Language as a Reflection of Life, Power, Relationships and Self-Realization in Hurstons Work - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Though pegged majorly in search for love and personal identity, the author brings out other themes as closely interwoven with themes of gender and sexuality using language. The language of men and that of Janie and other women reflect different inclinations to societal approaches to its issues. This paper shall analyze, critique and discuss how language has been used to change the status quo or sustain it. The thesis statement shall be: Language, as used in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, is a double edge sword that has the power to effect both positive and negative changes.
As the story begins, the author brings to the attention of the reader that the whole narration is based on a flashback. The major character is narrating her life to her best friend Phoeby in a friendly language between age-mates. Through that narration, her grandmother’s use of language depicts responsibility though stuck in the past. Nanny Crawford’s use of language may be seen to be overly restricted to safeguard her beliefs about life, which according to her, has to be defined through the prism of financial responsibility. She marries off Janie for two reasons after seeing her kiss Johnny Taylor. She persuades Janie into marrying the aged Logan Killicks. Her language as she admonishes Janie tells that her perspective about marriage is overly focused on life, family and stability as opposed to happiness. That is evidenced when she tells her that she should not let her down like her mother Leafy who deserted her. Her grandmother says, “So you don’t want to marry off decent like, do yuh?...Do you want to make me suck the sorrow yo’ mama did, eh? (Hurston 30)”
One may also observe Nanny Crawford’s language, though a woman, depicts that belief that family relationships amongst married people should be safeguarded by all means. When Janie realizes that Logan was interested more in a farm assistant than in wife, she comes to lament to her grandmother Nanny Crawford about her marital issues.  ...Download file to see next pagesRead More