Imagery

Imagery in Their Eyes Were Watching God

      Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Hurston, displayed many great examples of imagery. Imagery is visually descriptive or figurative language used especially in literature. This really enhanced her writings by allowing me as the reader to picture what was actually going on in the story in my head. Imagery is a great part to any book and Zora Hurston did a great job in incorporating it into Their Eyes Were Watching God.

1.  “the great rope of black hair swinging to her waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume,” Description of Janie’s hair, which is a big symbol in the novel. Page 2

2. “time makes everything old so the kissing, young darkness became a montropolous old thing while Janie talked.” Time loomed on as Janie told her story to Phoeby. Page 7

3. “She had glossy leave and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her.” This compares Janie to the blooming pear tree and how it is blooming as she is growing up and becoming a woman. Page 11

4. “Mind- pictures brought feelings, and feelings dragged out dramas from the hollows of her heart.” Nanny is trying to raise Janie while remembering the past things from her life, and trying to do better this time. Page 16

5. “They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.” This is symbolizing the start of a new day, and Janie has a new start for happiness. Page 33

6. “The fact that the thought pictures were always crayon enlargements of life made it even nicer to listen.” Listening to stories and talking makes life seem a lot better than it is to Janie; it idealizes things. Page 51

7. “The new moon had been up and down three times before she got worried in mind.” It had been a long time before Janie started to worry that she wasn’t falling in love with Logan as she hoped she would with time. Page 22

8. “She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether.” Life is fast changing and constantly moving. Page 25

9.”What she doin back here in dem overhalls? Where’s dat blue satin dress she left here in.” The townsfolk are judging Janie and making comments about how she is returning a lot less dressed up than when she left. Page 2.

10.”From barren brown stems to glistening leaf buds,” Janie describes the peat trea as barren but budding. This shows that the tree is coming back to life which changes her views on womanhood and fertility( Page 10.)

11.”It was a lonesome place like a stump in the middle of the woods.” Janie

describes his house as a very lonely place. It was also very tasteless. (Page 21)

12. "stylished dressed man with his hat set at an angle that didn’t belong in these parts His coat was over his arm… The shirt with the silk sleeveholders was dazzling enough for the world." 

Joe Starks is a very well dressed and stylish man. (page 27.)

13. “Joe noted the scant dozen of shame-faced houses scattered in the sand and palmetto roots and said, “God, they call this a town? Why,’tain’t nothing but a raw place in de woods.” This describes Joe's first opinion on the new town. It really shows his negative opinion of it. (page 34)

 14. “The rest of the town looked like servants’ quarters surrounding the “big house”. The house reminds them of slavery (page 47.)

15. “She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be.” This shows that Janie has lost her feelings for Joe. She no longer is in love with him (page 72).

16. ” Stands watchful and motionless all day with his sword drawn back, waiting for the messenger” This passage id describing Death (page 84).

17. “Six months of wearing black passed and not one suitor had ever gained the house porch.” This passage describes how Janie was morning and she wasn’t in a relationship with any other guy (page 91).

18.  “He could be a bee to a blossom-a pear tree blossom in the spring. He seemed to be crushing scent out of the world with footsteps. Crushing aromatic herbs with every step he took. Spices hung about him. He was a glance from God.” This describes how Janies feelings towards Tea Cake (page 106).

19.  “Done took to high heel slippers and a ten dollar hat! Looking like some young girl, always in blue because Tea Cake told her to wear it. Poor Joe Starks. Bet he turns in his grave every day.” Tea Cake has bought Janie a bunch of new eally nice items. The townspeople disagree and say Joe must be outraged that she is moving on so fast (Page 110).

20. “He peeped up over the door sill of the world and made a little foolishness with red.” This passage is describing the sun rising (page 120).

21. “The rick black earth clinging to bodies and biting the skin like ants.” This is describing how the dirt was on everyone and there was a lot of it (Page 131).

22. 17. “She began to be snappish a little. A little seed of fear was growing into a tree.” This is describing Janies growing fear and jealousy for Nunkie, the girl who constantly flirted with Tea Cake (Page 136).

23. “Look at me! Ah ain’t got no flat nose and liver lips. Ah’m uh featured woman. Ah got white folks’ features in mah face.” Mrs. Turner thinks that Janie has a lot of white people features in her face (Page 142).

