Their Eyes Were Watching God Rhetorical Analysis

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Zora Neale Hurston, in her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, brings to life complex ideas to aid in the audience’s understanding of the depth of Janie’s idea of love. The main character, Janie, is constantly striving to continue searching for what she feels is rightfully hers. She forms numerous relationships in which she is able to experience various types of love, many in which do not satisfy her desires. Finally, a young and witty man named Tea Cake, fills the emptiness in Janie’s life. Hurston provides the readers with detailed images allowing them to clearly understand and enter Janie’s mind. The author’s use of imagery is extremely helpful in being able to comprehend how Janie perceives love. In addition, Hurston ensures the audience …show more content…
Even if Janie feels discouraged or the readers are losing faith that Janie will find happiness, Hurston’s detailed imagery of the flowers and trees are comforting. While Janie and Joe are getting to know each other, “they managed to meet in the scrub oaks” as often as they could (Hurston 28). However, Janie realizes during that time that “[Joe] did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees “(Hurston 28). Although Hurston warns the audience that Janie and Joe’s relationship will not last forever, the scrub oaks signal that there is still hope for Janie to find her love under a pear tree. Oaks are a symbol that God will protect Janie and this is an image that guarantees Janie will succeed in the future. Later, Hurston proves that Janie and Joe’s toxic relationship “took the bloom off of things” (46). Again, Janie is willing to move on from Joe because he is restricting her from accomplishing her goals. Hurston’s imagery allows the audience to be optimistic that Janie will find a bloom in an upcoming relationship. Janie eventually finds the man who fulfills her dreams and satisfies her hollow heart. Hurston exemplifies Janie’s love for Tea Cake when Janie’s “little seed of fear was growing into a tree” (136). She was so afraid that her love under a pear tree would be ripped away from her, but the audience is …show more content…
She has changed tremendously since the beginning of her love story and Hurston’s use of imagery helps the audience to recognize Janie’s growth. To explain how Janie will transform throughout the novel, Hurston illustrates the growth of a flower “from barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom” (10). Flowers become more beautiful as they grow, just as Hurston is implying to the audience that Janie will flourish as she experiences life. However, at this point Janie does not truly believe that she is a charming and beautiful young woman. In order for her to consider this, she must first quench her thirst with the love that she longs for under a pear tree. With many failures throughout the journey, Janie’s interpretation of love is adjusting to what she needs in her life. Janie deserves a man who encourages individuality, independence, and passion. Tea Cake provides Janie with these treasures and much more. After Tea Cake passes away, Janie is faced with the task of coming to terms with her reality. Janie refuses to let go of the seeds as “she has meant to plant them for remembrance” (Hurston 191). These seeds embody the love that Janie has for Tea Cake and represent new life. Tea Cake will be alive in Janie forever and will remind her of the love that she found. As Janie is challenged to accept
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