Their Eyes were Watching God

The title Their Eyes were Watching God refers to the uncontrollable forces that are present in everyone’s life. Hurston depicts nature as a godly force, but not in the religious meaning. Although Janie is on a journey to find her voice, there are no religious references throughout the novel. For example, Granny’s sorrow and pain pushes Janie into a marriage based on status, not love. Janie is constantly struggling to make her grandmother happy, but her voice is much too strong to be unheard. Her heart guides her away from her first husband, Logan, because she felt no love for him. Logan used his power and material objects to bribe Janie to become an obedient. Janie breaks away from the force of Logan and moves on to her second husband, Jody. When Janie first met Jody he promised her all the things she has ever coveted, such as love, power, and expensive clothes. Janie sees hope for her future and decides that she needs to take control of her life, but she is appalled by control. Janie must have independence. Jody gained all the power he wanted. He built a whole African American town and became major. Janie assumed that she would find fulfillment in being the mayor’s wife, but instead she found more oppression. Even on Jody’s death bed, Janie persistently expressed her negative emotions toward him. The next force or “god” in the novel is her love for Tea Cake. Love is the most powerful force this is shown through her devotion to Tea Cake even after he leaves her one night and takes her money. Their relationship endures the hard times and they live happily in the Everglades socializing and farming. The last of the force is Mother Nature’s wrath, the hurricane that changed the lives of Janie and Tea Cake forever. Tea Cake has too much arrogance to admit that he can’t defeat the power of nature. Of course, he doesn’t learn this until after the devastation. A rabid dog bites Tea Cake, and he becomes insane. The power of rabies overcame his senses. Tea Cake becomes delirious and believes that Janie is cheating on him. He beats her to death and attempts to shoot her, but she takes the last stand and ends his life with a bullet.

These are the God’s that the characters are watching. They are not god, but forces of nature whether it be natural disasters or flaws in human nature. Throughout the book Janie is on a spiritual journey, not only to find peace, but to find her voice and use it properly. She aims to be strong willed, but she also longs to achieve the perfect balance. Language is an art that must be perfected. By the end of the novel, Janie has learned to communicate with others, speak her mind, and find inner peace within her.

There is a sense of community that stays with Janir throughout her life, she never forgets her past, but builds upon it to open doors to enlightenment. Each marriage represents a different time in Janie’s life. Her first marriage was based around her idealized concept of instantly falling in love. Her second marriage represents the fulfillment of her dreams and sense of adventure. Her last marriage with Tea Cake represents true happiness, love, and completion of self.

The social construct of racism are evident throughout the very beginning of the book. For instance, her fellow black peers teased Janie when she was young because she lived in the white folks back yard and had nicer clothes than the other African American children. Logan, her first husband, also comments that she is too high strung and acts as if she is white. The idea that black people restrain their own capabilities of progress is also apparent. Whenever Janie first moves to town one man comments that it’s the black folks who hold their selves back because they are always jealous of what others have. At the same time, whenever Janie is on trial for murder an all white male jury finds her innocent. Her own black friends shun her, while the white women sympathize with her. The ideals of race are very complex throughout the book, but it is obvious that Hurston intended to get the message across that everyone is equal. For example, whenever Janie is describing her child she recalls the first time she ever noticed she was black. She had no idea where she was in the photograph until the other children pointed it out. The idea of race is not as important as the idea that human beings create our own social constructs, not just based on race, but status and gender as well. The men in Janie’s life try to control her, but her strong willed spirit prevails and she returns home to her community with peace in her heart and experience behind her belt.