Zora Neale Hurston Research Paper

Irulana Rutherford

Mrs. Maness

English IV

9 Apr 2024

The Life of Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston once said, “There are two things everybody got to find out for themselves: they got to find out about love, and they got to find out about living. Now love is like the sea. It is a moving thing, and it is different on every shore. And living.... well.... Some years ask questions and years that answer.” People who have read any of her books or biographies know how important life and love for a family were to Hurston. But she began to be very well known after her tragic death. Zora Neale Hurston's strong determination and puzzled lifestyle helped create a courageous, graceful author whose work was turned down but later recognized after …show more content…
She was born January 07, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, United States. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. Zora Neale Hurston. “Zora Neale Hurston”. She was the daughter of John (preacher) and Luck (sewer) Hurston. Zora Neale Hurston. Also, two formerly enslaved people ("Zora Neale Huston - Quotes, Books & Sweat."). She grew up proud to be black and unaware of racism (Fradin ix). In Zora’s words, her hometown was a “pure negro town” (Hemenway 12). She remembers Eatonville as a place of great peace and happiness (Hemenway 10). She was isolated as a child in black surroundings (Hemenway 12). She grew up an inquisitive, almost belligerent child who took full advantage of the Florida sunshine. Hemenway 13. her mother who made Zora her special child and had the most influence on her early life (Hemenway 15). She grew up a self-confident and creative child. (Fradin 8) She eagerly read books and fell in love with the myths and folktales (Fradin 14). Her mother also worked as a schoolteacher ("Sweat"). Her mother died when she was 9 years old, and her dad got married soon after (“Sweat”). Once her mother passed, she became even more estranged from her father, Zora Neale Huston. American Décades. Her relationship with her stepmother rapidly deteriorated ("Sweat"). “They were reasonably well off, and her father became mayor of the town from 1912 to 1916.” ("Sweat"). Her father, Reverend John Hurston, was a …show more content…
Zora’s first name means “dawn” or “sunrise” (Fradin 5). Her middle name comes from a friend of her mother (Fradin 6). In 1925, when she got to New York, she only had $1.50 and just had a lot of hope (Hemenway 9). She carried her belongings in a bag (Hemenway 9). The self-confidence that kept her going in life was her home to her family, and the self-sufficiency demanded of her after she left home for the world (Hemenway 11). “She excelled in classes she found interesting and failed in those she did not; she worshipped her teachers; and she fell in love” ("Zora Neale Hurston." American Decades. She was trying to encourage other people of her color to be proud of their skin and accept that they are beautiful. Zora Neale Hurston. American Decades. She then became a fixture in the area's thriving art scene, with her apartment becoming a popular spot for social gatherings. Zora Neale Hurston - Quotes, Books & Sweat. She struggled financially and personally during her final decade. Zora Neale Hurston - Quotes, Books & Sweat. She kept writing, but she had difficulty getting her work published. Zora Neale Hurston - Quotes, Books & Sweat. Later in 1948, living in New York City and her late fifties, Hurston was arrested on charges of “molesting a young boy” ("Zora Neale Hurston." American Decades. But the case was thrown out of court, but not before the black press ran it as à front-page scandal.” ("Zora Neale

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