Mr. Harry Freshman Magnet English
Monday, November 21, 2005
Third Period
Extra Credit Annotations: Numbers 7 & 8
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
1. In Zora Neale Hurstons, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston develops theme and plot by way of many motifs. A great example is the motif of god, and people watching him. This motif occurs in a couple of places, including pages 1 and 160. Towards the end of Janies story, Janie and Tea Cake get stuck in a major hurricane. In one scene they are left pondering, if He meant to measure their puny might against His (160). At this point Janie, Tea Cake, and the other people in the Everglades (whom neglected to evacuate) are watching God (160) to see what his might would achieve next.
Going back towards the beginning of the book, one can yet again see a reference to god, and people watching for a signal. At the beginning of Janies story to Phoebe, the Author uses another eye reference to create a sad tone. The story begins with Janie coming back to Eatonville from the horrid catastrophe of the hurricane, where she saw the sodden and the bloated (1) whose eyes where open in judgment (1).
I think Zora Neale Hurston uses great literary techniques, and her complex use of motifs, and how they all seem to come together at the end of the book makes for a more enjoyable read. It also helps develop and make the plot/theme easier to understand.
2. Yet another motif which shows up in this book is that of water and the sea. Water and the sea are congregated with many different emotions throughout this book, including hope, dreams, disaster, and love. At the very beginning of the book, the sea and ships which sail forever on the horizon (1) are bound with the feeling of hope and dreams, which leads into the authors description of the way men and women think differently. Also on the same page, the effects of the great hurricane which occurred in the Everglades and the sudden death (1) which resulted is used to convey sadness, and devastation. After the hurricane, the character named Motor Boat survives another positive use of water and the sea.