake becomes mad with rabies and Janie has no
other option but to shoot him.
Janie is devastated by
the loss of her sweetheart, but as time goes on she looks back and she knows
that Tea Cake was the love she had wanted her entire life. She feels Tea Cake’s
presence with her even when he is gone and knows that she was truly happy with
him and always will be. In the end peace fills her soul and she is finally
content with the life she has lived.