Their Eyes Were Watching God

Novel Choice

Hurston has curved a special space in women literature. Any reader, who has come across any of her literature, appreciates the deep personal experiences she always reveals. The choice Hurston’s piece has been motivated by my lack of disappointment in any of the works I have come across, and sure Their Eyes Were Watching God is a deep afterthought reflection of the author. As usual, her themes are developed through her own personal experiences and the envisioning of the novel characters, especially the protagonist. I hardly regard myself as a feminist, but I adore analysis of feminist issues. In literary, I always compare Hurston to legends such as Edgar Allan Poe. The novel does not only reveal’s the authors emotional life, but also signifies the 19th Century feminine literature of African American women. She reveals herself through the first person narration and with the voices of the protagonists. I like this work because unlike such authors as Jessie Fauset, Pauline Hopkins, and Frances E. W. Harper, Houston never stereotypes her protagonist, or relay the adopt the plot of her earlier white predecessor plots. She creates Janie to be strong 19th Century African American woman, a hero. Janie is the woman that would significantly influence the 20th Century woman, characterized by the likes of Alice Walker. 

Cinematic Aspects

Hurston implemented various cinematic elements in Their Eyes Were Watching God . Besides portraying African American literature, the prominent device is the adoption of the unique dialect. Apart from Paul Lawrence Dunbar, no example of southern African American perfect dialect has ever been relayed in literature. However, Dunbar did apply it only to poetry. The use of dialect creates a more practical and convincing depiction of African American in southern United States during 1900’s. Dialect is a strong movie element, which not only help in shaping characters, but developed the movie plot, in regards to cultural background. When incorporated in a movie, the audience will perfectly submerge in to the southern culture, diminishing the theatric aspects. 

Hurston incorporates a perfect narration. The novel is Janie Crawford memoir, Janie is first depicted returning to her home Eatonville staying in southern Florida her husband, Mr. Tea Cake. Janie is highly criticized and ridiculed, but finds a refuge at Pheoby place. At her forties, the protagonist has been tormented a great deal. Readers learn from her through a story within a story, as she engages Pheoby. In the film, the strory is a strong thematic driver, when supported with perfect visuals, the scene with not only be emotional, but also create a room for revoking the criticisms laid upon the protagonist. 

There are cinematic aspects and themes when she pictures the consequences of abusing power and leadership. At a point in the novel, the author develops an atmosphere closely linked to Orwell’s Animal Farm . In the narration, Joe Starks, who is Janie’s second husband, appoints himself the major of Eatonville. Stark start working remodeling the city into a functional unit, through thism he wins the support everyone in the town. Unfortunately, Starks disregards the town people of their poor social status. He uses his powers to enslave them, enrich himself, and further improvise them. The scene to some extent marches Orwell’s images. Jim Crow laws further worsen the life at Eatonville. The drunkenness of power and corruption are normal scenes in the 21st century movies. Just like the slaves and their masters dominated most 18th Century themes, the 21st Century political movies are synonymous with abuse of power, corruption, and leaders enriching themselves as their subject suffer.

Character Analysis

Janie is the novel’s protagonist. She is in search of spiritual enlightenment and self-identity. Janie is also undergoing relationship crisis, which attract societal criticism. Unlike most feminist books, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, the protagonist is never in pursuit of relationship, but rather sense of independency. As she returns to Eatonville, the author paints her as a proud and a strong woman. Her return contrasts the novels beginning, where she is uncertain of herself, and what she wants. During their conversation with Pheoby, she starts by reveling her “under the blossoming pear tree—the revelations, which ignites her quest. Under the pear tree, she comes to perfect connection nature and harmony.” Janie dream and long for this kind of love, a reciprocity creating oneness with nature. Her disappointment is the lack of knowledge on how to proceed. At the juncture, she fails in identifying her quest. 

Janie for a while thinks he finds an ideal relationship with Jody Starks. As Jody enters her life, he becomes the fire to kindly Janie world, against those of the pragmatic and dull Logan. However, he becomes obsessed with richness and power, which stifle her. They would later engage in unending verbal exchange. Janie flourishes in new relations with Tea Cake who “teaches her the maiden language all over.” She learns the power of silence and grows all over again. Janie is growth, self-identity, and fight against societal chains. 

