WilliamEspinal

Period.1

EffectsofRacismIntheSouth
RacismisdeeplyrootedinAmerica'shistoryanditisstillevidentinthiscountrytoday.In
thenovel,
TheirEyesareWatchingGod
byZoraNealeHurston,theprotagonistisJanie,an
africanAmericanwoman.Throughoutherlife,Jennystrugglestofindtrueloveina
discriminatoryJimCrowsociety.HurtsonconveysthatracismagainstAfricanAmericanswasa
cruelevilthatoppressedtheraceandpreventedthemfromprosperinginanunfairsociety.She
portraysthisbyillustratingthemaliciousviewsandinjusticeagainstblackpeopleinFlorida
duringtheearly20thcentury.

WhileintheEvergladesofFloridawithherhusbandteacake,Jennywitnessracismand
inequalityfirsthandleyHenryafteradevastatinghurricanehitsthetown.manypeopledie,but
thewhitepeoplewereproperlyburiedwhilealltheblackpeoplewerepiledinaditchinthe
ground.Anddontlemmeketchnoneuhyalldumpinwhitefolks,anddontbewastinnoboxes
oncolored.(page171).thissymbolizestheunfairtreatmentanddisrespecttheblackseven
aftertheyaredeceased.Thewhitemayreceivetherespectandconsiderationbybeingableto
beputasideforproperburial,whiletheblackswerestilldiscriminated.Beforethehurricanehit,
therewasawhiteandblackmixedladyinthetownnamedMissTurnerwhoisactuallyracist
herself.jenny'shusbandteacakeisadarkskinblackmanandMs.Turnerdoesnotapproveof
himsimplyduetohiscomplexion.Miss.TurnertellJenny,quotationyougotmorenervousthan
mjenny'shusbandteacakeisadarkskinblackmanandMs.Turnerdoesnotapproveofhim
simplyduetohiscomplexion.Miss.TurnertellsJanie,Yougotmonervethanme.Ahjus
couldn'tseemahselfmarriedtonoblackman.It'stoomayblackfolksalready.Weoughta
lightenupderace.(page140).Blackmenwerenotonlysubjecttodiscriminationfrommywhite
people,butalsomixedpeoplewhoarethemselveshalfblack.Janiewitnessedmanyincidents
ofherharshracismandduringhertimeintheEvergladesandcontinuetoexperienceiteven
aftersheleaves.

IntheEverglades,Janieisforcestokillherhusbandafterhetriestoshoother.Sheis
putontrialwheresheisfacedagainstoneofthemanyflawsoftheUnitedStatesjusticesystem
ofthe20thcentury.ThejurythatisgiventhetasktodecideJanie'sfutureisallwhitehuThejury
thatisgiventhetasktodecideJanie'sfutureisallwhite.Hurtsonwrites,Andtwelvemorewhite
menhadstoppedwhatevertheyweredoingtolistenandpassonwhathappenedbetweenjanie
andteacakewoods,anastowhetherthingsweredonerightornot.(page185).havinganall
whitejuryisaprimeexampleofinequalityinthesouth.Thetrialwasunfair,andhadthejury
beencomposedofpeopleofmakesethnicities,Janiewouldhavehadamuchbetterchanceof
convincingherinnocencetothejury.havingallwhitejuriesinthesouthbackthenmeantthat
moreblackswereincarcerated,holdingtheracebackfromprosperity.intheessaywrittenby
ProQuestinformationinparagraphnine,theauthorwrites,Whenthebodiesofthedeadher
collectedafterthehurricaneandthewhitesaresetasideforproperburialandthebagsare
tossedintoacommongrave,thehorrorofinequalityismorethanclear.Theauthorprovesmy
thesisbyexplaininghowhersonshowsthecoolmisttreatmentofblacks,almostasiftheywere

WilliamEspinal
Period.1

animals.AfricanAmericanswereusedtothesetypesofhorrors,butitdidnotmakeit
acceptableinanyway.

Throughouttheentiretyof
TheirEyeswereWatchingGod,
ZoraoftenexemplifiesThe
crewracesandthathelpsAfricanAmericansbackfromprosperingintheearly20thcentury.
Fromseeingdeadblackpeopleallputtogetherinonegray,tobeingputagainstanallwhitejury
inhermurdertrial,HurtsonpitstheprotagonistJanieinanunfairenvironmentthatwas
America'ssouth.Hurtsonillustratestheevilsofracisminaninsightfulway,andveryrealistically.
WidelyacceptedbyAmericansalmosthundredyearsago,andstillevidenttoday,racismisa
vicethathasgivenpre21stcenturiesAmericaabadreputationforagoodreason.