Review: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

As humans we tend to want a lot of things; some of us want a new car, some of us want more money and some of us want more clothes. However, they are not necessarily what we need in life. According to Abraham Maslow’s (an American psychologist) Hierarchy of Needs there are five levels of basic human desideratum and essentials in life. In addition, the five main points talked about within the Hierarchy of needs are the following: physiological, safety, love/belonging and self-actualization. With regards to this, Janie Mae Crawford, a character from Zora Neale Hurston’s( famous African American writer) novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is a great example of human wants vs human needs. Within the novel Janie is on a search for love, self-actualization and the meaning of life. Moreover, because of this the reader can relate to Janie as they identify some of her wants and aspirations. Also, one can conclude that the feelings Janie has towards marriage, love and life are normal feelings which is why her character is relevant and suitable for Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Nanny’s idea of marriage differs from Janie’s. To begin, Janie’s grandmother (Nanny) feels as though marriage is built on stability, ownership of material things and a good hard working job; she believes love is irrelevant in a marriage (this is ironic and ignorant because love

Is the sole purpose of why people decide to get married) when Janie comes to Nanny complaining about Logan her grandmother says the following:

If you don’t want him, you sho oughta . Heah you is wild de onliest organ in town, amongst colored folks, in yo’ parlor. Got a house bought and paid for and sixty acres uh land right on de big road and…Lawd have mussy! Dat’s de very prong us black women gits hung on. Dis love! (Hurston 23)

In addition, Nanny’s perception of marriage falls under the category of safety and physiological on Maslow’s chart; Nanny is forcing Janie in an arranged marriage because she wants Janie’s basic needs to be met: shelter, food, employment, resources, property etc. will be provided for Janie if she marries Logan Kellicks.

