The mule serves to symbolize janie and her struggle with joe. Their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston plot. In their eyes were watching god, zora neale hurston uses metonymy. With a foreword by edwidge danticat and an afterword by henry louis gates, jr. One afternoon, the men engage in a game of mulebaiting. Their eyes were watching god essay mules in their eyes. Their eyes were watching god is a novel about dreamers. Zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, 1987. The town holds a funeral for the mule, and joe gives a great speech.
She tells her all about how her grandma, nanny, raised her in west florida with white people, the washburns. There is a strong parallel between the mule and janie. A hardworking farmer with 60 acres of land and a comfortable house, logan does not have a major part in janies story, and yet he is. Their eyes were watching god is framed as janies telling of a story, but words in the text like insensate, seraph, and fanaticism seem to resist such a context. Their eyes were watching god analytical essay essays. Their eyes were watching god is widely regarded as a feminist novel, as the character of janie regains her independence after being oppressed by men. By reading the novel their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston, one could immediately pick up on the difference gender played during the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. What is the significance of the mule in their eyes were watching god. Each section of the work is individually summarized and includes study questions and answers. Within the novel, their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston, there are several inanimate objects which relate to the development of the main character but also the overall story. But now, the sun and the bossman were gone, so the skins felt powerful and human.
Our maxnotes for zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god study guide includes an overall summary, character lists, explanation and discussion of the plot, overview of the works historical context, and a biography of the author. Many critics have examined their eyes were watching god through. Mule symbol in their eyes were watching god litcharts. Their eyes were watching god analytical essay essaysin their eyes were watching god, there is a lot of symbolism, used especially to represent feelings, thoughts, points of view and even the own lives of the main characters. One of the most important works of twentiethcentury american literature, zora neale hurstons beloved 1937 classic, their eyes were watching god, is an enduring southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. This paper will argue, however, that the novel cannot solely be regarded as a feminist novel as there are aspects that conflict with feminist theory. Zora neale hurston is an author who predominantly wrote through the great depression to advocate for equality, specifically for african american women. The mule in their eyes were watching god schoolworkhelper. Ordinary, everyday objects become the most powerful symbols in her writing. Zora neale hurston makes a close connection between mules and burdens in her novel, their eyes were watching god. Janie finds a mule s strength through logan, an individual voice through jody, and the fruit of love through tea cake. Time and place have had their say, hurston tells us in her autobiography, dust. Man of the mountain is an impressive book in its mode and ambitions, but a mixed achievement, unable to resolve problems of diction and of rhetorical stance.
Notes on chapter 2 from their eyes were watching god. Janies life was often related and compared to a mule s life, b. The five main symbols are the pear tree, janies head rags, tea cake, the old mule. Get an answer for in their eyes were watching god, what is the significance of the mule. At the time of its original release, it was heavily criticized by other african american authors, mainly for its use of phonetic accents for dialogue of the characters and the theme of division between light and dark. Essentially, hurston is the author of one superb and moving novel, unique not in its kind but in its isolated excellence. Mule quotes in their eyes were watching god the their eyes were watching god quotes below all refer to the symbol of mule. These texts were written before their eyes were watching god, and they provide interesting insights about the novels mule imagery. The analogy of the mule and women is stated repetitively in the book and is used to represent. Symbolism in their eyes were watching god essay example. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. One of these inanimate objects is the mule which is referred to numerous times within the novel. The paper explores the signification of the mule image in their eyes were watching god, and analyzes its equivalence with the role of black women in the american society. In the book their eyes were watching god, why did jody buy.
The significance of mules in their eyes were watching god. Get an answer for in the book their eyes were watching god, why did jody buy matts mule. It is important to note, however, that jody is not an evil character. Janie is the first person to be angered by the porchsitters baiting of the mule. Unbeknownst to her, jody is standing nearby and hears her complaint. Folkloric men and female growth in their eyes were. Editions of their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston. He calls the people trashy, unworthy of conversation with the mayors wife.