Tea Cake in the novel functions as the catalyst drives Janie to her goals. Like all the men, he only plays the supporting role. Before Tea Cake, Janie was finding her own voice she stood up against Jody. When Tea Cake’s die, Janie’s strength has doubled, she is hopeful and independent. Her life seems not to have revolved around Tea Cake as compared to her first relationships. Tea Cake not only develops the story plot, but also demonstrates the growth of the protagonist. 

Plot

Janie Crawford is a middle aged, attractive, and confident woman. Her first appearance is when she returns to Eatonville, after a long journey. She comes to town amidst gossips and criticisms over her relationship with Tea Cake. Janie remains aloof and confident, but people take the aspects as weakness, except her friend Pheoby Watson, who remains strong by her side. Pheoby visits her friend and they engages in deep conversation of Janie’s emotional life. Janie reveals that her grandmother raised her, after her mother escaped the family. The grandmother loved but grew apprehensive with their slavery life. She hoped for Janie to find a man who will provide her with security and social status in life. She insist Janie marry Logan Killicks, an old farmer. After her engaged with Logan, he turns out to be unromantic and pragmatic, unromantic, and badly treats her. She meets Joe Starks, who she describes as ambitious and smooth-tongued man, whom they elope with. 

Janie and Jody travel to all-black Eatonville, where Jody fights for “big voice.” As a strong politician, Jody becomes the mayor, storekeeper, postmaster, and the biggest landlord Eatonville. However, he lacked what Janie was after with her big voice, she is feels the life is too monotonous, and stifling with Jody. Jody controls the people she interacts with, not the ‘common people.’ Janie stays with Jody, but never in love. When Jody passes over, she soon falls for Tea Cake. Her marriage with Teak Cake hit numerous relationship hurdles, but Janie had grown strong enough to manage them. Her relationships become a stepping-stone of her self-actualization and development.

Theme

Their Eyes Were Watching God , is unmatched by many feminist writers and a must have in a bookshelf. Powerful themes emerge from the novel from feminism, marriage, love, self-identity, greed, and oppression. Janie undergoes three marriages, each unique on his own way. Like the societal norm among the women at the time, Janie is ever confronted with her identity crisis over her pas marriages. It is only after the second marriage, much later in life that she finds true love. The third husband, Tea Cake, advocate for her to be a woman she wants. Finally, she is free from the chains of her mind. She is never happy, but conventional.

Relationship with God is one of the outstanding themes. Almost in the entire novel, Janie has no control over her life. She has faced suffered depression and has been treated as an object, injuring her identity. She often questioned good about her place in the world. However, she attends church weekly without missing and believes she is God fearing. When she falls in love with Tea Cake, she opt out of church, she lost her faith while working on the newfound happiness. However, she tragically loses Tea Cake, but regains remains strong and consults with God. The book title exemplifies those Janie answers of her life. 

Novel

Hurston’s work itself brings the cinematic elements of the time. As the producer, the cinematic elements are live in my mind. I can foresee the costumes the century, I can reflect on the conflicts of Janie’s life with the time and the societal expectation. I will always want to play Janie side by side by the women of the period, to bring the contrast she harbors in the novel. I will not forget the cinematic elements such as the dialect, the props such as the housing of the time, pictures of slave, and the political climate of the time. I will want the scenes of Janie’s first marriage with Logan, Jody and his political voice, and the scene when Janie arrived in town with Teak Cake. These must be intriguing scenes that need to be watched. The key to my decision is the contrast they hold in the society. There is not better experience than that of reading a novel one is looking forward to watch in a film. One does not read for enjoyment at this stage, you need to confirm every element and worry how they will appear in the movie. 

I love this experience, I will repeat it. It is insightful. This type of reading makes me the manager or the controller of the situation. I control the interpretation of the book, and what I feel should be in the movie. You even want to taste watching the movie and proceed with reading, or watch and confirm with the book.