The Title by Alana

Filed under: Group B — hurston at 6:47 pm on Monday, November 14, 2005

During previous stories, such as The Catcher in the Rye, we discussed seeing vs. being seen as well as imaginary audiences.  Usually, the norm is that God, or other people in heaven, watch people on earth.  However, the title suggests that people on earth are watching the invisible life above: Their Eyes Were Watching God. Why is the situation reversed?

This story expresses a clear doubt of any sort of God.  It speaks of many harsh truths and realities: “Their Eyes alludes to the politics of rape and lynching” (Batker, 1).  Moreover, in chapter 3, when Janie gets married, and is finally happy for the first time, her reception and ride to her new home was disasterous.  “Nut nobody put anything on the seat of Logan’s wagon to make it ride glorious on the way to his house.  It was a lonesome place like a stump in the middle of the woods where nobody had ever been.  The house was absent of flavor, too” (Hurston, 20-21). This shows that Janie has a clear doubt that God exists and rights every wrong.  The fact that she is looking at God, for me at least, depicts a sense of waiting; waiting for something good to happen. 

Between Janie’s hardships, the Nanny’s hardships, and the hardships of other characters, it creates a sense of doubtfullness that their is a God.  God is a sense of faith, and at this point in the story, Janie seems to lack faith. 

 



3 Comments

34

   hurston

November 17, 2005 @ 1:22 am

The themes of finding God, or “watching God” is a seemingly strange subject. I agree with Alana on that is seems like a few characters have lost faith in God, or are having their doubts about good. However, at the same time it seems like all the characters are searcing for their God, which comes from the quote “two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves” (Hurston). From this quote, I got the idea that everyone was looking out for God’s presence on them, or how he might be influencing their lives. This is how I see a connection of the title of the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God to the actually story told within.

-Hunter Woron

36

   hurston

November 17, 2005 @ 2:00 am

It is interesting that Alana should comment that there is “no god.”  Yet, the story is filled with biblical allusions.  For example, within the first chapter Hurston writes: “They sat in judgment” (Hurston 3) which is an allusion to the judgment day, I believe.  Maybe, as I pointed out in my post, this is an allegory for Hurston’s life, and she herself lost or found faith.  The title seems to suggest a loss of faith, where as the biblical allusions suggest that Hurston had a certain amount of belief in the greater spiritual world.

Another idea is that the title and the apparent switching of roles stands for the time during which this book was written.  Blacks were testing their previous limits in society, as can be witnessed with the Harlem Renaissance.  Maybe the title is a suggestion that it was time for the blacks to take charge of their lives and do as they deem fit, instead of waiting for the Lord to take care of them as He sees fit.

The disappointment of Janie’s wedding night might just be her harsh awakening to reality from her dream world where love and marriage walk hand in hand.  I find no evidence that Janie is a spiritual person before or after the wedding to Logan, she is just a dreamer.  I think that the quote Hunter produced is ideal for how Janie views God in the story.  I believe that in this point in the story during her search for identity Janie will discover not only her own independent identity, but her own independent connection with God.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              -Kara Buchan

44

   hurston

November 17, 2005 @ 3:13 am

I strongly agree with Kara’s second idea that the title suggests that black peope are taking charge of their lives and are doing as they deem fit. They are testing their limits which (just like Kara mentioned) can be seen in the Harlem Renaissance.
I disagree with Alana’s last comment which she states, “God is a sense of faith, and at this point in the story, Janie seems to lack faith.” I believe Janie will always be an optimistic dreamer. The first line of the novel proves this, “Janie saw her life like a green tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches.” (This line can also be seen on the front cover) Though Janie must deal with many hardships (ex. marrying a man she does not love, living in a place she does not feel at home in, never knowing her parents) she takes it as it comes and does not wallow in self-pity. The first line to me represents Janie’s view of heaven. Just as Janie looks up at the tree and the leaves, the tree looks down on her and protects her in a way. Could the idea of God just be a metaphore to Janie’s (and the other characters) need for protection and help?

-monica

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