5. Certainly most authors would like their readers to enjoy their short stories and novels. Writers, for the most part, would like their readers to close the story or book with the comment, Im glad I read that. I really did get something out of it. Offer your critical analysis of Their Eyes Were Watching God, making clear what you felt was strong and/or weak about the novel and what you did get out of the book. Of course, use examples from the novel to illustrate or support your conclusions.

I dont know about everybody else, but I had never heard of Their Eyes Were Watching God before I had to read it in English class. It was an interesting novel. A variety of topics and issues of the time and of the present were hit upon. Despite that, the plot didnt take on the story I was expecting it to. For one, although it was written by an African American author at the time of racial segregation, the books focus was not solely on that. Yes, racial discrimination touched base in the storyline, but predictability wasnt author Zora Neale Hurstons goal anyways. Writing style was another well-done feature of her book. Making it harder to read at times but still a significant addition, the dialogue was written in the African American Vernacular. Lastly, there was much important depth written in throughout the novel. I was especially impressed by Hurstons heavy use of parallelism, a mark of great literature. Before I started reading Their Eyes Were Watching God, I was convinced that it was going to be another book about racism. Not trying to dismiss the issue, I have to admit that Im a bit bored by the topic. There are so many books out there regarding racism. Classics such as The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Huckleberry Finn are among them. However, Hurstons contribution to the pile surprised me. As I started getting into it, I could see that racism wasnt the main focus after all. Janie, the main character, was more involved in finding independence than anything else. Its non-stereotypical focus (considering that the author was African American and living in an age of racial discrimination) made it unique to me. Likewise, perhaps thats reason for the books bigger white audience at the time of its publishing. Its been stated that Hurston grew up in a town that was more shielded from the racist world than other black authors had experienced. Because of that, her writings focus was on the wider scheme of things (as many white people mightve thought back then). Arguably, a white audience may have been a very positive thing for Hurstons writing career. Unlike much of the literature produced by African Americans in the 1930s, Hurstons novel wasnt filled with rage, accusing white people of discrimination. Whites were probably keener to read it because of that fact. Then also, they were more likely to pick up some new perspectives from, interestingly, a black author. Conversely, a wider focus granted, not just whites, but even blacks some new perspectives. Not all blacks liked what Hurston had to say; nevertheless, sometimes its important to hear something, especially when its not of the majoritys opinion. This shows how important it is when an author picks the focus of his or her writing. The focus, in most cases, determines the audience. In the case of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the focus was more unique than I expected and reached out to different, even unlikely, audiences- including me. Just as the focus of the novel is unique, Hurstons writing style is also. I loved reading like an African American would talk. They have a sort of rhythmic flair to their speech that a Nebraskan like me doesnt have. Plus, you have to admit, even if it was hard to read, it definitely was eye-catching to see on paper and more fun to read out loud! On a more serious note, Hurstons decision to use the black dialect fit with the theme and the feel of the book particularly well. Because speech was such a big element of the plot, it was fitting that Hurston would do something special with the written speech of the book. Furthermore, the written-out dialect gave me a better understanding of what black life was like in a small town. Just by reading Hurstons dialogue, I felt more connected to the story. I could better hear Janies thoughts in my head and her desires to speak independently as a woman. Instead of seeing plain conversation on white paper, I could very well have been sitting on the porch with Janie, playfully bantering with the guys. It just goes to show how far good writing can go. Previously, I mentioned that I was especially impressed by Hurstons heavy use of parallelism. Using and understanding parallelism and other forms of symbolism can take words on a page to a whole, new level. It lends earthly depth to a book, which, without it, would have little to no point. For the most part, Their Eyes Were Watching God could have been a typical story about a middle-aged, single lady if it hadnt been for an underlying message. Without it, the book wouldnt have made much sense. Aside from giving depth to writing, using parallelism effectively ties up the ends of a story. How would you have felt if Janie had gotten married once and that was the end? That wouldnt be at all a good story. Instead, Hurston had Janie get married three times, used parallelism to portray the differences between the three marriages, and wrapped up Janies long road to independence and love by the end. Also among its many uses, parallelism simply helped me to follow Janies life more easily. Long-winded plots usually have me paging backwards from time to time just to remind myself again of whats going on. Parallelism, on the other hand, acts as a refrain, helpfully bringing me back out of the dark at times. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a very well-thought-out novel. Author Zora Neale Hurston combines the forces of a wide focus, an interesting writing style, and deep parallelism to make a solid piece of literature. Overall, the book was one of the unexpected, and I enjoyed it more than I want to admit.

INTRODUCTIONFOCUS NOT TOO MUCH ON PREDICTABLE RACISM UNIQUE SINCE MANY RACISM BOOKS AT THAT TIME BIGGER WHITE AUDIENCE; SHOWED WHITE READERS NEW PERSPECTIVES SHOWED BLACK READERS NEW PERSPECTIVESWRITING STYLE MADE BOOK MORE INTERESTING FIT THEME OF BOOK INSIGHT INTO HOW BLACKS LIVED; LIVING THE STORY RATHER THAN READING ITPARALLELISM GAVE DEPTH TO BOOK TIED ENDS UP WELL HELPED READERS FOLLOW PLOT EASIERCONCLUSION