Zora Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God - Essay Example

Their Eyes Were Watching God Marriage is the most important event in the life of a woman in almost all conservative cultures. Simone De Beauvoir observes that “marriage is the destiny traditionally offers to woman by destiny.” (Simone De Beauvoir 1983) Education, career and the will of the woman are the subordinate factors and they have not been considered. Her social status depends upon her marital status. So the ultimate objective of her life is to get married and to live a life of an ideal and dutiful wife and a kind and caring mother. That is why it is a general presumption that man settles down after he starts earning and woman settles down only after she gets married. This was the approach in England, the most influential society in the past centuries. This social attitude is reflected in the novel of many eminent authors. The novels of Bronte sisters, George Eliot, Jane Austen throw the light of the contemporary status of women in society. In Indian society also the women in 19 century had to fight against the conservative and orthodox society, where they had no right to take education, express themselves or to live life on their own terms and conditions. Some rebellious women tried to change the long existing role of women in Indian society. Anandi Bai Joshi, Ramabai Ranade, Savitribai Phule were among the women who fought against the male domination and the inferior status of women in Indian society. Jane Austen throws light of contemporary patriarchal society in England where women did not have property right. They could not be the owner of the property. Jane Austen aptly depicts a vivid picture of the contemporary English society where marriage was the most essential part for women in eighteen and nineteenth centuries. In “Pride & Prejudice,” for example, Jane Austen portrays the character of Charlotte Lucas, who does not consider love as a major factor for marriage, but for her it is the way of a settled and comfortable life, and this type of life she can gain only through marriage. The social aspects thus are responsible for making her pragmatic rather than a romantic person. The enlightenment or introspection of the woman is associated with the circumstances around her and her response to these circumstances. It is also much more associated with the men who come in her life in the form of different relations and thus change her life. Zora Hurston’s novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” can be interpreted from two major perspectives; an African- American Novel and a Feminist Novel. The paper mainly focuses on discussing the women’s role in male dominated society and the marriage issue. The novel is based on the theme of the enlightenment of a woman through relationship. The protagonist Janie gets some new experiences and enlightenment in every relationship of her life. Through the novel Hurston seems to convey the message of happiness and settlement of woman’s life in real sense through her independence from the relationship with men. When the protagonist, escapes from the male relationship, she becomes more enlightened and independent. For critical analysis of the novel and its gender theme, the other two novels are taken for discussion. The comparative analysis regarding female role is done through the novels of Shashi Deshpande, an eminent Indian feminist novelist and some references from Indian mythology. Gender Role: A Mythological Insight Role of a woman in almost every culture, society, country of the world is inferior and for men she is the object rather than a human being. Be it Occident culture or Orient culture, the role of woman has never been changed. Since ancient times, she was regarded as a possession of the man. Be it is Greek mythology or Indian mythology. In Greek drama Trojan Women for example, the women were attacked, raped, dishonored by the men who conquered the Great War of Troy. The women in this classic drama are shown as humble and ‘damsels in distress.” In the greatest epic of the world, Mahabharata, the protagonist Draupadi was dragged in the court by her brother-in-laws, she was abused verbally, dishonored and they further attempted to disrobe her in the entire court, in front of her five mighty husbands. No one came to rescue her as they had lost Draupadi in the gamble and then she had become the asset of their step brothers. Draupadi was very much dazzling and questioned fearlessly in the royal court the legality of the right of her husband to put at stake to her in gamble without her will. She fought in the royal court for her self-identity. She was the real feminist in Indian mythology. She had never been a damsel in distress for her entire life. She asks the question to the society whether woman is a human being or just a commodity or object of man who can use her anytime, anywhere and in any manner according to his wish. Her marriage with five brothers was just a failure when she was insulted in such a manner. Fictional Janie and Real Zora: Their Roles Thus women, since ancient time, have been victimizing in various circumstances. The humiliation is physical, mental and psychological. Hurston’s protagonist Janie has also become the victim in the hands of men two times in her life. The first man and the marriage was not her choice so she suffered, but the