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This created an issue among her contemporaries criticizing her use of the language in her writings (Women in History). Depicted and massively explored in her works was the culture of the African-Americans effectively portrayed with her much controversial use of the common African-American language. An example of the usage of the black language can be read in one of her books, “So when we looked at de picture and everybody got pointed out there wasn’t nobody left except a real dark little girl with long hair standing by Eleanor.

Dat’s where Ah wuz s’posed to be, but Ah couldn’t recognize dat dark chile as me. So Ah ast, ‘where is me? Ah don’t see me. (Hurston 13)” These realistic depictions appropriately displayed the life and culture of the African-Americans during her time. The writing style she had developed celebrated the Black culture incorporating dances, songs, sayings and tales. Moreover, her writings bluntly focused on the slavery issue which was deliberately avoided by other Harlem Renaissance writers.

Her part in the feminist literature was also noted when she invaded the male dominated literary scene during that period. Female characters are eminent in Zora’s works addressing feminist issues like the character Janie Crawford in her book “Their Eyes Were Watching God” (Hurston, Zora Neale Introduction). Some writers who have been influenced by Hurston’s works were Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, Gayle Jones, Alice Walker, and Toni Cade Bambara. These writers specifically take after Hurston’s writings dealing with racism and feminism issues.

Contrary to the criticisms hurled at Hurston’s works during her era, Zora contributed not only to the black American literature but also to the feminist literature and racist literature. Furthermore, her written works served as valuable reference of oral cultures of the African Americans and revolutionizing a comprehensive