24. Mah Janie is uh high time woman and useter things.  Ah didn’t git her outa de middle uh de road.” Tea Cake tells the men that he had to win Janie over. She isn’t some girls he just picked up from the streets (Page 148).

25.  “They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His.” The people who were watching the storm were wondering if god was just teasing them showing off that he was more powerful (Page 160).

26. “Corpses were not just found in wrecked houses. They were under houses, tangled in shrubbery, floating in water, hanging in trees, drifting under wreckage. The strom was so bad that it killed so many people wherever you looked there would be dead bodies (page 170).

27.” The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall.”

Even though Teac Cake was dead she still had many fond memories of him in her mind even if they wern;t in real life (Page 193).

My favorite quote was about all the death that the hurricane has caused. Even though this quote was very grim it shows you how scary the situation was like for Tea Cake and Janie. Could you imagine looking around and seeing dead bodies everywhere? This quote really put a picture in my head about how destroyed their town was from this storm. This is my favorite quote and imagery in the story because it helped me get a very good picture in my head about what was going on in the story.

My opinion of this book

     Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, is a fantastic novel! It, however, is different from a normal book you would read in school.  This book was written during the Harlem Renaissance and displays a image of black culture not normally seen. Because of this her book got many harsh reviews from her African American Peers. However i would recommend this book to my friends. It is not the most tedious book to read and actually is quite enjoyable. Sometimes the black dialect is hard but you get used to it soon. This book has many different examples of imagery and symbolism which also help you understand the hopes and dreams of Janie. Janie is a very complex character but in the end is just searching for real love. The finds this love with her third husband named Tea Cake. Tea Cake is a great man but things don't go as planned for the happy couple in the surprise ending. I don't want to ruin the book however so you must read it to find out what happens. Overall i'd rate this book a nine out of ten!

Symbolism in Their Eyes Were Watching God

1.  The roots of the trees- represents how African Americans have little to no roots.
2.  Pear tree- Janie’s budding womanhood 
3.  The mule- black women in society; women always having the tough work.
4.  Janie's long, straight hair- represents how Janie is "different" and how she has bi-racial roots. Also, it represents her freedom as a woman. 
5.  A dog- represents how not to treat a lady. 
6. The lamp post- a symbol of light and hope for the new town of Eatonville (progress). 
7. Horizon- represents new dreams/wishes for Janie and also new beginnings.
8. The gate- represents the opening of new possibilities down the "road".
9. The general store- represents progress in Eatonville because black people have their own store and it is owned by black owners. It is also the central meeting spot for the town.
10. Janie's head rag- represents Joe's control; similar to slavery.
11. General store = progress
12. Packet of seeds- symbolizes new life for Janie and how Tea Cake is with her always.

Image of a lamppost.

http://capercompany.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/lamppost-toutx.jpg

Harlem renaissance Blog

      There was much controversy surrounding Hurston's novel with her literary peers of the Harlem Renaissance. Even though Hurston was an accomplished writer she struggled to survive. Even though her critics did have a point a believe that her works should not of been as criticized as harshly as they had been.
         Zora Hurston faced many harsh reviews from her peers . They considered her works racist and that they depicted a black lifestyle that was not really true. In her books you see a style of black culture that most people do not normally see. She shows blacks as being lazy which was a common stereotype at the time. She also showed black men beating their wives and talking in heavy slang. (Ottenberg, Eve).
       I disagree with the harsh reviews she got because i believe that her writings were based of her own experiences and that the black dialogue really helps shape the book. She shows black men hitting their wives but that was a common thing that happened back in the day because women didn't have much rights anyway. Many wight people also hit their wives. Without it the book would not be nearly as famous. Zora Hurston's writings had many controversies  but i believe that even though many people disagreed with her writings they were her own personal views and she should be able to wright about whatever she wants.

Richard Wright: One of Hurston's toughest peer and critic.

Sources:

(picture) http://dentonlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/richard-wright2.jpg
 Ottenberg, Eve. "Zora Neale Hurston’s Lost Decade." In These Times. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.inthesetimes.org/article/7077/zora_neale_hurstons_lost_decade>.

