Alice Walker was one of the ones who helped put Zora Neale Hurston's works back on the map, and although the recent film version of Their Eyes Were Watching God probably doesn't match up to the novel's standards, it also was evident in giving more exposure to Hurston's novel. Perhaps one of the knocks against Their Eyes Were Watching God is the lack of plot--which basically consists of Janie experiencing three separate marriages and one tragedy before returning to her home--but it is evident that this journey is deeper than the surface value allows. In many ways, Janie Crawford's experiences are a sort of buildingsroman, or coming of age, in which she gets stronger with each life episode and comes back to a better understanding of who she is and what life is about.
Janie experiences two failed marriages before finally meeting someone who allows her to live, Tea Cake. Although Tea Cake doesn't have the status that either of Janie's first two husbands had, he has a personal quality that helps her express herself more. Starks, the second husband, was a man with great ambition, and although he goes on to be mayor, he keeps Janie secluded from the community. Janie's first marriage was loveless in a way that arranged marriages might have been, and the romantic ideal of "marriage bringing love" Janie realizes, is a fraud. However, with Tea Cake, she is able to live a little, and he has a real aspect to him that the others didn't have.
Certainly another aspect of Janie's character is her self-realization after her spiritual journey. She comes to understand what makes her a complete person, and has a more complete voice in life. It's ironic because Tea Cake, perhaps more than the others, brings on the most scrutiny and judgment from the "others", those who are from her community. But Janie, at this point in her life, can hold her own, and comes to a realization of what is critical in the life experience.
One of the more challenging aspects of the novel is getting used to the dialect. If you have read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, then you know that certain passages are hard to get through, and this novel is similar. As one reviewer commented, listening to this novel on tape or CD would be a great way to experience this dialect for how it should sound. Therefore, it takes a bit of time, but eventually one gets accustomed to it, and can proceed at a quicker pace.
Another interesting facet of Hurston's book is the deeply symbolic nature. Janie's hair seems to be synonymous with self-expression and having a voice; she only is able to free this voice later in the novel when married with Tea Cake. In her second marriage, Janie's hair is kept hidden from all society, and seems to equate with the restrained relationship she has with Starks. The storm that Janie experiences toward the end of the novel seems to be evident of life's struggles and overcoming them. The novel itself is very circular, as it end and begins in the same spot, with Janie having "been to the horizon" and back.
Over all, this is a novel that merits much praise, and it is great to see the revival of this great author.
Janie experiences two failed marriages before finally meeting someone who allows her to live, Tea Cake. Although Tea Cake doesn't have the status that either of Janie's first two husbands had, he has a personal quality that helps her express herself more. Starks, the second husband, was a man with great ambition, and although he goes on to be mayor, he keeps Janie secluded from the community. Janie's first marriage was loveless in a way that arranged marriages might have been, and the romantic ideal of "marriage bringing love" Janie realizes, is a fraud. However, with Tea Cake, she is able to live a little, and he has a real aspect to him that the others didn't have.
Certainly another aspect of Janie's character is her self-realization after her spiritual journey. She comes to understand what makes her a complete person, and has a more complete voice in life. It's ironic because Tea Cake, perhaps more than the others, brings on the most scrutiny and judgment from the "others", those who are from her community. But Janie, at this point in her life, can hold her own, and comes to a realization of what is critical in the life experience.
One of the more challenging aspects of the novel is getting used to the dialect. If you have read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, then you know that certain passages are hard to get through, and this novel is similar. As one reviewer commented, listening to this novel on tape or CD would be a great way to experience this dialect for how it should sound. Therefore, it takes a bit of time, but eventually one gets accustomed to it, and can proceed at a quicker pace.
Another interesting facet of Hurston's book is the deeply symbolic nature. Janie's hair seems to be synonymous with self-expression and having a voice; she only is able to free this voice later in the novel when married with Tea Cake. In her second marriage, Janie's hair is kept hidden from all society, and seems to equate with the restrained relationship she has with Starks. The storm that Janie experiences toward the end of the novel seems to be evident of life's struggles and overcoming them. The novel itself is very circular, as it end and begins in the same spot, with Janie having "been to the horizon" and back.
Over all, this is a novel that merits much praise, and it is great to see the revival of this great author.
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