By Alissa Helle
An American Author’s Best Work
The early 1900s were not the best time to live if you were an African American. The Ku Klux Klan was becoming a popular political group. Even though the Civil War had ended, segregation was still at large. African Americans struggled to find work during these times. However, soon later the Harlem Renaissance changed these hard times. Their Eyes Were Watching God was published soon after this movement. In the novel, the main character Janie reflects many of the hardships that Hurston endured. Janie had lived in Eatonville, Florida which is the same place Hurston grew up. Eatonville was known as a small black community that was independent from society both in Hurston’s life and in the book. However, the two still ran into problems with segregation. Hurston also relates to Janie in her appearance: young looking and beautiful.
This story shows how being a woman in this time period was very difficult. Men were allowed to beat their wives if they misbehaved. They were expected to do everything they were told including all of the cooking and cleaning. Many women were raped during this time, as Janie’s mother was. Janie’s main struggle in this story was to find happiness and support. Hurston also had this struggle throughout her life. Finding a man that would do labor work and not harm a woman was not a typical husband at this time.
I noticed three things that were symbolic in this story. I thought that Janie’s hair symbolized her strength and individuality. She had long, black, straight hair. Jody made her tie it up after he saw another man playing with it and he became jealous. Janie had hair that was unlike any other woman’s and everyone envied it. Another symbol I noticed was the pear tree. It was a symbol Janie’s views of life. Janie loved it as a girl and she was caught kissing a boy under it. She thought it was the most peaceful place to be. The third symbol I noticed was the store that Janie worked in while she was in Eatonville. It symbolized Janie’s strong, but suffering character. The store was like a jail cell for Janie. She had so many rules to follow and when Jody came along and saw something she did wrong, she would be punished. These symbols likely connect to the author in some way because Hurston and Janie’s lives are very similar.
I would rate this novel a 4 out of 5. I loved how the author wrote this story with herself in mind. It gave me a better perspective of the author’s life and times. I also enjoyed the plot, and how the author did not “sugar coat” how it really was during that time. However, I did not like the end to flashback pattern of arrangement in this story. I like endings that are unpredictable, but that is just my opinion. I would still definitely recommend this book for its believability and plot.
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