Historical Context can explain why Nanny might view marriage this way. Like many Black women of the early twentieth century Nanny has been a victim of abuse and oppression; not only by White Supremacy but by male dominance as well. In addition, America was a patriarchal society during the time the book was set and written; and continued to be a patriarchal society until the late twenty-first century. Which means women did not have many rights especially not Black women. However, in the Black community most men thought it was appropriate to hit their women in order to keep them in line and to show them “who’s the boss” as referred to in the book in chapter 17 when Tea Cake is praised for beating Janie.When Nanny said she did not want Janie marrying no “trashy nigger” the following quote is what she meant: Tea Cake, you sho is a lucky man, uh person can see every place you hit er. Ah best she never raised her hand tuh hit yuh back, neither. Take some uh dese ol’rusty black women and dey would fight yuh all night long and next day nobody couldn’t tell you ever hit ‘em. Dats de reason Ah done quit beatin’ mah woman. You cant make no mark on ‘em at all. Lawd! wouldn’t Ah love tuh whip uh tender woman lak Janie! Ah bet she don’t even holler. She jus’ cries, eh Tea Cake? (Hurston 147-148) This idea of disciplining your wife only oppressed women of color more. Not only were they beat by White people (White men) but by their own men too. A journal article "'The Kiss Of Memory': The Problem Of Love In Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God." African American Review supports this in the following:“Hurston’s novel foregrounds the sociohistorical [sic] racial injustices that infuse a unique tension into African American gender politics. Though Janie does learn to assert her own will and subjectively throughout the course of the novel, she must constantly combat the pervasive hierarchies that make black women vulnerable to oppression.” (Bealer 312) Moreover, in the novel Nanny likes to refer to Black woman as the mule of the world and the spit cup of men. The Journal of English Studies Volume II says the following about Nanny’s ideology. “Nanny’s conception of the black woman as the mule of the world and the spit cup of men leaves Janie no room for independent thought or action, and militates against her dream of ecstatic union as symbolized by the blossoming pear tree”. (Marato 74)The mule in the story is very important. In observation, the novel mentions two encounters with Janie and a mule. The animal is first introduced in the story when Nanny is comparing the hardships of a Black woman to a mule and a man’s spitting cup. Furthermore, the mule is reiterated in chapter 6 when Janie moves to Eatonville. The reader can speculate that maybe Zora Neale Hurston let the mule enter back into Janie’s life as a metaphor and maybe even an allusion. Though Nanny is dead, she is speaking to Janie through the animal and reminding her of what she told her about men. However, maybe Janie is supposed to be oblivious to this sign and maybe this is the author’s way of speaking to the reader. Furthermore, the following quote is when Nanny pleads to Janie to let her die knowing she is safe, “ And Ah can’t die easy thinkin’ maybe de men folks white or black is makin’ a spit cup outa you: Have some sympathy fuh me. Put me down easy, Janie, Ah’m a cracked plate.” (Hurston 20) The irony in this is that Nanny warned Janie to be careful about the men of this world; which is why she wanted her to marry Logan because she knew she would be protected, but Janie left her safe life with Logan to leave with a man who was worst. Furthermore, an academic journal from Qingdao University of Science and Technology, China suggest that Nanny is the mule and she’s trying to keep Janie from experiencing the same hardships she did. The journal stated the following:Their Eyes Were Watching God draws pictures of a whole bunch of women, and it is not a solo performance. There is Nanny the former slave, who is raped by her white master and driven out of the family by his wife. She gives birth to Janie’s mother and sends her to school, hoping that she might escape the same cruel fate. However, Janie’s mother is raped by her black schoolteacher, who then abandons her. After Janie’s birth, the mother disappears, and Nanny takes over the responsibility for little Janie, raises her and protects her. Nanny the grandma fits tightly into the stereotype of the mule. She works hard all her life, and she takes in hurts and sufferings and swallows them down her throat. She simply assumes her role as the mule of the world. And her most daring dream is to have a safe and warm home of her own, enough food, and some leisure time out on the porch of her own house. (Wu 1) Given these points, the ideology that safety and stability is more important than love and romanticism is suggested again. Janie’s idea of marriage is the opposite of her grandmothers. However, Janie is more concerned with what her heart wants than what her mind is telling her is right. On the other hand, Janie is a hopeless romantic and lover of life; she does not see the world so much as black and white like her grandmother (which is ironic because Janie is a biracial girl living in a world/society that literally separates people because they are Black or White). In addition, Janie fits into the category of love/belonging when it comes to the idea of marriage; she yearns for an intimate relationship with the opposite sex. This yearning for love and intimacy with someone of the opposite sex is normal for young girls as they transition from adolescence to full womanhood the symbol of the pear tree supports Janie’s wants and needs to be loved and experience all that love has to offer. Secondly, Janie not only wants a relationship with a romantic partner, but she also wants a friendship and to fellowship with her community in Eatonville. Within the novel Janie feels like a caged bird, a doll in a dollhouse that is not allowed to be touched (how her husband Jody treats her) she just sits up on a shelf and waits until Jody is ready to show her off; he is like her owner. Jody wants a trophy wife to fuel his self-esteem and male ego. In addition, Jody surpasses the bottom levels of the Hierarchy of Needs, but he never reaches the top level of self-actualization. Although, his death is not the only thing that keeps him from reaching the top but it is his obsession with material items and his image as the mayor that does. The following quote will support this:You’se Mrs. Mayor Starks, Janie. I god, Ah cant see what uh woman uh yo’ stability would want tuh be treaserin’ all dat gum-grease from folks dat don’t even owe de house dey sleep in.’Tain’t no earthy use. They’s jus’ some puny humans playin’ round de toes uh Time. (Hurston 