Janie and Contemporary Women in Zora Neale Hurston’s...

The character Janie in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is portrayed as a woman who has a modern mindset that is much too advanced for her thinking. Janie does things that raise much controversy with the community and endures situations that would be deemed inhumane in today’s society. Examining the abuse, oppression and criticism Janie undergoes in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God from both a contemporary womans viewpoint and an early twentieth century womans viewpoint reveals differences, as well as similarities in the way people respond to events. The response to abuse has metamorphosed drastically from Janie’s time to present day. During the days of the early 20th century in which the novel†¦show more content†¦She is forced to do things that she does not want to and is denied inclusion in activities that would make her happy. This oppression starts in her teenage years when Nanny forces Janie to get married because she is afraid for Janie’s well-being after she dies. Then the years she spends with Joe are years of oppression and self-denial. He forces her to tie up her hair because of his jealousy and insecurity, he denies her the opportunity to interact with the town, and he forces her to keep all of her thoughts to herself. Later after Joe dies she is finally free to do as she pleases, and Tea Cake happens to be the only person who can help her because without him she would still be oppressed by the judgmental eye of society. Janie did not get to experience many things a young lady today would experience. She was denied the opportunity to date and search for love and she was denied rights that all women should have. Janie is judged harshly by the women of Eatonville for pursuing her horizon and running away with Tea Cake. An aspect in the novel that is still very prevalent today is the portrayal of society’s criticism; although the world has advanced much over the y ears, society remains as judgmental as in past times. Janie does many things today that would not be considered outrageous; however, during that time it was scandalous. One thing remains the same; when something is seen as wrong a person will be judged harshly for performingShow MoreRelated Zora Neale Hurston - Celebrating the Culture of Black Americans2152 Words   |  9 PagesZora Neale Hurston - Celebrating the Culture of Black Americans In her life and in her writings, Zora Neale Hurston, with the South and its traditions as her backdrop, celebrated the culture of black Americans, Negro love and pride with a feminine perspective that was uncommon and untapped in her time. 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