second marriage was her choice, but in this marriage also she suffers. The innocent naïve Janie, at the end of the novel becomes a murderer. She kills Tea, her last lover to protect her life and her honour. Many aspects of Zora Hurston’s personal life have been incorporated in the novel. The readers find many resemblances in the real life of Zora and the fictional life of Janie which throw the light to many gender issues and the role of woman. Like Zora Hurston, her protagonist Janie had been in relationship with three men in her life. Hurston’s biography reveals her relationship with men in her life. Among them was Herbert Sheen, whom she met at her college and later on she married. Second person, whom she falls in love with, has not been clearly revealed in her autobiography, is just named as P.M.P. This anonymous P.M.P was like Tea Cake in Janie’s life. But still Zora’s own life never settled down. For the entire life, irrespective of her marriages, she had to face grief and these relationship on the contrary shatters her settlement in her life. Every relationship gave a new insight to her and a different approach towards looking at her life. Zora Hurtson faced many ups and downs in her life; right from her childhood to the end of her life. After her mother’s death and her father’s remarriage, her destiny compelled her to be independent through lot of difficulties, hurdles and stress and depression. Life was not easy for her when she moved out of her home to make her own identity. Zora is much like a New Woman. Her marriage, her courtship has nothing to do with her career. The two issues are very much different from each other in Hurston’s life whereas marriage and wealth are the inter-related topics in Janie’s life. She obtained wealth from her two husbands so financially she was never in trouble. Zora’s life was never called a settled life in financial sense as she had to undergo various financial hurdles in her life. Most of the time in her life, she lived alone and independent life. But then if we assume that marriage bring settlement in life; the question is why Janie’s life was not a settled life even after her three marriages and the wealth she gets from her two husbands. Marriage and Settlement: Jane Austen Perspective Marriage was a source of a settled life and financial prosperity for Charlotte, Jane Austen’s one of the characters in”Pride and Prejudice”. Charlotte, like Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God gets married to a man, whom she does not love. The difference here is that the decision of Charlotte was taken by her and it was not imposed on her. Janie on the other hand had no choice but to marry her husband despite her hatred for him. Charlotte was much more matured while Janie was innocent. But the destiny of womanhood has not changed. Both of them have been the victims of social norms and rules about the status of the woman. Charlotte’s marriage with Collin is justified by Jane Austen in a following way: “Mr. Collins to be sure was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary.  But still he would be her husband.  Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honorable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want.  This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it.” on Charlotte Lucas’s marrying Mr. Collins Pride & Prejudice, Volume 1, Chapter 22 Charlotte has surrendered herself to the patriarchal society by marrying with Mr. Collin, who she knows is not a suitable groom for her. “‘I am not romantic, you know.  I never was.  I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins’s character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.’”Charlotte Lucas to Lizzy, after her engagement to Mr. Collins. Pride and Prejudice, Volume 1 Chapter 22 It may be that Jane Austen is portraying a real picture of contemporary society in an ironic way through the decision of Charlotte. The readers never know what happens to her life later on. Was the marriage a successful one or was it disaster later on. It is because Charlotte is not the heroine and the story then focuses completely upon Elizabeth, the lead character of the story. Janie and the Typical Indian Female Protagonists: Hurston’s heroine is Janie, so the novel completely revolves around the protagonist Janie and her life. She was cared and brought up by her mother’s mother i.e. her Granny. Granny later on forces her to marry to Logan Killicks, an older man whom she cannot love. From this first marriage, Janie’s enlightenment starts. She realizes that marriage does not all the time assure love and settlement. Being a wife of a land owner and living a life according to his will, is not real life. She wanted something more in life. Janie very soon comes to know the typical male nature in Killicks. He was a destitute and frustrated character. He had an idea that marriage means dominating woman because she is the object for man. Through the following quote, one can judge how the first two men in Janie’s life were typical male chauvinists. [Joe to Jaine]” “You behind a plow! You ain’t got no mo’ business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday! You ain’t no business cuttin’ up no seed p’taters neither. 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” (4. 