Zora Neale Hurston

• Lived from 1891 - 1960
• Born in Notasulga, Alabama and raised from an early age in Eatonville, Florida, Hurston was educated at Howard University, at Barnard College, and at Columbia University.
• Wrote fiction.
• Known for her metaphorical language, her story telling abilities, and her interest in and celebration of southern black culture in the united states. 
• Best known for her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God,  written in 1937
• This book was about a black woman's search for her true identity over the course of 25 years.
• Hurston's work was not political, but her characters' use of dialect, her manner of portraying black culture, and her conservatism created controversy within the black community. 
• Throughout her career she addressed issues of race and gender, often relating them to the search for freedom.
• In her later years Hurston experienced health problems, and she died impoverished and unrecognized by the literary community.
• Her writings, however, were rediscovered in the 1970s by a new generation of black writers, notably Alice Walker, and many of Hurston's works were republished.Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
  
  
  

  

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Harlem Renaissance Blog 1

Harlem Renaissance blog

• The Harlem Renaissance was the African cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s.
• Centered in the Harlem neighbored of New York City
• marked the first time that mainstream publishers and critics took African American literature seriously.
• At frist was a literary movement but soo spread to music, theater, art, and politics.
• In literature, the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar and the fiction of Charles W. Chesnutt in the late 1890s were among the earliest works of African Americans to receive national recognition.
• McKay’s volume of poetry, Harlem Shadows (1922), became one of the first works by a black writer to be published by a mainstream, national publisher (Harcourt, Brace and Company).
• No common literary style or political ideology defined the Harlem Renaissance. What united participants was their sense of taking part in a common endeavor and their commitment to giving artistic expression to the African American experience.
• African American experience in Africa and the American South, and a strong sense of racial pride and desire for social and political equality.
•  But the most characteristic aspect of the Harlem Renaissance was the diversity of its expression
• some 16 black writers published more than 50 volumes of poetry and fiction, while dozens of other African American artists made their mark in painting, music, and theater. 

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

• Paul Laurence Dunbar
• Son of slaves
• First black African writers to receive national recognition
• Published in 1896 Lyrics of a Lowly Life
• Lyrics of a Lowly Life was a collection of poems written in black dialect.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

• Claude McKay
• Wrote in the 1920s
• Born in Jamaica
• wrote poems and novels depicting black life.
• One of the first writers to attract a large white audience.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

• Zora Neale Hurston
• Born in America
• Known for her interpretations of African American FolkTales
• Also wrote novels about southern black culture
• Her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was published in 1937.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Chris McCandless Character Chart

Characterization Notes on Christopher McCandless

(a.k.a. Alex Supertramp)

