Zora Neale Hurston and Her Importance to American Literature - Research Paper Example

Zora Neale Hurston and Her Importance to American Literature I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Madness, starving hysterical naked, Dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn Looking for an angry fix, angelheaded hipsters burning …. (Ginsberg, 9) Ginsberg’s observation about Afro American people actually became the final reflection of the whole society. Zora Neale Hurston definitely was one of the most famous representatives of the community. Though her struggle to live for literature and fight for independence of both at personal and general people she created a separate place for her own over the backdrop of American literary history. During 1930s and 40s when Zora stared writing, despite her magnificent treatment of the subject, mostly racial discrimination and problems of Afro-American community people in the society, she never received the kind of acclamation that she actually was worthy of. The most important and primary factor was that she, as an author, hailed from the forbidden community in the eyes of her white counterparts and next, the way she dealt with the problems of racial discrimination in the society in such an explicit and bold manner that it was highly depreciated in the contemporary society. However, despite all these hostilities she went on writing, almost without any expectations from her literary career. She kept on writing only out of her love for writing. Her biographer, Robert E. Hemenway observes, “… Zora Hurston was a woman of fierce impendence who lived for her writing; all of her jobs were simply stopgaps to support her between books. She never really compromised with the American economic system, and she spent a lifetime refusing to accept the roles prescribed for black women intellectuals.” (Hemenway, 5) In addition to all these qualities her feminist; elaborately saying, humanist outlook towards life becomes clear as we come to know that just like she never compromised over her position as a human being before any hostile situation, in the same manner she also did not bow her self-respect down before any type of patriarchal oppression. It is due to this mentality though she was married twice but “…she never let men, or their support, interfere with her career. Both marriages were short lived because she feared such encroachment.” (Hemenway, 5) Appearance of Zora Neale Hurston in the scenario of American literature helped this particular genre of literature to expand in its scope. At the same time her creations also established Afro American women writing over a stronger foundation. Though there are several and more renowned writers from her own community but at the same time in such explicitly honest manner she represented her society, her race through her writing, is rare and it also reflected the class of her own., “Hurston remained committed to her work, and to the honest portraiture of her race, no matter how poorly that commitment paid.” (Hemenway, 6) Another important feature of Zora’s works is that those were greatly influenced due to her deep involvement with her culture and rural backdrop. Her works, especially novels, carried explicit examples of her deep understanding of the taste of the soil, of the tenderness beneath apparent raggedness of rustic existence. Through her writing she actually attempted to convey before the general social stream that Afro American people are also human entities like them and with the intention to put proper stress over this humane aspect she emphasized mostly over the imaginative dimensions in the lives of Afro-American people. It is though such exportation of the tenderness and the undercurrent of imaginative quality that the author created an impression just the way every person has his/her own expectations from life, in the same manner the Afro-American people also have different small but precious expectations from life. It has been one of her greatest contributions to the American literature that through her originality and improvisation she actually showed that how a presentation of reality can be properly balanced that it its tenderness becomes too much melting or its harshness becomes too much ragged. “…she was a sophisticated writer who was never afraid to be herself.”, (Hemenway, 5) this very trait of her character has also been reflected perfectly and honestly through her writing styles also. It is due to all these traits in her writing that she has been greatly admired by other Afro –American writers. To one of the most famous names in the history of Afro-American women writing, Alice Walker, Zora was her “spiritual kinswoman.” The spiritual relationship that the shared cannot actually be interpreted from holistic point of view but it was a connection of their lives, their personal philosophy and respective quest to fight for their recognition in the society as human beings. This quest was ongoing on Zora’s part till her death but she had to pay many things due to retain her self-respect as a woman, as an entity and an individual. During her lifetime she not suffered tremendous poverty and financial misery but at the same time she never received the right kind of acknowledgement that she actually deserved as a writer, as an artist moreover as a philosopher who has observed life from a close proximity to identify the connection between a person’s macrocosmic and microcosmic existence. In the year 1937 Their Eyes Were Watching God was published and it was considered widely as her masterpiece. ch most of the critics of American literature consider as her masterpiece. It has also been aggressed that this novel also was a great poetical work, produced by any Afro-American writer during the early part of the 20th century. This novel also bears strong connotation about her attachment with southern part of the nation and at the same time in order to introduce the essence of lifestyle of that region she actually introduced traditional “voodoo” magic and ritual symbols in this novel. Daphne Lamothe has observed that due to use of such ritualistic symbols, her novel, despite the richness of its resources as well as variety of descriptions, did not receive much appreciation immediately after is publication. In this context the essayist has also felt that “Her analysis … seems based on anecdotal evidence, and ignores the cultural distinctions among Haitian, Louisiana, and other kinds of voodoo and hoodoo.” (Lamothe, 65) It is clear from the observation that the author not only was crating stories only by following the older principle of art for art’s sake but at the same time through her writing she was actually portraying a perfect picture of the society. It is due to the depth of her style of observation that cultural distinction