Their Eyes Were Watching God

2728 Words11 Pages
Authors Rhonda Unger and Mary Crawford state that “stereotypes occur when individuals are classified by others as having something in common because they are members of a particular group or category of people” (107). For centuries the female gender has been suppressed by sexist stereotypes. These stereotypes have thus categorized women into distinct gender roles. Author Gwendolyn Lewis, in her article “Changes in Women’s Role Participation,” divides the role of women into four categories: “Women in the modern societies are found simultaneously in many different roles; the predominant roles for women are now, as in the past, those of wife, homemaker, mother and worker” (137). In Their Eyes Were Watching God, author Zora Neale Hurston, supports and defies the stereotypical role of a woman. In her article Lewis states, “the role of wife is acquired when a women legally aligns herself with a man through marriage” (138). In early history females were married off at a young age by their parents and most often had no say so in the matter. This arrangement most often was done for the welfare of the families and not the children involved. This tradition has altered but the stereotypical role of the wife has changed very little. In his article entitled “Responsibilities of a Wife”, author E.R. Hill, Jr. states that “A submissive wife is a worthy woman, has accepted a worthy role, is committed to a worthy objective, and is performing a worthy work; She deserves the praise of her family, the gratitude of her nation, and the honor of any civilized society” (par.5). Hill also outlines the Biblical roles of women stating that the women is “to be fruitful…be there for companionship, for affection, for sexual needs and to be keepers at the home” (par.7-11). In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie discovers her vision of at a young age. She is married
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