Symbol Evaluation (Kristina Richart)

Symbol Evaluation

By: Kristina Richart 

Their Eyes Were Watching God written by Zora Neale Hurtson contains many forms of symbolism that aids to the plot of the novel and gives a deeper meaning to the characters and events of the story. There are five major symbols used by Hurtson to convey ideas. Janie’s hair, the horizon, the pear tree, guns/shooting, and the hurricane are all examples of symbolism used in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

In the first chapter of the story, Janie is described as having long hair hanging down her back. From this point on Janie’s hair is used to symbolize her independence or lack of independence. Janie’s hair displays her power and identity. The symbol of hair recurs many times throughout the novel to help the readers comprehend what is really going on in Janie’s heart. When Janie’s hair is back or covers, it means she is feeling unhappy, overpowered, and restricted.   When Janie’s hair is down, we see that she is happy and independent. Janie’s hair is covered up while she was married to Jody, but after he died and throughout the rest of the story her hair was down. Janie’s hair is the most significant symbol used in the novel, for it is mentioned in almost every chapter and ties back to the plot line.

The second example of symbolism used is the pear tree. The pear tree is used to represent Janie’s life and also symbolizes the start of her quest for identity. In the beginning of the novel Janie is found sitting under a pear tree in complete serenity with nature. It is there that she decides to chase harmony, passion, and her dreams. This example of symbolism is very creative because it puts the reader under the pear tree with Janie and makes them feel what she feels. It is significant because this is where Janie has an epiphany and decides what direction she wants her life to go.  

A third example is the horizon. To Janie, the horizon is a symbol of her dreams and the natural mysteries of the world. Janie realizes she wants to get to her horizon after sitting under the pear tree. From that moment on, Janie chases her horizon throughout the story. At the very end of the story she is finally able to reach it and feels very content. This symbol is also important to the plot of the story because it describes what Janie is striving for. I would argue that this is a very creative symbol because it pushes the readers to think out of the box.

A fourth example of symbolism used in Their Eyes Were Watching God is shooting and the use of guns. The guns are a symbol of masculinity, power, and destruction. In chapter 14 Tea Cake teaches Janie how to shoot, which she quickly become good at; even better than Tea Cake. This symbolizes that she is becoming more independent and is finding her own identity; men are no longer superior to her. This symbol is not as important as the other three examples of symbolism listed above. It is used to support the fact that Janie is developing, but is only referenced in a few chapters. I would not rank this symbol as highly creative.

The last example of symbolism is the hurricane. The hurricane represents the destruction of nature and the power of God. This symbol directly contrasts the symbol of the peace that the pear tree had. The hurricane brings in fear, doubt, confusion, and death. The hurricane messes with Janie’s dreams of a happy, content-filled life. When the hurricane comes it has so much power the characters fear for their lives and question what their place in the universe is. It also makes them question God. They were all watching God to see what He would do with his power; they watched to see if He would use his power to take their lives. After the hurricane is over its symbol of death carries on as Tea Cake is refused to bury the dead, and not to long after that, he himself is buried as a result of the hurricane. I found this symbol to be very creative. It was very effective in engaging the readers in the story and providing a conflict in Janie’s life. I would argue that this symbol hold greater importance than the symbol of the gun because it had such an impact on Janie’s life and the course of the novel.

These five examples of symbolism used in Their Eyes Were Watching God do a great job in offering a deeper meaning to the text. They also keep the readers engaged and help to point out in an interesting way what is really going o in Janie’s life. The evaluations of these symbols help the reader to further understand the meaning of the objects and events used by Hurtson in the novel.