Zora Neale Hurston's Use Of Language In Their Eyes Were Watching God

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Zora Neale Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God using a unique use of language particularly rural southern black dialect throughout the entire novel. Throughout the novel she utilizes an interesting narrative structure, setting the presentation of the story between high literary narration and emotions. The long passages of emotion celebrate how Janie felt spiritually and mentally in Janie's little world. Hurston's use of language parallels Janie's quest to find her voice. Their Eyes Were Watching God is primarily concerned " with the project of having a voice, with language as an instrument of injury and salvation of selfhood and empowerment", said Henry Louis Gates Jr. Jody stifles Janie's speech which prevents from speaking when…show more content…
First it represents her independence and the finance of petty community standards. The towns critiques at the very beginning of the novel fully demonstrates that its considered dignified for a woman of Janie's age to wear her hair down. Her refusal to bow down to the norms clearly reflects her strong rebellious spirit. Second her hair functions as a phallic symbol; a symbol of typically masculine power and potency, which blurs gender lines and thus threatens Jody. Third, her hair because of the straightness, functions as a symbol of white ness; Mrs.Turner worships Janie because of her straight hair and other Caucasian characteristics. Her hair contributes to the normally white male power that she despises, which makes her disrupt traditional power relationships ( male over female, white over black) in the novel. The Pear tree and the horizon represents Janie's idealized views in nature. In the bees interaction with the pear tree flowers, Janie witnesses A perfect moment in nature, full of erotic energy, passion interaction, in a blissful harmony. She chases after this ideal view throughout the rest of the book. Similarity the verizon represents the mystery of the natural world, which she longs to connect. Janie's Horizon " like a great fish net" of the novel indicates that she has achieved the harmony with nature that she has sought since
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