No Title

 Azylah Gardner

Professor Harris 

Final 

27 March 22

                                                                  Final 

Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” portrays the complicated life of protagonist Janie Crawford. Janie’s journey of self-discovery and awareness is one of the many obstacles she faces however; she eventually finds her own horizon or happiness. Janie’s process of self-discovery can be compared with the opposition African-American women must overcome to achieve the things they want for themselves. For instance, these obstacles consist of oppression, not having a voice or choice in your own life, and ultimately having to make the decision to go against the grain or remain oppressed under the desires of others. Janine’s pursuit of the love she longed for led her to something greater; the discovery of herself during a time where everyone wanted her to be something else. 

The barriers Janie faced in turn made her fully aware of how she wanted to live and how she wanted to be loved. According to the article “Quest for love and Independence” Crawford goes through a “great quest for love and independence,” which centers around Janie’s decision to run away from Logan Killicks (Ahmed 144). Janie submitted to a loveless marriage with Killicks because of her love for Nannie and upon realizing her idea marriage is not attainable with Killicks she gives up the protection she could have had with him. Instead, she makes her own choice to run away with Joe Starks while this decision can be considered a risk it is evident that she would have left regardless. Janie left because she embraced the possibility that she could find actual love beyond Killicks. The article “The legacy of romanticism” states Crawford’s marriage to Killicks is the “starting point of taking risks and finding out about living for herself in the world of experience” and in turn her decision to leave Killicks is also when she begins making decisions based solely on what she wants out of life (Hajjari 43).

Second, Crawford then has to overcome the oppression her second husband Starks forces on her during her marriage, and consequently, Janie makes the decision to remain obedient and silent to Starks. After his death, she embraces her freedom and independence from someone who was supposed to love her but oppressed her instead. Her marriage with Starks taught her that she did not want to be forced to remain silent or to make herself small for anyone, which is why in her third marriage she voices her thoughts and feelings much more. Third, when Crawford and Vergible Woods fall in love she resolves to leave her community of twenty years in favor of being with her third husband. Once again Janie makes her own decision based on what she truly wants for herself. However, one difference in this decision making is that she pushes aside everyone else’s opinion except her own. In addition, she makes this choice based on her determination to follow the love she dreamed of since her realization with the pear tree over twenty years ago. 

In the final analysis, the decisions Crawford made may not be agreeable but they all proved to be essential to Janie’s self-awareness and self-discovery. According to the article, “Self-Awareness Part 1: Definition, Measures, Effects, Functions, and Antecedents” self-awareness can be seen in how one reflects on their emotions, thoughts, and preferences (Morin). This can be viewed in chapter twenty when Crawford is lying in her bed after telling Phoebe her story she does not cry and is not angry instead she only feels happiness when looking back at how she lived. Crawford also fought against the concept of black women being the “mule of the world” in an unconventional way with her commitment to exploring herself despite much resistance from those around her (Shanmugiah 532). The journey of an African-American woman trying to discover herself along with figuring out what she wants out of life is a complicated process, which can be supported by how Crawford’s journey spanned over twenty years.  However, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” shows that the constraints put into place by American society can be defied and broken in preference for one’s own wants and needs. Ultimately, this journey of self-discovery through experiencing and pursuing love led to Crawford learning to be aware of herself and she wanted to live.

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