Throughout Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example for Free

Throughout Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God EssayThroughout Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston works a number of dissimilar items as symbols to convey the significance of certain events that take place in Janies, the main characters, lifespan. In this novel, Janies life moves in stages. With each stage comes a different item of costume that represents a nonher relationship and reflects Janies inner self during that period in time. Using an apron, a head rag, a blue satin dress, and over altogethers, Hurston communicates how Janie grows and evolved as a person throughout her relationships with Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and most importantly, Tea Cake. In the beginning of the novel, Janies marries a man by the name of Logan Killicks, a very roaring farmer. During their relationship, Janie wears an apron. The apron shows that Janie is a housewife, merely taking orders and doing what she is told to do. During the course of their marriage, Janie came to realize that she knew now that marriage did not make love (25). Janie does not love Logan. She married him for Nanny, her grandmother, and neer was able to develop the love for him, as she desired. At this point, Janie begins seeing Jody Starks, and eventually leaves Logan. Upon leaving, she feels the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low render beside integrity road and walked on (32) as if release of being a housewife and allowing herself to move on no strings attached.In Janes here and now marriage with Jody, Janie is forced to wear a head rag by Jody. This hides Janies whisker. Janies hair is very different from other women in her community. Her hair is straight, like white women, as opposed to curly. Her hair is a symbol of her uniqueness and independence. By forcing Janie to cover her hair and wear the head rag, Jody extinguishes Janies independence. Jody controls Janie, insults her, and destroys her self-esteem. She conforms to hi s wants and demands, not even fighting back when he hits her. The head rag represents Jodys dominance over Janie in their relationship. Ultimately, this proves that their relationship in not based on true love, and this ends in a failed relationship.After Jody dies, Janies meets Tea Cake, who buys her a blue satin dress. This dress is worn at their wedding and is of high significance contempt the small amount of time it is worn by Janie. It is a symbol of a new start with Tea Cake. In addition, it has only been nine months since Jodys death. At one point. Janie says to PheobyAh aint grievin so why do Ah hafta mourn? Tea Cake love me in blue, so Ah wears it. Jody aint never in his life picked out no color for me. De world picked out black and white for mournin, Joe didnt. So Ah wasnt wearin it for him. Ah was wearin it for de rest of yall (113).This shows that Janie is sad about his death since she is not mourning, as the community believes she should do. Janie did not truly love Jo dy, however, she does love Tea Cake greatly and is always in blue because Tea Cake told her to wear it(110). Later in their marriage, Janie switched her attire to overalls. These overalls are nothing fancy and are worn for her work in the field with Tea Cake. For this reason, they are proven to be a symbol of equality and true love. Neither Tea Cake nor Janie are of higher stature than one another as the men were in Janies past relationships. What if Eatonville could see her in now in her blue denim overalls and heavy shoes? (134) is a thought that Janie simply laughs at. Janies love is proven in her ability to become Tea Cakes equal despite what the people of the townspeople say about how he is poor.Janie continues to wear the overalls after Tea Cakes death, when she returns to Eatonville. She doesnt dress up to mourn. Janie went on in her overalls. She was too busy feeling heartache to dress like grief (189). This further proves Janies feelings for Tea Cake more than anything. Wi th Jody, Janie mourned his death and didnt care for him, showing that mourning doesnt designate she was sad. In this situation, Janie does not follow what is considered the right thing to do. She knows how sad she feels about Tea Cake and that is the only thing that matters to her at this point in time.The use of clothing as symbols is a dominant element of Hurstons writing in Their Eyes Were Watching God. It successfully conveys Janies emotions and thoughts throughout her life. The symbolism of clothing shows how she evolved from following what is considered right and becoming what she wants someone who experienced true love. Janie wore an apron for Nannys dream, a head rag to satisfy Jodys convey for dominance, and a blue satin dress and overalls for true love and equality with Tea Cake.Works CitedHurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God A Novel. New York Perennial Library, 1990. Print.