among different Afro-American communities, residing at different part of the South has become clear. Zora’s efforts as well as her observation to introduce different taste and essence of various Afro American community lifestyles have masterfully been represented in her writing. This is one major contribution that was done by Zora over the American literature that before her not may artists came that handled the whole theme with such great mastery. Analysis of her writing also shows that she always has observed the plight of Afro American people from a very close and empathetic angle, especially plight of the black women. This theme has repeatedly been emphasized in her works in different tonality and through her treatment of the subject she has been able to prove herself not a master in the subject but at the same time in terms of feminist interpretation of life as well as of the individuals, she has created a separate niche of her own in the scenario of Afro American women literature. She has always been a sophisticated and poetic creator, who has handled the theme of the writing from a separate angle, compared to other Afro American women writer of her contemporary or successive or preceding times. As a poetic narrator she has not only demanded admiration from her contemporaries and successors but at the same time her writing always gives an impression of freedom and interpretation of the complicated philosophy of life from a very simple angle. One of the most brilliant of such examples can be cited as the opening of Their Eyes Were Watching God, “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come with the tide. For the others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns their eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. This is the life of men.” (Hurston, Pinkney, 3) Looking at this observation about life does it anywhere seem that she has actually written this keeping in mind the life of any particular man or of people belonging to any particular community? No. She has actually written it about the overall human community, irrespective of their apparent differences in cast, creed, race, color, gender and religion. Though people belonging to Afro American community and their cultural approach of life has repeatedly emerged as subjects to her works but at the same time with the mastery she has fused the universal essence of human existence in her approaches, such implications cannot be found much among other works of the 20th century American literature. Her treatment of the subjects of her novel transcends the apparent boundaries of any specific geography or any particular identity. Protagonist of the novel Jane Mae Crawford becomes her spokesperson about her rustic native existences in the “lowlands, down in the Florida muck, from which she rises rather than sinks. Long concerned with spatial relations as well as the prevailing erroneous assumptions about social class, Hurston gives compelling expression to relations between geography and identity.” (Dixon, 85) It has already been mentioned that, while Zora Hurston commenced with her writing career people never appreciated the creations that used to the deal with problems of racism in the society or bore strong connotation about the Southern Afro American culture. Truth behind such observation has been asserted by Melvin Dixon, “Most writers of her time wanted to reject the South because of its racism; few wanted to celebrate its flourishing black culture.” (Dixon, 85) It has been one of the most unique features of Hurston’s writing that she has touched the aspect of universalism through her works by the method of exploring emerging Afro American culture in the Southern society. Though she treatment of such subjects never received that much of appreciation during the best time of her literary career but at the same time it must be admitted that without her efforts proper exposure of Southern culture in the American society could have been more delayed. Here lies the eternal appeal of Their Eyes Were Watching God that the way she has focused over the emerging Southern culture in the novel on the backdrop of Universal human existence, there are not much creations of the same class that has dealt with this aspects in the same manner. It is due to her mastery of the treatment of southern subjects in the novel that she emerged gradually as one of the major figures of the Harlem Renaissance in the American literature. Their Eyes Were Watching God incorporated the pain and suffering that she had to endure as an individual who migrated to some other place for her career and to pursue her dream. At the same time prominent traits of urbanization and intrusion American industrialization in the rural areas of Southern part of the nation have also pained her equally. Her beautified and poetic presentation of the rural existence, the social traits, bond of togetherness and finally enjoying almost a utopic existence, filled with bright and vibrant memories were presented in such manner that have not been identified in such versatile manner much in the scope of the American literature. Chapter 2 of the novel gives us the impression about her longing for the good existence in the West Florida as well as her longing for the social harmony that she has missed her current existence. (Hurston, Pinkney, 12-14) At the same time we also feel her agony has she has separated herself from her own root, “She felt an answer seeking her, but where? When? How?” (Hurston, Pinkney, 16) This is not only angst of an Afro American woman but it is the cry of all human beings irrespective of their apparent elements of distinction. Though this theme has been represented by several other writers but the backdrop she has chosen for revealing this anguish, there are not much evidences in the 20th century American literature. Celebrated authors of 20th century American literature like Tony Morrison and William Faulkner, being part of the Harlem Renaissance also dealt with the theme of separation from the root and urbanization affecting tranquility of the rustic Southern existence. Their writings also incorporated the elements of racial discrimination, inequality in the society and plight of Afro American women. However, the way Hurston has incorporated the essence of rustic existence, angst of individuals and their separation from the root, either, all these aspects have been reflected in their writing in a very hard hitting or harsh manner or there was a kind of stoicism. In case of Hurston we feel the voice of protest as well as expression of the emotions in a very poetic, delicate, picturesque manner, whereas the author has never ignored the element of rustic touch in her creations. When it comes to her contribution in the American literature she will always be remembered as one of