Theme-Independence

Zora Neal Hurston was an independent woman. She was a renown writer who had determination to become someone. Knowing that her writing is strongly influenced by life experiences, it is not surprising that Hurston incorporated the theme of seeking independence within yourself by discovering who you are. This theme is very similar to Ralph Waldo Emerson's Nature and the film A River Runs Through It-from our transendentalism projects. In these transendentalists themes, nature was the main focus that derived a soul. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, nature does play a part in Janie's life, but it is more of society that influences her. However, when I say influence, I don't mean that she followed the trend of society, but her attitude towards society.

By being indifferent about society, Janie is finding her independence. As a bi-racial child, she was automatically forced to find her own common ground. African-American? Caucasian? Throughout the novel, Janie is seeking to find her identity. She is trying to reach the horizon and sees that nature (the tree and the bee) are in harmony. She finds this harmony in Tea Cake, although he is much younger than she is. Socially, marrying a much younger man is not exactly praised in society, especially in the 1930s. However, Janie could care less. Tea Cake helps her with her individuality and is the pear tree and bee she longed to be when she was younger. The fulfillment she was looking for was completed by her marriage to Tea Cake. With her other marriages, her individualism was silenced. Joe Starks used his "male superiority" to prevent Janie from being her own person. Janie, fed up with Joe's ridiculousness decides that he is being unacceptable and finally stands up to his ugly face. And of course, Joe assaulted her. But the fact that Janie finally stood up for herself, was maybe the "crossing of the threshold" on her journey towards her individualism. It also could be her "call to adventure" in which she is beginning to cross the threshold.

After writing this blog, I realized that it covered characterization, motifs, symbols, and hero journey. That is because Hurston used all these aspects of literature to bring together the common theme in her life and the novel of finding one's identity and individualism. But she actually does find it through transcendentalist views. Janie sees and finds herself through nature. When she sits under the pear tree, she discovers her own sexuality. When she is looking into the horizon, she sees a future.