26) Thus Joe’s pampering was because for him the woman was not a human being but an object and she has no opinion of her own and her duty is just to please her husband. Janie’s sufferings of living a life as a slave and object is also depicted by Shashi Deshpande through her protagonist Indu in the novel “Roots and Shoulders,” when Indu reveals her submissiveness towards her husband Jayant. ‘Now I dress the way I want. As I please.’ As I please? No, that’s not true. When I look in the mirror, I think of Jayant. When I dress, I think of Jayant. When I undress, I think of him. Always what he wants. What he would like. What would please him? And I can’t blame him.... It’s the way I want it to be. (49) The marriage between Janie and Logan is a settled life for the people and the society but it was a constant fight for existence, honour and dignity for Janie. In search of real settlement in marriage, she took decision to give up her married life and eloped to marry Joe, a typical male egoist. Joe forces Janie into the role of a submissive creature. For him also, wife is just an object of possession. As a human being, Janie did not have any voice of her own. “Janie loved the conversation and sometimes she thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to indulge” (53) To prove his power as a strong town leader, he thinks that he should keep his wife under his complete control. He treats her as if Janie is his property. Marriage was certainly not a settlement for Janie in such circumstances, but like a place of detention where her sufferings were knew no bounds. The same painful condition of woman is portrayed by an Indian Feminist Shashi Deshpande in her novel “The Dark Holds no Terror,”. There are similarities found in the character of Janie and Saritha, the protagonist of “The Dark Holds no Terror.” Janie is a small and meek girl whereas Saritha is a grown up, matured and careerist woman. She is a highly acclaimed doctor but at night she is a trapped animal in the hands of her husband Manohar. We find the typical male chauvinism of Joe in Manohar’s character. Joe’s career has already blossomed and to make himself superior he harasses Janie. It was to prove his superiority complex all the time. In The Dark Holds no Terror, Saritha’s husband like Joe, has been trapped by his insecurity and male chauvinism. Sarita is becoming more and more popular and her career graph is growing day by day which is unbearable for Manohar. His male ego triggered due to the successful career of his wife. She has constantly being the victim of Manohar’s frustration. Saritha is the representative of oppressed women of Indian society. She mourns the inferior status of Indian woman in every aspect of life. The lady must be inferior to man in every sense. “A wife must always be a few feet behind her husband. If he’s an M.A you should be a B.A. If he’s 5’4’ tall you shouldn’t be more than 5’3’ tall. If he’s earning five hundred rupees, you should never earn more than four hundred and ninety nine rupees. That’s the only rule to follow if you want a happy marriage… No partnership can ever be equal. It will always be unequal, but take care it is unequal in the favor of the husband. If the scales tilt in your favor, God help you, both of you: 0005” (p.137) Hurston was born in such an era of enlightenment or the renaissance in real sense. In that era, raising voice against the follies of the society had just been started by many writers and playwrights. In India the inferiority of woman is depicted through a very famous Marathi musical play Sangeet Sharada. For getting the heir to his property, a geriatric widower wants to marry and he decides his marriage to a very young teenage girl called Sharada. Just for a good fortune, the marriage was decided. The play was an attack to the contemporary society in which the marriages would take place between the old man and a small girl. The girl’s wish was never taken into consideration. In such circumstances, how can the marriage be a settlement of life in real sense for a woman? Unless and until she is not happy with the marriage, the settlement is not at all possible. The feminist writers in their literary work frequently associates marriage with the bondage of woman or the loss of liberty to live a life as a human being. Janie’s first husband Joe expects complete obedience from Janie, Janie wants to be liberate. Her mind is continuously obsessed by the thought of liberty and independence from the atrocity of her husband. At least Janie can show the courage to get rid of her husband. Her destiny also allows her to do that and finally she was encountered with a very younger person Tea Cake, who brings real respect, honor and happiness in her life. He is not rich and settled, and of course Janie too did not require those things from him. She just wanted love, honor from the person which she gained from Tea Cake. Tea Cake inspired her, encouraged her to live a happy life. She was too old from him but the emotions were so intense and beyond the social norms of age. But is in the end, Janie has to shoot him and end his life. Janie has various choices open in her life but unfortunately it does not happen with every woman. All the women cannot accumulate enough courage to make their destiny through fight and rebellious attitude. Especially in Indian culture, breaking the chains of marriage is almost impossible for the woman and then she submissively accepts it as her destined life. Being a