An important book in African American Literature, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston has a lovable heroine and takes a refreshing break from slave narratives. I found the book difficult to read quickly because of its highly stylized dialect, but I did thoroughly enjoy the story.
Janie Crawford, the intelligent, independent heroine leaves her first loveless marriage in search of something more emotionally rewarding. Her grandmother set up this marriage for her because it would give her creature comforts, like a cozy home, money, and status: what she had always wanted for herself. But Janie doesn't want a business partner, she wants a lover.
Her second marriage to Jody offered her even greater financial stability, and in the beginning, a fun romance. But Jody wanted her to be seen and not heard, and he was constantly telling her to mind her place as a woman and to subdue her opinion to his. After his death, she realizes she is tired of searching after things finally goes in search of people. Her third and happiest marriage to Tea Cake was certainly more unstable since he was a
gambling drunk, but he loved her as an intellectual equal and he
allowed her to experience the real life and friendships she had always
craved. He takes her fishing at midnight, he teaches her to play
checkers, he lets her be a partner in his work instead of a mere trophy
behind the counter.
I found Janie to be a sympathetic character, who tries to follow her heart and do the best with the hard circumstances her life gives her. I love that instead of being downtrodden by her life's tragedies, she still preserves herself and chooses to continue to live and thrive.
