Feminism In Their Eyes Were Watching God
The idea of feminism is a concept many do not truly comprehend. The definition of feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. For years, women have fought for the right to be treated as equal to men. Zora Neale Hurston was considered to be the first individual to write a “feminist” piece of literature. This work was called “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. The book is about a woman named Janie and her search for what love truly is and her identity as an individual. Throughout the story, Janie would be faced with trials and tribulations until the very end where she finds peace with herself. This story really embodies the idea of true women’s suffrage. Hurston’s work is a feminist piece of literature to
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They could not vote and were treated as inferior to their husbands or male counterpart. In “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Hurston creates a woman who does not feel that women should be stuck in those boxes. Janie pushes the the needle when she feels the need to. When she was working the store, she would talk about to Joe and even converse with the other men of the town. She pushed so far that Joe believed that he had to put her in check and he hit her in front of the people in the store. Janie always felt that she was capable of more than she was allowed to do. For example, Teacake taught her how to shoot a gun. She became so good that she was a better shot than he was. During this time, women could not do more than just wifely duties. For Janie to do other things that most women could only imagine was …show more content…
Hurston took her struggles in life and channeled them into a novel. She grew up with little and she transferred what she went through into the novel. Janie grew not knowing much except what her grandmother told her about the world. As she got older, she searched for information, and how to find her place in the world. When she married Joe, she felt like she learning more about herself. It wasn’t until Teacake came around that she really opened up and learned more about herself. Teacake had a great influence on Janie’s progression in later years. He allowed her to do what most men wouldn’t allow their wives to do. She could think for herself, work, and even question. Being with Teacake, she lost herself in him and found herself in how her treated her. Janie felt that she was truly a part of society when it came down to it. Even after Teacake died, she was content with what her life came out to be in the end. Janie had allowed herself to be found and it only took three marriages and losing two husbands in tragic ways.
Hurston's “Their Eyes Were Watching God” involved a woman’s search for her identity, struggle against the gender norms for a woman, and the protagonist is depicted as woman who is judged by her decisions. These factors are why I believe that this novel is a piece of feminist literature.
They could not vote and were treated as inferior to their husbands or male counterpart. In “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Hurston creates a woman who does not feel that women should be stuck in those boxes. Janie pushes the the needle when she feels the need to. When she was working the store, she would talk about to Joe and even converse with the other men of the town. She pushed so far that Joe believed that he had to put her in check and he hit her in front of the people in the store. Janie always felt that she was capable of more than she was allowed to do. For example, Teacake taught her how to shoot a gun. She became so good that she was a better shot than he was. During this time, women could not do more than just wifely duties. For Janie to do other things that most women could only imagine was …show more content…
Hurston took her struggles in life and channeled them into a novel. She grew up with little and she transferred what she went through into the novel. Janie grew not knowing much except what her grandmother told her about the world. As she got older, she searched for information, and how to find her place in the world. When she married Joe, she felt like she learning more about herself. It wasn’t until Teacake came around that she really opened up and learned more about herself. Teacake had a great influence on Janie’s progression in later years. He allowed her to do what most men wouldn’t allow their wives to do. She could think for herself, work, and even question. Being with Teacake, she lost herself in him and found herself in how her treated her. Janie felt that she was truly a part of society when it came down to it. Even after Teacake died, she was content with what her life came out to be in the end. Janie had allowed herself to be found and it only took three marriages and losing two husbands in tragic ways.
Hurston's “Their Eyes Were Watching God” involved a woman’s search for her identity, struggle against the gender norms for a woman, and the protagonist is depicted as woman who is judged by her decisions. These factors are why I believe that this novel is a piece of feminist literature.