Commentary on Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

Their Eyes Were Watching God

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, there is an African-American woman, Janie Mae Crawford, who goes on a journey to find the woman who is trapped within herself. Janie returned to her homeland where she was seen with eyes of treachery because she had abandoned everything she owned for an absurd reason. However, there was one person, her best friend Pheoby, who was there to listen and not give in to the rumors being spread about her. The novels title relates to Janies quest, her discovery of God within her, and the reactions of the community to certain situations.

To begin with, the title to others may signify religion and their faith in God. However, in the novel it dealt with Janie and her quest towards finding what she really wants not what others expect of her as a black woman in those days. For example, when her grandmother wants to leave her protected before she dies, she decides on marrying her with a wealthy man, Taint Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, its protection. Ah aint gittin ole, honey. Ahm done ole, (pg.14). Janie was watching God throughout her perception of how her life should have been. It was as if Janie was questioning God for her luck having to be a black woman with a belief that they do not have a secured future and they cannot fulfill their dreams, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things com round in queer ways. You in particular, (pg.15). Janie marries Logan Killicks and thinks that love would eventually come after the marriage; however, She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether. She knew that God tore down the old world every evening and built a new one by sun-upShe knew now that marriage did not make love. Janies first dream was dead, so she became a woman, (pg. 24). In this quote, Janie realizes that love is not marriage, that God may have opened horizons to look up the road towards way off, (pg. 24).

Moreover, Janie meets a man by the name of Joe Starks and runs off with him, yet still married to Logan Killicks. Starks tells Janie about his many plans of moving out of town and living a new life. What can anyone expect Janie to do when she desires for a great change? She begins living a life of luxury, since she is married with a successful man who only wants her to be a trophy wife. In other words, Janie believed that God had helped her in this case by somehow crossing Joe in her life when she most needed an escape. However, later on she begins to notice change in Joes attitude, in result she had no word on or questioned any of Joes actions, which is best described on page 72:

She had learned how to talk some and leave some. She was rut in the road. Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels. Sometimes she stuck out in the future, imagining her life different from what it was.

In addition, Joe gets sick and dies, but before that Janie had a grudge she had been keeping for about twenty years and standing besides Joe at his death sentence, she told him off, But you wasnt satisfied with me de way I was. Mah own mind had to be squeezed and crowded out tuh make room for yours in me, (pg. 82). At this point Janie was watching God in a sense of freedom and relief, because once again she had broken free from chains that had her trapped not allowing her to be her true self. However, one that did not look to God was Jody and the fate he faced was obviously death, The icy sword of the square-toed one had cut off his breath and left his hands in a pose of agonizing protest. Janie gave him peace on his breast, then she studied his dead face for a long time, (pg. 82). Nine months after Jodys death, Janie kept looking out for the store and the fortune her husband had left her, many interested men came in search for her, however only Vergible Woods (Tea Cake) grabs her attention.

Janie begins to interact often with Tea Cake and seems that he has awakened a great affection within her. He teaches her how to play games, hunt, and fish, when people start noticing their friendship, rumors rise and drags them to gossip. Yet, no matter what, she reacted upon her feelings and decided to leave with Tea Cake, Still and all Ahd ruther be wid Tea Cake, (pg. 108). Once again God is the cause she met Tea Cake and believes that God has helped her endure through the gossip and suffering, but many more is yet to come. They are married happily for about two years in Everglades until they are warned of an approaching storm and they completely ignore it, and decide to take their own risks. So Tea Cake, Janie, and Motor Boat were at their own luck, they were all staring and waiting for the work of God, Ole Massa is doin His work now. Us oughta keep quiet, (pg. 150). In other words, God is the creator of nature, therefore he had caused the great storm, the three of them were terrified sat silently looking at the door, The time was past for asking the white folks what to look for through that door. Six eyes were questioning God, (pg. 151) as if they had lost faith, when they most needed the help, was not given to them.

Furthermore, they are desperately seeking for help, but their fate befalls them. Motor Boat had stayed in the two-story house while Tea Cake and Janie left in search for safety. Motor Boat turned out to be saved while Tea Cake was struggling to save Janies life from a mad dog. Both Janie and Tea Cake do not look to God and fate had befall him, They fought and somehow he managed to bite Tea Cake high up on his cheek bone once, (pg. 157). Tea Cake was severely injured and the bite had caused infection, since it was too late for medications to take any effect on him, Tea Cake had turned violent and tried to kill Janie. However, fate befalls him and he ends up being shot to death. Janie in someway believed that she had no choice or else she would have been the one in a coffin so fate had befall her and ended up in trial, however, Tea Cakes death was proven to be,accidental and justifiable, and that no blame should rest upon the defendant Janie Woods, (pg. 179). Throughout Janies quest, she realized that now she had lived the way she wanted to and had finally found her true self to be a brave black woman that can take care of herself and think on her own, and had found love within herself thanks to Vergible Woods.

Janie had found God within herself throughout her three marriages with Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Vergible Woods. With Logan Killicks she found God to have blessed her understanding that marriage does not contribute love. As to her marriage with Joe Starks, she saw God through Joes eagerness to keep her as a pretty lady that did not do much around just listening to his orders and that someday she would break free. Joes understanding of God would have probably been the way he treated Janie, perhaps a queen, however he watches God through his death bed when Janie yells at him her thoughts. With Tea Cake, she had found God within herself when the storm occurred, Its so many people never seen de light at all. Ah wuz fumblin round and God opened the door, (pg. 151). Janie explains that she had never experienced something like love and a caring person until she met Tea Cake, meaning that God had helped her see for herself the kindness of a true feeling, that God will help you in the times of necessity. Indeed, she discovers that God had helped her find that, Love is lak de sea. Its uh movin thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from the shore it meets, and its different with every shore, (pg. 182). Afterwards, she returns to Eatonville and tells Pheoby all about her experience, Two things everybodys got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin fuh theyselves, (pg. 183). Janie was in some words fascinated for what God had given her, the chance to live and for that she was thankful, therefore she suggested for others to do the same thing.

When Janie returns to Eatonville, the rumors and the gossip seems to be insufficient for the crowd in the town, their eyes flung wide open in judgment, (pg. 1). Janies appearance gave much to talk about since she had left with fashion and had returned with overalls, it gave people to question, Where all dat money her husband took and died and left her?-Where she left dat young lad of a boy she went off here wid?(pg. 2). It was as if Janie were in some way God, because all of the towns eyes were focused on her and nothing else. However, to Janie nothing mattered, but just for them to notice in great detail on page 86:

When God had made The Man, he made him out of stuff that sung all the time and glittered all over. Then after that some angels got jealous and chopped him into millions of pieces, but still he glittered and hummed. So they covered each one over with mud. And the lonesomeness in the sparks make them hunt for one another, but the mud is deaf and dumb. Like all the other tumbling mud-balls, Janie had tried to show her shine.

The community was the ones who judged with no reason and did not look to God, but to Janie they looked at her as a sparkle without a shine.

Janies quest was a success after all, because she had found herself within Gods help and the people she had met throughout her search. Although it may have not resulted as she would have liked she realizes that not all the time God gives you what you want, but what you do deserve. In fact, Janie always had her eyes towards God no matter what the circumstance.

Works Cited

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Penguin, 1948.