Their Were Watching God

Rory Gallo

ENC 1102

March 30, 2015

Professor Steven Knapp

The Role of Feminism Throughout Janie Crawford’s Three Marriages

Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” follows Janie Crawford’s

journey for independence and individuality during a male-dominated era. The feminism is clear

when Janie tries to liberate herself from not only her three dominating marriages but her grandmother as well. The story takes place during a time when women were allowed to ask very

few questions and rarely challenged their husband’s demands. Janie stands out among most

woman of her time after spending the younger years of her life suffering through two unhappy

marriages in order to please society however, by Janie’s third marriage she comes to realize the only one she must please is her own heart. We watch Janie take a strong and feminist stance in order to conquer her one true mission in life which is love. When Hurston’s novel was initially

released in 1932 and was the subject of much criticism, in fact the story did not become so

widely accepted until the rise of feminism around the 1970’s.Hurston introduces us to an assertive woman on a quest to discover her true identity, Janie is being raised by her grandmother whom she refers to as Nanny and we learn Janie has no contact with her mother or father. At the age of sixteen Janie spends most days basking in the sunlight under the pear trees just admiring the beauty of the outdoors until one day Janie follows her teenage instincts and is caught by Nanny kissing one of the local boys Johnny Taylor, Nanny becomes enraged over the sight. From that day forward Janie's life would forever change, Nanny decides it would be in Janie's best interest to marry Logan Killicks, a wealthy farmer in town. Initially Janie refuses, but Nanny explains to Janie that marrying a wealthy man such as Logan will save Janie from many hardships. Nanny convinces...