Their Eyes Were Watching God Research Paper

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Pages: 5

Abby Caya Mr. Warzecha AP Literature 3/12/24 Janie All women, in some period of their lives, experience the feeling of worthlessness. Whether it manifests as a direct result of pressures and opinions from society or the views of their closest relationships, females are often degraded when they should be uplifted. The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston depicts the journey of a young woman, Janie, and her struggles navigating the deep South in the early 20th century; battling the severe societal prejudice and corruption rooted in the dominant cultural values placed on women. Janie Crawford set out for love, but also self-fulfillment despite the opinions of those around her. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston paints a picture of a young woman discovering her own identity and defying the male dominated societies expectations on how she should act, inevitably breaking the helpless caregiver stereotype of women through each relationship and the evolution of it, demonstrating the importance of finding a self-identity and rejecting corrupt stereotypes against women. …show more content…
According to her nanny, Janie’s suitor would be chosen through ideas of wealth, ensuring stable living, social advancement, and protection from sexual assault by white men. Nanny tells Janie, “If you don’t want him, you should. Heah you are wid de onliest organ in town, amongst colored folks, in yo’ parlor. Got a house bought and paid for and sixty acres uh land right on de big road” (Hurtson, 23). This passage demonstrates the disregard for Janie’s feelings, as well as emphasizes the strong hold social status and wealth had on the individuals around her. Nanny even implied that if she wasn’t getting beaten, there was no reason to leave the