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Matthew Kee
Mrs. Batchelor
10th Honors Lit, 2nd Period
8/27/14
When writing a novel, a writer should create living people; people not characters. A
character is caricature, are wise words spoken by Ernest Hemingway in Death in the Afternoon.
Although How to Read Literature like a Professor scolds writers for creating characters in this
manner, characters need the human complexion in order to appeal to the readers. One distinctive
case in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, is the protagonist
Janie. Janies complexity revolves around her quest for love, her search for a voice, and her roots
based of Hurstons past. While Janie is the hero of the story, Zora Neale Hurston shows the
readers how realistic Janie can be.
In order for Janie to achieve her desire, she dons the uncharacteristic compliance with not
one but with two of her husbands. While most would drone on about how symbols do have a
relatively limited range of meanings, (Foster 105) and then list every symbolic meaning, the
complexity is less complicated. Janie does not comply just for that love, but simply to obey a
deceased ones wishes. Nannys last words shown to the audience are Lawd, you know mah
heart. Ah done de best Ah could do. De rest is left to you, (Hurston 24).Janie could have
abandoned the dull marriage as soon as Nanny had died, but she lingers for awhile longer to
grant Nannys wish of security. Janie is respecting her elder and feels that if she takes Nannys
advice to the heart, true love will surely follow. Up to this point in Janies life, she is nave and
trusting towards those around her. No prior life experiences beforehand assist Janie as she

continues to bide her time with Logan unhappily. As the story treks onward however, Janies
first dream was dead, (Hurston 25) and she begins to grow as a dynamic character.
Halfway through her marriage with Jody, Janie cannot stand the submissive wife role any
longer. After being shushed once more, Janie did what she had never done before, that is, thrust
herself into the conversation, (Hurston 75). Janie finally emerges from her shell and embraces
her independence full-on. This independence not only causes her change from a static to dynamic
character but also creates the complexion of Janies character. Although a small remark might
seem miniscule compared to Janies full life, this has been a complete turnaround in how Janie
has lived her life ever since Nanny died. With this freedom, Janie reverts back to the rebellious
teenager she once was and allow the readers to view Janie as an individual instead of a character
in a book. However, her newfound ability to speak again is shattered with Jodys hand as he
struck Janie with all his might and drove her from the store (Hurston 80). Just as Foster states
that he believes in the dual nature of humans (Foster 17), Jodie Starks reveals his other self
like the other side of a coin. Even though readers may cringe at the words of the slap, the slap is
a reality check that shows heroes do not generally live a posh life that ends with a happy ending.
Because theres no such thing as a wholly original work of literature (Foster 24), the
spotlight shifts over to Hurston who bases her work off of past experiences. Where and how the
inspiration came from can be traced back to Hurtons roots. Like Janie, Hurston lost a loved one
when her mother died in 1904 (Zora Neale Hurston). Without a mother, Janie relies on a
relative for the motherly figure most children look up to. After reaching a rebellious age, both
Janie and Hurston set out to find their true selves. Joining a traveling theatrical company and
immersing herself in the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston was in the prime of culture and art.

Hurstons ability to travel independently at the age of sixteen shares traits with her character
Janie. Both undergo dynamic changes that eventually leads to their call to adventure.
Throughout Janies journey, her search for true love has caused her to change the way she
takes on life. Janie has come from being the obedient child to a grown and independent woman.
With the way Janie has changed, the story ends with not what she has expected, but what she
needed moving forward. Her journey maps out her complexion in the timeline of Janies life. Just
as Orwell based his novel on his experiences in HTRLLAP, Hurston embodies herself in the
character of Janie.

Matthew Kee
Batchelor
Period 2
30 August 2014
Works Cited

Foster, Thomas C. How To Read Literature Like A Professor. New York, NY: Harper Collins
Publishers, 2003. Print.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers,
2003. Print.

"Zora Neale Hurston," Thomas Gale - Black History, n.d., Web. (22 July 2006).
"Zora Neale Hurston". Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online.
Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 27 Aug. 2014