Pdf their eyes were watching god hager youssef academia. Their decision was already made a always hurston 158. Jody continues to exert the same kind of control over janie that he does in chapter 5. Their eyes were watching god quotes by zora neale hurston. Throughout the chapter, janies actions and jodys reactions are mirrored by matt and his yellow mule, and then by jody and the mule. In order to reflect fully the powerful influence of patriarchal values in this process, hurston plots janies growth within the context of. Professor kristen over of northeastern illinois university explains the plot summary of zora neale hurstons novel their eyes were watching god. Its considered a hallmark of africanamerican literature, womens literature, and the harlem renaissance.
Reading their eyes were watching god dispels all skepticism. Zora neale hurston uses symbolism creatively throughout her novel, their eyes were watching god. Her novel carries no theme, no message, no thought. Their eyes were watching god idaho commission for libraries. Pear tree janies fights with logan were a result of her inner turmoil. Janie feels limited by the repetitive nature of working in the store each day, but is amused by the townspeoples conversations on the porch that she can overhear, even if she is not directly engaged. While women were expected to stay at home and clean and take care of children, men worked to provide for their families and were considered far superior. The people were not educated, but enjoyed their lives in ignorance. In their eyes were watching god, zora neale hurston reveals the importance of gender roles and their place in african american culture during the 1930s. Indeed, there are no true antagonists in the book, and evil is not manifested in specific individuals. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in their eyes were watching god, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Janie despises working at the store, only looking forward to the entertaining stories and chats of the people sitting on the porch. Although janie never reaches her horizon, she does discover the most valuable things in life.
She snatched her head away from the spectacle and began their eyes were watching god 67. Matt bonner and his yellow mule are constantly teased, and the men on the porch mock how matt abuses the mule as a work. When the men torture the animal, the mule fights, but the men only tease him more. Folkloric men and female growth in their eyes were watching god sallyann ferguson a major theme in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god is the blossoming of janie crawfords consciousness. Symbols formalistic approach on their eyes were watching god. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
They irritate the mule for fun, and janie mutters her disapproval of their cruelty. In their eyes were watching god, what is the significance. The significance of mules in their eyes were watching god and as i lay dying by gavin sanchez mules in as i lay dying mules crossing the river ch 43 pg 58 of course youre. Logan janie thought that she would fall in love with logan because she was married to him. Their eyes were watching god symbolism 1290 words 6 pages. Their eyes were watching god is a 1937 novel by zora neale hurston. These inanimate objects reflect several aspects of the setting and of the time period in general. All their conversation centers around the rather frivolous subject of the yellow mule and they only talk about it to put down matt bonner and make themselves feel bigger.
In the first quote, hurston in many ways accuses blacks of looking to whites to learn what their futures hold. In this chapter, much of the conversation among the porch sitters centers on matt bonners helpless mule. Their eyes were watching god is a 1937 novel by africanamerican writer zora neale hurston. See more ideas about teaching literature, god and teaching. These words and the poetic passages in which they occur do not sound like they were filtered through janies personality. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness. The eatonville community enjoys poking fun at matt bonner for his treatment of his yellow mule. In their eyes were watching god what did joe do with the. Lamp posts are also a reference to the bible in that god is the one that brings light to the community. This article gives her their eyes were watching god a critical view. Through janies unhappy comments, we learn that logan killicks is an old, unattractive man. The image of the mule first appears when nanny tells janie that black women are the. Because janie was always around white people, she never knew that she was black.
When jody brings lamps to eatonville, it shows that he believes he is as important as god, and wants the people to treat him in the same way. On a deeper level, folk culture patterns help structure the work. Domestic violence in zora neale hurstons their eyes were. In his work, hurston drew the pictures of a whole bunch of women, which doesnt show a solo performance. In this society, the folks are black people and the people are the white people, and the blacks always listen to the whites, because they thought since whites were the superior race, they must be right about everything. In the body of a mule zora neale hurston uses the sixth chapter of their eyes were watching god not to perpetuate the immediate plot, but to add further commentary on the position of african americans, women, and janie herself.
The questions on these assessments focus on how the mule is used in their eyes were watching god and comparisons made by characters regarding the mule. In chapter 6, hurston displays the importance males exhibiting superiority their female partners and their attempts to force them into roles of subservience. John callahan has recently demonstrated that the interplay of voices in their eyes were watching god. It is considered a classic of the harlem renaissance of the 1920s, and it is likely hurstons best known work.
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