the most poetic authors, who not only represented the themes associated with human interrelationship and racial discrimination but at the same time also wrapped these themes in such manner of poeticism that provided her with a novel identity as an author. Not many evidences can be found who have focused over such intricate details of rural lives and the aspects that make their existence so beautiful. At the same time it was due to her deep understanding of the human life in the rural areas of American life that she was able to represent those so spontaneously in her writings. It becomes clear from her novels as well as from her writing career that the kind of aesthetic appeal she created from her novels can rarely be found among other writers of the American literature, who were dealing over the same theme. Feminism has appeared as a major theme of orientation in Their Eyes Were Watching God. At the very beginning of her novel she has made it clear her reflection not only about feminism in particular but also about womanhood, “… women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.” (Hurston, Pinkney, 3) It is unmistakable to find her assertion of the fact that in which way women are better than their male counterparts. In her masterpiece we also find application of several autobiographical elements that provide us with the impression that she also has believed it in per personal life also. It is due to this reason we find that the protagonist of the novel has refused to live under the influence of the patriarchal society. Influence of her Nanny has played the most important part in determining the actions of her life as well as decision making. Incorporation of the elements of feminism in the writings of Zora Hurston makes her treatment of the life as her as orientation of her personal philosophy more interesting. In the recent time, feminism is classified into two separate divisions, namely, equal-rights feminism and cultural feminism. Equal-rights feminism emphasizes over the aspect of equality between genders, whereas, cultural feminism stresses over the factor of difference between them. Feminists belonging to the equal-rights feminism group emphasize over the fact that the society must be gender discrimination free. To fulfill that achievement, they always try to abolish the gender discrimination from the society. In her personal life the way Zora Hurston has raised her voice against the discrimination and maltreatment of women in the hands of men, in the same manner we also find that Janie has always wanted to find the same equal treatment in the society and all those situations, where she has been discriminated or oppressed, she has fought for her self-dignity as an individual. Men and women both are same and they must be provided with equal level social rights. Feminists belonging to cultural feminist groups believe that the society must be perceived from the perceived from the perspective of a woman. According to them, “female values and culture arising from women’s unique experiences” must receive highest attention. (LeGates, 2001, 6) The quality factor between man and women also receive the attention of cultural feminists from economic, political and legal perspective but their main aim is to define feminism in terms of women empowerment, “judging their success by the extent to which women have imposed their values on society.” (LeGates, 2001, 6) The greatest flaw associated with such observation is that it rules out all sorts of possibility that a male can be feminist. The liberal or equal-rights feminism focuses over certain facts that would help a woman to receive more legal and political power in the society, whereas the cultural feminism questions if women have made any progress even after privileged to this powers traditionally. It is interesting to see that in the writing of Zora Hurston influence of both these traditions can be found out very prominently. As she has always been highly conscious about her self-respect and fought throughout her life to retain that position uncompromisingly, she realized clearly that what kind of problems a woman can face in the society, if she wishes to live the ways she wants. Her widely admired masterpiece Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) was one of the most famous examples where this aspect has been reflected most specifically. Susan Lurie observes, “Zora Neale Hurston has no trouble discerning that her emancipatory commitments elsewhere can be mobilized to censure her feminist expression….”Antiracist Rhetorics and the Female Subject: The Trials of Zora Neale Hurston”, explores Hurston’s strategies in The Eyes Were Watching God (1937) … for indicating and displacing the interracial code of silence that prohibit black feminism in the name of antiracism. Hurston attempts to counter such codes by formulating the intersection between antiracism and feminism for black women ….” (Lurie, 8) Finally it can be said that in the socio cultural backdrop of American the emergence of Zora Neale Hurston is not only regarded as a matter of great importance but through her the literary tradition received an extremely powerful author who not only has mesmerized the American literary tradition with her poetic style, pragmatic but stained with imaginative impression of life but at the same time a perfect human being who has always protested against discrimination among human beings with her powerful writing as well as fearless expression. Despite the fact that she never received the appreciation that he actually deserved and there were only a few people who could have really indentified her genius as an artist but till the last day of her life she has not only remained a philosopher with great understanding of life but at the same time she also has elevated herself to such a position, where, without her, a great part of both American poetics and literary tradition could have remained unfulfilled. Works Cited 1. Hemenway, Robert E., Zora Neale Hurston: a literary biography, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1980 2. Dixon, Melvin, Ride out the wilderness: geography and identity in Afro-American literature, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1987 3. Ginsberg, Allen, Howl, and other poems, California: City Lights Books, 1956 4. LeGates, Marlene, In their time: a history of feminism in Western society, London: Routledge, 2001 5. Lurie, Susan, Unsettled subjects: restoring feminist politics to poststructuralist critique, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1997 6. Pinkney, Jerry, Hurston, Zora Neale, Their eyes were watching God, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1991 7. Wall, Cheryl A., Zora Neale Hurston's Their eyes were watching God: a casebook, New York: Oxford University Press US, 2000 Read More