Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston, one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance, published this novel in 1937. It received mixed reviews and fell into relative obscurity before Alice Walker revived interest in Hurston, and this novel in particular, in the 1970s.
Janie is a young woman bursting with life who yearns to discover herself and experience the world, but is unable to articulate her amorphous desires. Early in the book, she sits under a blossoming pear tree, gazing at the bees and flowers.
It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously.
Her grandmother tried to keep her safe by marrying her off to a relatively wealthy farmer, but Janie withered. Janie could never recognize her grandmother's love, her desire to see Janie safe rather than fulfilled. Nor did her husband understand Janie's heart. On a whim, Janie runs off with a man on his way to a town established for and run by blacks in Florida.
In Eatonville, Janie's new husband, Jody, becomes the mayor. He restricts Janie's freedom, forcing her to stay isolated from the community, a trophy wife. After his death, she falls in love with Tea Cake, a charismatic but troubling man.
The end is spectacular and I don't want to give anything away. I reveled in much of Hurston's prose.
This book is my new first choice for an African American novel for my seniors in high school. It's much more approachable than Invisible Man, though it still includes important themes and insights into a world my own children probably don't understand.
There remain content considerations, so I encourage you to read it yourself before assigning it to your own children. Among other difficult subjects, Janie abandons her first husband, is intimate with Tea Cake before marriage, and endures emotional and physical abuse from more than one man.
The vernacular speech may also be difficult for a high school student to understand. It is helpful to read it out loud. I also heard on a podcast that listening to an audiobook version while reading along makes it much clearer.
For my own education, I listened to the Close Reads podcast episodes on Their Eyes Were Watching God. I also found an episode of Black Chick Lit, which I found highly entertaining and insightful (language warning).
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I checked this book out from the library and then requested a copy from another member of PaperBackSwap (affiliate link).
