their eyes were watching god title meaning

The names Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and Vergible “Tea Cake” Wood, all contain profound significance and with their incorporation into the novel, Hurston creates a unique and profound method of characterization. Ask the Author. There are two primary points in the novel that reference the title. GradesFixer.com uses cookies.

She does so to great effect and by utilizing this technique, she is able to portray the values and ideals of Janie Mae Crawford and her husband’s. This took them back to their roots. When Janie runs away from Logan Killicks with Jody Starks, she does so because she feels that although Jody does not represent “sun-up and pollen and blooming trees… he sp[eaks] for far horizon… change and chance,” qualities that Janie deems vital (29). this essay is not unique. This last phrase, which gives the novel as a whole its title, is significant for a number of reasons, including the following: In the context of the entire book, the title would seem to mean that individual free will is irrelevant...only fate or God’s will matters. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Consequently, it is evident that by selecting the name Logan Killicks, Hurston desires to reveal Logan’s mean-spirited personality while strengthening Janie’s character. In her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, uses name significance as a means of characterization. This seems to be a bad move; by following what the white people have been doing—hanging around the Everglades when a hurricane is coming, for example—the blacks have been led into danger and suffering. What takes their place is oppression, jealousy, and domination. When Jodie dies, he is described as having “cut off his breath and left his hands in a pose of agonizing protest,” depicting a scene of physical “rigidness” (87). It can also be taken as belief that a natural event such as a hurricane is a direct and deliberate act of God. Once married and settled, they live in such harmony that Janie experiences “a self-crushing love” and “her soul craw[s] out from its hiding place” (128). She rejects other people's ideas of what she should want in life. If you fit this description, you can use our free essay samples to generate ideas, get inspired and figure out a title or outline for your paper. In the second quote, the black people seem to be looking at darkness—perhaps looking beyond race, because everyone is the same when the lights are out. The precise meaning of the title is up for hot debate (nothing hotter than a literary debate), although it touches upon many of the book’s important themes. After the death of Jody Starks, Janie Crawford finds an ideal relationship with Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods, a young man whose values are represented in his name. However, as Jody becomes mayor of Eatonville and ascends on a power trip, these whimsical and capricious ideals soon disappear. This shows her anthropological background where she studied the way uneducated African Americans used story telling to help them understand the world because that was the only way they knew. In Zora Neale Hurston's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, there are many major points in the novel that reflect the meaning of the title. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, the author, experiments and utilizes name significance as a means of characterization. 2) Why does Janie’s grandmother encourage her to get married so young? 4) How does Janie feel about Jody’s death? The question then becomes do they sit passively or do they struggle to save themselves? They speak of god as Ol' Massa and relate to him in a narrative story like fashion. Nature. Although because the author was black, the assumption was the book was centered on racism considering an issue during that era. Unlike the other residents of Eatonville, Tea Cake is unique, adventurous, and eccentric. Their Eyes Were Watching God and Black Feminist Literature. We can custom edit this essay into an original, 100% plagiarism free essay.

The people could have gained faith in God. She does so to great effect and by utilizing this technique, she is able to portray the values and ideals of Janie Mae Crawford and her husband’s. After their first encounter, she tells of how it “seem[s] as if she ha[s] known him all her life” (99). In this conflict Tea Cake tries to outsmart, outrun and outwit nature, but in the end Nature wins by ultimately proving fatal. All rights reserved Gradesfixer ™, “The Use of Name Significance in Their Eyes Were Watching God.”, The Use of Name Significance in Their Eyes Were Watching God [Internet]. Each of her husbands, Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods, boast significant names that reflect their personalities and their treatment of Janie. Furthermore, his alias, “Tea Cake,” reflects on his romantic personality, as he is “as sweet as all dat [tea cake]” (97). Want us to write one just for you? To answer questions about Their Eyes Were Watching God, please sign up. 8) What role does Janie’s physical appearance play in the novel? Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Their Eyes Were Watching God — The Use of Name Significance in Their Eyes Were Watching God. It could be different things. Tea Cake and Janie are living in the Everglades when they hear a hurricane is coming. You can order Unique paper and our professionals Rewrite it for you.

Not affiliated with Harvard College. Alternatively, they may no longer be asking what their futures hold but watching to see what God will bring.

This coheres to Hurston’s use of name significance as the name Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods can easily be interpreted to mean virgin woods. By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. This switch from questioning to watching potentially means two things. Stark means “harsh, grim, or desolate.” These adjectives adequately describe Janie’s marriage with Jody, one marked by a lack of passion and domestic disturbance.

Reader Q&A, For Janie, who identifies with nature and desires “to be… any tree in bloom,” this presents a conflict (11). It's all God. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." The words log killer can easily be derived from this name. In the book we read that "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." Hurston uses name significance to demonstrate the conflicting personalities of Janie Crawford and Logan Killicks. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. So, they look to the "Ole Massa" (18.29), or God. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-use-of-name-significance-in-their-eyes-were-watching-god/, Recieve 100% plagiarism-Free paper just for 4.99$ on email, *Public papers are open and may contain not unique content. Shortly thereafter, a second important sentence appears: "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God" (18.39). The title is cryptic, but it could mean that the book is about racial and personal independence—not following what others tell you your future holds but instead following God. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. •

The title is significant because it reveals how vulnerable we truly are. With their significance ranging from one’s place of origin to one’s occupation, last names have been used to distinguish and describe individuals for centuries. God, in this case, refers to a supreme being who has control over nature. She says, " I'm watching God" throughout the movie version. He and Janie instantly develop a distinct, profound relationship. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is … 6) What are the personal histories of Nanny, Janie’s grandmother, and of Janie’s mother?

They look towards God … Chances are, when a novel's title shows up in the book itself, that quote is worth a second look. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. At this point in the novel we are introduced to the major conflict of Man vs. *note: I have yet to read the book, I haven't purchased it yet. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. We will occasionally send you account related emails. The black community questions God only after they realize that white people can’t give them the answer. Six eyes were questioning God. Janie seems to do just that. As Logan is essentially a log killer and an opposing force to nature, he serves as a foil to Janie and threatens her wellbeing and happiness. Her eyes then look to God, wondering what he'll bring into her life next. Significance of the Title in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. The title can also be looked at from the slave/master standpoint.

12) How do Janie and Tea Cake support themselves while they are in the Everglades? God plays a part in the plot as indicated by the title "Their Eyes Were Watching God". In this conflict Tea Cake tries to outsmart, outrun and outwit nature, but in the end Nature wins by ultimately proving fatal. (18.39) These two quotes hint that the title relates to the theme of race. Refresh and try again. As slaves, free will is irrelevant or non-existent. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Six eyes were questioning God. So what's going on in this scene from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God?. Welcome back. This point is further driven home by nature and the agricultural imagery found throughout the novel. Here's where the title originates. or ask your favorite author a question with GradesFixer. Most of the black characters’ notions of what they should desire seem born out of the still-recent history of slavery. However, in doing so, Nanny ignores her sentiments altogether.

This has several implications. However, God shows up and can manipulate nature to a much larger degree, coming with a hurricane and flood waters. They look towards God because only His will matters. 3) What is “the muck” where Janie and Tea Cake live? Unlike log killer, virgin woods coincides with Janie’s passion for trees and nature. Firstly, that God is the master of everyone—black and white—which is an equalizing notion.

13) How does Janie interact with the women she meets in the Everglades? It is also representative of the folkloric nature of Hurston's writing. But one interpretation is this: Free will is not real, only God’s will matters. "Their eyes were watching God" is another way of saying.

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