Analysis
African American literature involved a “powerful dynamic between naturalism and romanticism" during the early twentieth century. Specifically, African American authors began expressing a view of social life with a sense of a black American's own moral responsibility and freedom (Batker).
Zora Neale Hurtson, a novelist, short story writer, playwright, and folklorist, had a very influential and controversial career because she wrote about black culture in the only way she knew how - with black people, loving, laughing, and celebrating. She found it quite difficult to write about black people as degraded, humiliated, or victimized in her works, as she did not experience herself or other blacks in those ways. Hurston wanted to write novels in a way that was unconcerned with white people and unconcered with the obstacles attributed to being black ("Zora Neale Hurston").
Hurston was born in Eatonville, Florida, where part of her novel takes place. Eatonville was an all black town, so Hurston had little exposure to racism growing up. While she grew up poor and uneducated, she was exposed to black folk life. Much like her character Janie, Hurston was married many times. It can be argued that Hurston modeled Janie after herself and her own journey through life ("Zora Neale Hurston").
Their Eyes Were Watching God masterfully illustrates what life was like for a woman living in the South in the 1920s. Janie was expected to get married and start a family, because that is what women did in the South. There is also a racial aspect -- whites were considered superior to blacks by most Southern people.
As Janie moves through various societies throughout the book, she encounters different cultures which give her different expectations of normality. Under the pear tree, Janie dreams of being harmonious with nature. However, each different society she lives in constrains those dreams and does not allow her to be her natural self. When she marries Logan and lives on the farm with him, the expectation is that she will work hard like a mule. Then she runs off with Joe, in hopes that he will provide her with an environment that allows her to be natural. While Joe does not treat Janie like a mule, he does value hierarchy and power, which forces Janie upon a pedestal. The people of Eatonville view her as superior to the average citizen, which does not fulfill her dream of being in a natural state of life. For this reason, Janie leaves Eatonville to live with Tea Cake. Tea Cake brings her to the Muck, an extremely natural and nonrestrictive society. Until she moves to the Muck, Janie was always seen as "the other" because she had different values that the societies she lived in. The natural environment of the Muck allows Janie to be free and achieve her horizon. The various cultures present different perceptions of reality that affect the way Janie progresses throughout the novel. By using the cultural studies theory, the reader can better understand the values that influence Janie in each society and how they affect the novel as a whole.
Tricksters, or people who break social boundaries, are very important to both cultural studies and African American literature ("Tricksters"). In this novel, Janie and Tea Cake can both be considered tricksters.
Janie is considered a trickster because she clearly breaks racial and gender related boundaries. She eventually goes against the traditional role of Southern women when she goes to the Muck and embraces her natural self, and even works in the fields with Tea Cake. Janie is not racist, and she sees blacks and whites as equal. Some people considered Janie better than most blacks because she had many white features, but Janie sees no difference between people of different races.
Tea Cake is considered a trickster because he breaks many social boundaries as well. He allows Janie to be her own person and does not control her as many Southern husbands did. In a sense, Tea Cake is a more traditional trickster than Janie, as he is a male and he eventually changes forms. After saving Janie from a rabid dog during a flood, Tea Cake develops rabies and essentially begins turning into a dog.
African American literature involved a “powerful dynamic between naturalism and romanticism" during the early twentieth century. Specifically, African American authors began expressing a view of social life with a sense of a black American's own moral responsibility and freedom (Batker).
Zora Neale Hurtson, a novelist, short story writer, playwright, and folklorist, had a very influential and controversial career because she wrote about black culture in the only way she knew how - with black people, loving, laughing, and celebrating. She found it quite difficult to write about black people as degraded, humiliated, or victimized in her works, as she did not experience herself or other blacks in those ways. Hurston wanted to write novels in a way that was unconcerned with white people and unconcered with the obstacles attributed to being black ("Zora Neale Hurston").
Hurston was born in Eatonville, Florida, where part of her novel takes place. Eatonville was an all black town, so Hurston had little exposure to racism growing up. While she grew up poor and uneducated, she was exposed to black folk life. Much like her character Janie, Hurston was married many times. It can be argued that Hurston modeled Janie after herself and her own journey through life ("Zora Neale Hurston").
Their Eyes Were Watching God masterfully illustrates what life was like for a woman living in the South in the 1920s. Janie was expected to get married and start a family, because that is what women did in the South. There is also a racial aspect -- whites were considered superior to blacks by most Southern people.
As Janie moves through various societies throughout the book, she encounters different cultures which give her different expectations of normality. Under the pear tree, Janie dreams of being harmonious with nature. However, each different society she lives in constrains those dreams and does not allow her to be her natural self. When she marries Logan and lives on the farm with him, the expectation is that she will work hard like a mule. Then she runs off with Joe, in hopes that he will provide her with an environment that allows her to be natural. While Joe does not treat Janie like a mule, he does value hierarchy and power, which forces Janie upon a pedestal. The people of Eatonville view her as superior to the average citizen, which does not fulfill her dream of being in a natural state of life. For this reason, Janie leaves Eatonville to live with Tea Cake. Tea Cake brings her to the Muck, an extremely natural and nonrestrictive society. Until she moves to the Muck, Janie was always seen as "the other" because she had different values that the societies she lived in. The natural environment of the Muck allows Janie to be free and achieve her horizon. The various cultures present different perceptions of reality that affect the way Janie progresses throughout the novel. By using the cultural studies theory, the reader can better understand the values that influence Janie in each society and how they affect the novel as a whole.
Tricksters, or people who break social boundaries, are very important to both cultural studies and African American literature ("Tricksters"). In this novel, Janie and Tea Cake can both be considered tricksters.
Janie is considered a trickster because she clearly breaks racial and gender related boundaries. She eventually goes against the traditional role of Southern women when she goes to the Muck and embraces her natural self, and even works in the fields with Tea Cake. Janie is not racist, and she sees blacks and whites as equal. Some people considered Janie better than most blacks because she had many white features, but Janie sees no difference between people of different races.
Tea Cake is considered a trickster because he breaks many social boundaries as well. He allows Janie to be her own person and does not control her as many Southern husbands did. In a sense, Tea Cake is a more traditional trickster than Janie, as he is a male and he eventually changes forms. After saving Janie from a rabid dog during a flood, Tea Cake develops rabies and essentially begins turning into a dog.