married woman, she may get settlement on surface level, but inside her mind she is never settled in real sense. It is the conflict between Outer settlement and inner settlement. Mini, a typical traditional Indian woman says in the novel “Roots and Shadows”, “A woman’s life, they had told me, contained no choices. And all my life, especially in this house, I had seen the truth of this. The women had no choices but to submit, to accept. And I had often wondered... have they been born without wills, or have their will atrophied through a lifetime of disuse? And yet Mini, who had had no choice either, had accepted the reality, the finality, with the grace and composure that spoke eloquently of that inner strength. (Deshpande Shashi 1983) Mini’s life and her thoughts resemble the thoughts of Janie when she was in relationship with her dictator husband Joe. For a woman of such husbands, marriage is just an adjustment and no settlement. Like Janie, the women are always vulnerable in Indian society irrespective of their intellectuality, their career and profession. Janie, and Mini are similar to each other. They are naïve but Sarita is certainly not in the category of a naïve woman. She is respectable, careerist, and highly acclaimed lady. She would have been happier and more settled in her life, had she not got married. Same case is with Janie. Marriage is not a guarantee of a settled life. In fact it is a trap more than a settlement. Here Shashi Deshpande through Indu, the protagonist of “Roots and Shadow”, woman bears anything without a single drop of water from her eyes, but she is collapsed. When Indu describes the marriage, she says, It’s a trap... that’s what marriage is, A trap? Or a cage? May be the comic strip version of marriage... a cage with two trapped animals glaring hatred at each other... isn’t so wrong after all. And it’s not a joke, but a tragedy. But what animal would cage itself ? (60-61) Indu is shown rebellious and she tries to revolt against the most influential lady from their family; Akka, the youngest sister of Indu’s grandfather, who was the symbol of leadership. Akka was initially portrayed as a callous and domineering. Indu breaks all the rules of Akka and married to a person who was not from her caste and does not speak her language. But then Indu comes to know the pathetic story behind this callous personality. The marriage of Akka in her childhood stifled Akka. It was a trauma for her. In a tender age of 12, she had to tolerate bestial sexual advances of her husband. The panic-stricken Akka struggled hard to escape from the brutality of her husband. Her husband raped her, her mother-in-law used to beat her and lock her up for three days. As a married woman Akka was expected to bear children but she had many miscarriages due to “the kind of life she led” As mentioned above the chain of traditional marriage in those days were very hard to break and the escape routes were not available for the woman. Akka for the whole of her life endure tremendous insult humiliation, and physical and psychological injuries which changed her attitude and she put her foot down and imposes strict rules on the family members. She is not completely a villain but circumstances had made her stiff and disciplined. Akka later on, lived her life as a new woman like Zora Hurston. She did not escape herself from her brutal husband like Janie did with her first husband. On the contrary she started retaliating with other people Unlike the protagonist of “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” or Mini from Roots & Shadow, Zora had never allowed any male to dominate her life and she never allowed herself to be the victim in the hands of male counterparts. Like Sarita or Akka, she never endured the molestation from any male figure in her life. Like Janie, she never allowed anyone to control her life, neither her father, nor her husband. She married on her own will and divorced on her own will. She lived her life as a “New Woman,” and fought against the turmoil of her life alone. She was rebel enough to fight against the male – chauvinism in form of her dominating father. She left her father’s home to create her own identity. She is more courageous than her protagonist Janie. Janie’s journey of life starts from innocence and ends with introspection. Like Mini, Janie also was a meek woman at first. Like Sarita and Akka Janie suffered a lot from her first two husbands. Janie, Sarita Indu and Akka are the women, who suffered terribly all their life and then find courage to take control of their life. All these protagonists have shown tremendous courage to rebel against the strong and mighty fortifications of the society and established their identity as a human being and not just an object. It is not the series of relationship with men which make the woman suffer but it is the inhumane act performed on them by the male ego and when all of them become independent; they find happiness, liberty and solace in real sense. Sources: 1. Hurston Zora, (1976) “Their Eyes were Watching God,” Published by Starbooks Classic 2. Deshpande Shashi (1990) “The Dark Holds No Terror, Penguin Books Ltd. 3. Austen Jane “Pride & Prejudice” 4. Deshpande, Shashi. 1983. Roots and Shadows. New Delhi: Orient Longman Ltd. p. 6 5. Beauvoir Simone De, “The Second Sex (rpt Hermondsworth) published by Penguine 1983), p.445 Read More