Their Eyes Were Watching God is the story of people who failed to be up to the image and likeness of God the humankind has been created after. Janie Crawford is the protagonist of the novel. Ever since her grandmother arranged 16 years old Janie’s marriage the latter succumbs to both outer circumstances and temptations within her. Such a way of life inevitably led her to relationships with men neither of whom loved her. Although she is described as an attractive woman all three of her husbands merely use her. The first one treats her like a pack mule making her work at his farm; the second one treats her like some titular piece of luxury; the third one simply steals her money several days after the wedding ceremony. After his death, Janie finds herself in the cold facing her old age coming.
Their Eyes Were Watching God is the most famous novel by African American author Zora Neale Hurston. Time magazine listed this novel as one of 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005. Set in Florida at the beginning of the previous century the work caught a great deal of attention and controversy right after the time of its publication and has been regarded as a fruitful work in both feminist and African-American literature.
This notwithstanding the work deals with the problems peculiar to lots of people regardless of their race, sex, or social background. It is the story of people who failed to improve themselves and are compelled to have their noses rubbed into their fallacies when facing certain extreme cases.
The protagonist Janie Crawford – an African-American woman – consistently follows outer circumstances not trying to make any personal efforts to make her life better. When being a teenager she was married to an adult man almost against her will. Her grandmother arranged that marriage for Janie’s good first and foremost. Yet the way to misfortune is paved with good intentions so Janie either submits to somebody’s will or simply indulges her vices.
In terms of the Christian religion, Janie succumbs to temptations and indulges her sins. Having promised once to be loyal to her first husband Logan Kellicks Janie elopes with the Joe (Jody) Starks. The younger and more eloquent lover however fails to appease Janie’s fidgety soul. He was not about doing so. So Janie is used or rather wasted again. Although her new husband does not take her to work physically like a pack mull he treats her like an inanimate object; like a cuff link or some other accessory. Stripped of her right to have her personal life Janie fails to fall in love again.
Instead of doing anything to improve their relationships she enjoys material benefits related to her living with Joe (Jody) Starks and gets embittered indulging her sin of anger. It takes her almost two decades of marriage to get brave enough to berate her husband. She announces in front of the townspeople that Joe Starks is impotent. She was content with all abuses she endured in exchange for the material benefits Joe (Jody) Starks provided. However, as soon as she becomes aware of his impotence she rips him to shreds. After the years of indulging her vanity and greed related to living with such a man like Joe (Jody), Starks Janie indulges her in anger as soon as she finds out that she is not likely to indulge her lust anymore. The infuriated woman seems to have no idea of such Christian virtues as mercy. Staying at her husband’s deathbed she enjoys her sadistic luxury of berating this helpless man. By the way, Joe himself is not said to have ever taunted his wife physically before she called him impotent in public.
Having had her husband buried Janie “enjoys her freedom”. However, this freedom means to Janie to be free of bearing any responsibility. That is why having been widowed she rebuffs lots of suitors including those of them who had rather prestigious occupations able to provide her decent living. Instead, she meets a drifter twelve years younger than she. Likewise Janie herself her new match Vergible Woods, also referred to by his nickname Tea Cake, is also not preoccupied with such matters as morale and responsibility. It was not until their honeymoon was over he steels Janie’s money and having spent it comes back. Being aware of her age Janie embraces him again.
Yet God is omnipresent so Janie and her bad-lot husband have eventually to face Him and answer for their deeds. He appears as the notorious Okeechobee Hurricane giving everybody his/her due. He takes Tea Cake away and leaves Janie alone. Having failed to bear responsibility for her deeds she eventually has to face her old age coming, having nobody to bear responsibility for her.
Although their eyes were watching God they failed to see what they were supposed to do.
Works Cited
Gates, Henry Louis Jr. Zora Neale Hurston: Critical Perspectives Past and Present New York: Amistad, 1993.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Taos: NM EMC/Paradigm Pub., 2004.