Literary Critic Review Article- Laurel Blanchard

Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Truly Excellent Read
There is much to be said about a story with substance, depth, and a sense of empowerment. That is exactly what Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Are Watching God delivers. The protagonist, and main character, Janie Crawford, is the flawless picture of the three words listed above. She develops a sense of self, and deals with the person vs. person conflict in the story. This conflict is identified as she struggles with her free spirit and being bogged down by people close to her such as her grandmother, her first husband, Jody, and the people of her hometown: Eatonville. The conflict, however, is only a piece of the big picture.
The conflict in this novel, as well as Janie as a character, is brilliantly tied with the theme: finding and embracing a sense of self. Janie is first forced into a marriage by her grandmother which prevents her from starting life on her own the way she wants to. When this marriage fails, she finds herself later married to a man who completely suppresses Janie’s ability to express herself as a human being. By the time her second marriage comes to an end due to the death of her husband, Janie discovers a new sense freedom. When Janie marries her third husband, she has realized that she doesn’t care what society’s opinion is and marries a man twelve years younger than she is. This marriage opens up the ability for Janie to explore the world even more, and discover her free spirit. At the end of the story, Janie is forced to kill her husband out of self-defense. This is the final straw in Janie’s self-development. It speaks to the fact that she was done being controlled or tied down by people around her, and had confidence in herself enough to make that big decision. One of the very last lines in the novel has a powerful connection to this theme: “She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder.”(193) This line seems to signify that Janie has “pulled in the reins,” and is finally settling. She seems to finally be satisfied with who she is, and has ended her search.
With a rather deep theme, the symbols used in this novel are much worth noting as well. The most up-front symbol in the story is Janie’s hair. This seems to represent her free spirit. When Jody forces Janie to tie her long, flowing hair up on a daily basis, this represents Jody’s suppression of Janie herself, along with her free spirit. Another notable symbol in the story is the hurricane Janie and Tea Cake survive. This symbolizes the harshness of the world. As Janie is on her conquest to find herself, she encounters this cruelty of the world around her through her emotionally abusive ex-husband, the harsh words of her neighbors, and the betrayal of her community as she goes through her murder trial. Guns also serve as a symbol throughout this story. They symbolize the sense of empowerment Janie receives as the story comes to an end. Her husband, Tea Cake, taught her how to shoot a gun, and she later used the weapon in self defense when he becomes severely abusive due to an illness. Hurston truly does an impeccable job interweaving these symbols into her novel, and the story is all the better because of it.
With smooth writing, an intriguing plot, and unforgettable characters, Zora Neale Hurston successfully crafted a brilliant story with an entertaining main character, a theme with substance, and meaningful symbols. In essence, the mechanics of the plot are really what make the excellence of this story. A perfect five out of five stars, this novel has plenty to offer its readers. There is much to enjoy about reading an addicting book. Thank goodness for talented authors and good reads.