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  • Essay / Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zola Neale Hurston

    Opening the Heart “We wander for entertainment but we travel for fulfillment” is an excellent description of what Janie Crawford is looking for on her journey in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. God (10). It is very clear from the text that Janie is looking for something to fill a void she has due to her past experiences. Her problems could stem from her early childhood, when she was abandoned by both her parents. Her identity struggle can be attributed to her bad luck with men. Whatever the cause of her inner conflict, Janie struggles to find fulfillment and has many identity issues. However, through her journey, she clearly discovers who she is as a woman, a person and what she wants in life. Growing up, young Janie struggled with her own identity and a clear understanding of what love was. There was no way Janie could know who she was if she didn't know where she came from. At the beginning of the second chapter, Janie says, “Ah, I never seen mah papa… mah mama either” (21). As we find out later in the book, Janie's father is a white man who raped her poor mother, leaving her behind. live with her grandmother, Nanny. This only added to Janie's confusion about who she was in the long run. In fact, she had spent so much time with white children that she didn't know she was black. Also during her early years, Janie became curious about what love was. Nanny gave her love and protection, but it wasn't the love she wanted. One day in her early teens, Janie thought she had finally discovered what love was with a young boy named Johnny Taylor, but her grandmother told her that her love was "about stability and money." and had nothing to do with caring about the other person. .During Janie's journey, she...... middle of paper ......she had to be strong and much more than a housewife. Moving on, during her next marriage to Joe, she was constantly belittled, but she remained by his side even after the abuse. Janie had developed loyalty in this relationship, but she still hadn't found true love. Additionally, Joe had left her a huge amount of money and the store leaving her more stable and independent. Since Janie's last relationship with Tea Cake, she had developed her own identity. Lead Janie to true happiness and love. Through Janie's long journey, she was able to discover who she was and she eventually found her true love. Works Cited Hurston, Zora Neale. “Their eyes looked at God.” New York: Vivace, 1990. 10. Book. Piper, Noel. Faithful women and their extraordinary God. Crossway, 2005. Book. Williams, Heather Andrea. The story of freedom. nd Document. April 11 2014.