Two Major Themes of Their Eyes Were Watching God

Running head: TWO MAJOR THEMES OF THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
TWO MAJOR THEMES OF THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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TWO MAJOR THEMES OF THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
One of the most notable work of the African-American writer Zora Neale Hurston is
the modern novel Their Eyes Were Watching God that deals with the character evolution of
the principle character Janie Crawford and her transformation from the vulnerable yet vibrant
teenager to the woman who can influence her own destiny (Bloom). The novel has some of
the major themes embedded in it, which caters to the lives and issues of modern world in
every way. In the essay, two of the major themes of the novel are addressed along with an
analysis of the novel in a detailed manner. The role of women in the society and their
subordinate part in the relationship with their spouses makes the woman submissive in their
approach. In addition, the role of race and prejudices occurring from skin colour and race are
also noteworthy (Johnson). The below paragraphs deal with the themes related to gender
roles giving emphasis to the value of woman in a relationship and race.
One of the most pivotal themes of the novel deals with the major gender roles giving
emphasis on the value of woman in a relationship. Woman were long treated as subordinate
objects in the world with their place defined by the wills of their husband in marriage
(Jordan). Janie Crawford, the main character of the novel had always longed for her
independence with equal rights like her male counterparts. She in her imagination had always
fantasies about marriage as a pear tree where like pollens, love blossoms in addition to
mutual respect and trust and with love and respect holding an important part of the
matrimony. However, in Janie’s marriage to three different individuals due to various reasons
and pressures from family and their treatment towards her make the reality drift away from
her conception of a happily ever after life with love and equality.
Women were decided based on their roles according to the gender, which is evident
from the treatment Janie’s first husband Logan Killicks, the older farmer. He expected her to
be like the classical wife, doing the chores and obeying her husband in all possible ways.
Nanny, her grandmother arranged her marriage with a motive to acquire security and

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TWO MAJOR THEMES OF THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
protection rather than love. The farmer was in need for a domestic help rather than a wife and
so she was expected to perform field jobs and help him in his work. When Janie did not
perform as expected by her husband, he refers her as ungrateful. Her second marriage to Joe
Starks was also based on the conception of gender roles and she was apprehended to be
domesticated and silent, not mix with other men and socialise with them. She must remain at
home and not venture the world outside the territory set by her husbands. The very speech
Muh wife don't know nothin' bout no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for nothin' lak dat.
She's uh woman and her place is in de home spoke a lot about her importance in her
relationship. Her third marriage to Tea Cake, though seems to be on a better front with
equality and love playing a vital role in their relationship, is seen to take an opposite turn
when Tea Cake whips her to show his possession over her. He relation with her three spouses
are seen at different points of her life with different ambiance with the only similarity being
dominance in their relationship (Kubitschek). They always aim to make her their submissive
counterpart who have nothing to say but only to experience whatever comes her way.
The conditions in which Janie and her mother Leafy were born and the amount of
torture that was suffered by the women of Black origin gave ample evidence of the
importance of women in any relationship. Both Leafy and Nanny were raped by men from
the society, which had eventually prohibited them from marrying and leading a life of
happiness. Women were not supposed to be as independent as men are and they should rely
on their husbands even for the basic needs without any argument or conversation (Levecq).
Janie’s concept of equal partnership in marriage is brutally crushed under the concept of male
dominance in marriage and patriarchy (Kaplan). The whole novel deals with Janie’s search of
identity and to obtain a relationship in which she would not be treated as a property or object,
rather a human with flesh, blood and feelings. The novel explicitly states the negligible
importance of women in the society and Janie’s subsequent attitude of carelessness towards