Chapter and page #	Description/quote from novel	What impression you get about Chris with this character trait or description?
Chapter 1, page 4	“Five feet seven or eight with a wiry build, he claimed to be 24 years old and said he was from South Dakota.  He explained that he wanted a ride as far as the edge of Denali National Park, where he intended to walk deep into the bush and ‘live off the land for a few month.’”	Chris is not physically fit for walking into such a dangerous environment.  He seems a little crazy.
Chapter 1, page 6	“There was just no way talking the guy out of it, He was determined, real hung go. The word that comes to mind is excited. He couldn’t wait to head out there and get started.” Gallien	You get the idea that McCandless was a very stubborn and determined guy. That almost nothing could possibly stand in his way,
Chapter 2, page 14	“McCandless’s remains weighed 67 pounds.	Since he weighed so little it was easy to tell that he died of simple starvation.
Chapter 2, page 12	Chris’s emergency note, “S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am alone. This is no joke. In the name of God please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return by this evening. Thank you. Chris McCandless, August?”	This emergency note showed how desperate he became because Chris never asks for help from anybody but himself.
Chapter 3, page 16	“McCandless was a smallish with the hard, stringy physique of an itinerant laborer… exotic blood in his heritage-Greek, maybe, or Chippewa and conveyed a vulnerability that made Westerberg want to take the kid under his wing”	Shows a weaker side of Chris and a more vulnerable one. Shows you that maybe Chris does need help from outsiders more often than he’d like.
Chapter 3 page 17	“Exposed a mouthful of hoary teeth. He was nearsighted and wore steal-rimmed glasses. He looked hungry.	McCandless had bad teeth and wore glasses. You could also tell just be looking at him that he wanted food.
Chapter 4 page 30	“He was wearing long shorts and a really stupid hat, he had a book about plants with him and he was using it to pick up berries.”	Jan Burres describes him in this chapter as his appearance as a hitchhiker. He obviously didn’t care about the clothes he was wearing.
Chapter 4 page 36	“He screams and beats the canoe with his oar, the oar breaks. Alex has one spare oar. He calms himself, if he looses the second oar he is dead”	Alex has a very short temper and sometimes that short temper can almost get him killed.
Chapter 5 page 40	“He always wore shoes without socks; he just couldn’t stand to wear socks. Chris would comply with the rule but as soon as his shift was over, bang! The first thing he’d do is peel those socks off.	Chris did not like socks at all. I think socks to him symbolized going with the flow and doing what you were supposed to be doing. Not wearing socks made him feel free.
Chapter 5 page 40	“He was a nice kid and a good worker. Real Dependable.”	Chris is a very hard worker and you can always depend on him
Chapter 6 page 50	“He was polite, friendly, and well groomed.”	Franz describes Chris and u can tell how fond of him he is.
Chapter 6 page 51	“He seemed extremely intelligent, I thought he was too nice a kid to be living by that hot spring with those nudists and drunks and dope smokers.”	Franz again explains how highly he thinks of Chris
Chapter 7 page 62	“McCandless worked hard, doing dirty, tedious jobs that nobody else wanted to tackle.”	Chris was a very hard worker who would do any job even if it meant having to get dirty.
Chapter 7 page	“He was a big eater, Never left food on his plate. Ever”	Gail describes Chris saying how he eats all of his food. This is because he has felt like he was starving so many time’s that he appreciates food and would never throw and leftovers away.
Chapter 10 page 101	“His hair was long and he had a beard. Chris always had short hair and was clean shaven. And the face In this picture was extremely gaunt.”	Chris’s hair grows out and he stops grooming himself. Lets himself go.
Chapter 10 page 99	“Wearing a blue sweatshirt printed with the logo of a Santa Barbara towing company; which when contacted knew nothing about him or how he’d acquired that shirt.”	Chris did not care about fashion and wore whatever clothes he could find for cheap.
Chapter 11 page 107	“He was very to himself. He wasn’t antisocial, he always had friends and everybody liked him.”	Chris would never go out of his way to talk to someone but if you talked to him he could hold a conversation just fine.
Chapter 11 page 107	“He didn’t seem to need toys or friends. He could be alone without being lonely.”	Chris liked to be alone and would never start to miss people. It just wasn’t his “style”.
Chapter 12 page 118	“Chris was good at almost everything he ever tired, which made him supremely overconfident. If you ever tried to talk him out of something he wouldn’t argue, He’d just nod politely and then do exactly what he wanted.”	Chris was very confident and always did what he thought was best.
Chapter 12 page 120	“He didn’t care that it wasn’t a cool thing to do, he made a pole of money.”	He is a hard worker and will do a job even if it is unpopular.
Chapter 13 page 128	“Standing five feet eight inches tall, carine McCandless is the same height as her brother was…, and looks enough like him that people frequently asked if they were twins.”	Chris and his sister closely resemble each other.
Chapter 13 page	“…Chris is energetic and self-assured, a high achiever, quick to state an opinion.”	Chris is an above average student who isn’t afraid to argue his beleifs.
Chapter 16 page 159	“You could tell he came from a nice family, Mostly he talked about his sister. He didn’t get along with his folks to good, I guess.”	Chris acts very polite and you can tell that he loves his sister and misses her very much.
Chapter 16 page 167	“Smoking appears ineffective, Don’t know, looks like a disaster. I now wish I had never shot the moose. One of the greatest Tragedies of my life.”	Chris is in love with nature. When he realizes he is wasting food due to his own arrogance he is very sad.
Chapter 17 page 177	“Not only did McCandless die because he was stupid, the scope of his self-styled adventure was as small as to ring pathetic”	Locals believe that Chris is not as smart as Krakauer lets us think.
Chapter 17 page 179	“It occurs to me, must have been forced to make the belt after growing so thin that his pants wouldn’t stay up without it.”	Chris has become so skinny that his belt can’t keep his pants up.
Chapter 18 page 189	“Happiness, only real when shared.”	Chris says this right before it dies. It shows that he has had an epiphany and realizes that the life of solitude may not be the happiest life.
Chapter  18 page 195	“Day 100, MADE IT, but in weakest condition of my life, death looms as a serious threat. Too weak to walk out, have literally become trapped in the wild.	Chris finally realizes that his actions have consequences and that he will probably never return from his trip into Alaska.

I admire Chris for his courage and noble ideals, I do agree that his death was in vain and if he took time to think of some of the consequences his actions might have he would of changed the way he did things. However Chris was an idealist and lived his life the way he wanted to live it and I admire him for that.