. classroom.” Ultimately, the great takeaway from this theme was the insight we gained in forming our life purposes and, specifically, how we should form them for the benefit of our futures. This novel and the message that it contains would not be as influential and classic without the help of Zora Neale Hurston. When initially published and for over forty years, her novel was disregarded by male reviewers, sitting idle from further interpretation. Richard White found that her story lacked substance and was written with a “minstrel technique” for a white audience. Through these obstacles, Hurston persevered to solidify herself as a classic writer in the Harlem Renaissance by applying her eventful travels, relationships, and education. According to her official website, “Zora Neale Hurston could walk into a roomful of strangers and, a few minutes and a few stories later, leave them completely charmed. . .Over a career that spanned more than 30 years, she published four novels, two books of folklore, an autobiography, numerous short stories, and several essays, articles and plays”