Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
Contributed by Reynaldo Lenzi
Themes
Themes are described as ideas that dominate a particular piece of literature. In almost all cases, pieces of literature will be centered a theme or a number of them.
Independence

Independence is one of the most major themes shown through different characters throughout the book, but particularly Janie’s character. Through her three marriages, we can see that she is an independent woman whose only desire is to attain freedom and the ability to express herself. When Nanny asks her to marry Logan Killicks because Nanny believes that he can help Janie achieve security and protection, Janie does not want to because she says that she doesn’t love him. However, she ends up marrying him because she wants to please Nanny. Her independent personality is revealed even more in her second marriage, especially after Joe Starks’ death. Instead of mourning his death, she chooses to still run the store and manage it all by herself. In addition to that, she also becomes brave enough to dress her hair the way she likes it, something she could not have done when Starks was still alive. In her third marriage with Tea Cake, she marries him because she loves how he allows her to be a free woman who can express herself, unlike her previous husbands. Throughout the story, Janie never prioritizes financial security and protection; instead, she only looks for independence and freedom, breaking the social norm of a woman being dependent on her husband and relying on him for economic and social security.

Love

Through Janie’s three marriages, we can see people’s differing perceptions towards love and the different forms of love. Throughout Janie’s childhood, her dream is to have a marriage in which both the husband and the wife love each other equally and treat each other respectfully. However, as she grows up, she finds out that it is not easy to achieve that goal. Her first two marriages are both examples that she cannot achieve her dream. Her marriage with Logan is loveless and impassioned, whereas her marriage with Joe Starks is disappointing and abusive. When she finally meets a man she loves sincerely, he is taken away by unfortunate events. However, her marriage with Tea Cake allows her to experience the love she always desires and express herself better. Another form of love is the love between Nanny and Janie. The love between them is one that arises from the nurturing love of a parent. Nanny has taken care of Janie all her life. She loves her, cares for her, and wants the best for her, and Janie feels the same. This is why Nanny insists that Janie marry Logan because she believes that he can provide her with protection and security. At the same time, Janie’s decision to agree on marrying Logan is because she cares for Nanny and wants to make her happy.

Gender Roles

Hurston explores the theme of gender inequality throughout this story. Janie’s life story and the people around her shows that men and women are treated differently, regardless of their race, whether it be white or African American. Just like how blacks are discriminated against and treated differently than whites, men are also treated differently from women in this story. When Janie is a child, Nanny points out that white men usually pass down their labor to black men, who then pass on their labor to their wives. This is an example that women have always been thought of as nothing but a man’s “servant” whose job is to please them and follow their instructions. We also see that Janie’s husbands control and abuse her. Both Logan and Starks treat her like someone who is more subordinate than them. They do not care about her wants and needs, do not respect her, do not let her speak out regarding her opinions, which shows that men prove to be more dominant than women. Only in her relationship with Tea Cake does Janie find a partner who loves her, cares for her, and treats her with respect.

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