54)In addition, Janie has high hopes for her relationship with Jody and her life in Eatonville; but, her aspiration for love, esteem and belonging is oppressed by Jody’s morality and manhood. Moreover, this is causing her to seek for self-actualization and a philosophical aid to heal her tarnished self-esteem. Furthermore, it is not until Jody dies that Janie finally feels free; some of her needs are satisfied due to his death, but not all. Being that, Janie is stuck in limbo because she has accomplished only 3 out of 4 levels on the Hierarchy of Needs: Physiological, Safety and she bounces back and forth between the level of esteem and love/belonging. Due to the fact that she can now socialize with the community she has succeeded in the friendship category and belonging, but she is still lacking in the love department. However, Tea Cake (her third husband) satisfies all her needs that were not met with her first two husbands.The roles of Janie’s husbands are significant to her growth. Tea Cake is the husband that finally moves Janie up the pyramid to the level of self- actualization however, it is important to acknowledge each husbands contribution and role within Janie’s journey towards her goals and aspirations. Logan Killicks is the provider; he is the stability and hard worker that Janie’s grandmother wants for her. In addition, he provided Janie with the level of safety and some elements within the level of physiological when they were married. In this relationship Janie wears an apron which symbolizes her labor within her marriage. Janie did not want this for her life, but at the time it is what she needed especially when her grandmother died who was her only care giver. Moreover, like the bible character Eve in the garden of Eden Janie was deceived by Jody; his looks and personality made him appear very intriguing. Though he arrived to her Christ-like and entered the town of Eatonville like a savior it is not until Janie marries Jody that she sees he is not Christ-like at all but he is the serpent A journal article entitled Jamie's [sic] Psychological Journey in Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God supports her transition from Logan and then Jody:Jamie [sic] escapes her grandmother’s influence when she runs away with Joe Starks. She knows he is not the man of her dreams, still she becomes his wife in the hope of a better life: “He spoke for change and chance” (Hurston 39). She is attracted by his sense of humor: “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self and eat p’taters dat other folks plant just special for you.” (Hurston 39). She is better off economically speaking; she is not forced to work the land anymore. She is the wife of a mayor and of the owner of a store. (Ştefanovici 83) Jody showers Janie with luxurious things, but it is not what she wants; she wants his love and respect more than his money etc. In addition, Janie wore a head wrap on her head which symbolized Jody’s ownership (possessiveness) and lack of respect for her as his wife also her submission; this is embarrassing and degrading to Janie because her hair was a part of her glory as a woman; her hair was a part of her identity. Because of this she was bumped down from the level of esteem to the level of safety. However, safety turned into to dependency on Jody because he and the life he gave her was all she had; again Janie realized she did not want this life but it was what she needed at the time to survive.Janie’s journey to self-actualization begins when Tea Cake comes into her life. She feels more alive than she’s ever been now that she has met Tea Cake. In addition, he was the husband that finally satisfied her needs; she wanted him but she did not know at the time he was what she needed as well. Being with Tea Cake opened up the door for Janie to experience love and life the way God intended for her to; she was on her way to self-actualization. However, the town of Eatonville is very observant of Janie’s change.Their opinions of Janie as the mayor’s wife, as a widow, and as an older woman intervene in her journey. She is trying to experience life and answer her calling to adventure, but this goal will not be accomplished if she stays in Eatonville. In addition, the town is very traditional and looks down on Janie for leaving her home to be with a younger man; they are convinced all Tea Cake wants is her money. Furthermore, the town of Eatonville is very similar to Nanny when it comes to the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs; they have strong morals, they believe in property ownership, and employment/labor just like the safety level on the chart. Moreover, when Janie leaves to be with Teak Cake she learns what it feels like to work for everything she will need for example: food, clothing, shelter etc. now she is focusing on the level of physiological and safety in order to survive this new life style. However, this is new to Janie because she has never in her life had to work for anything; she has always been taken care of. When she was married to Logan Killicks she did some hard labor, but only to help out; she was not forced to work and nor did she have to. Moreover, Janie wears overalls in her marriage with Tea Cake; this is a symbol of equality and partnership. She likes this role in her new marriage because it is not degrading to her (irony in roles: Janie feels degraded as a human being when married to Jody, but she lives a luxurious life. Janie does not feel ashamed but proud of her new life with Tea Cake even though they don’t make much money or have a nice home to live in). After Tea Cake's death Janie felt enlightened about life; she learned about herself and experienced a world she never knew existed. She returned back to home with knowledge that needed to be shared to her best friend and the community of Eatonville. Janie accomplished most of the points in the self-actualization box while away with her husband. In addition, she spontaneously left Eatonville secondly, killing Tea Cake was her problem solving and saving herself thirdly, she was not prejudice even though Mrs. Turner tried to make Janie feel superior to darker Blacks and leave her husband and accepting of facts because of Tea Cakes sickness and his death. In conclusion, Janie’s three marriages taught her a lot. Each husband provided for her the best way they knew how. Mr. Killicks represented labor and stability, Jody represented the idea of a luxurious life and Tea Cake was equality and true love. However, everything Janie needed was always in her; she survived three marriages and this proves that all she need to do was experience life, God and love in her own way to reach self-actualization and accomplish all levels on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

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