When readers open a novel, they tend to race through it, appreciating the plot, yet entirely missing the details that the author so meticulously labored over. Symbols, which are people, objects, or events that suggest more than their literal meaning, often go unappreciated by ignorant readers. Readers tend to be more consumed in the plot of the novel, than what is being said in the fine print of symbolism. Zora Neale Hurston is undoubtedly a master of symbolism and displays her skills in her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Throughout her book she uses symbols such as Janie’s hair, her head rags, the mule, the sun, and the hurricane, to illuminate different character’s struggles, traits, and circumstances.
Janie’s hair is an immediate focal point in the first chapter of the book. It is the envy of other women and the magnet of all men. Before her grandmother chose a different life for her to lead, Janie had let her perfect black hair flow free. Janie’s hair therefore becomes a symbol of her independence and individuality. Because of how her hair continually causes men to lust after her, it is also a symbol of her sexuality. I consider this symbol of her individuality to be incredibly strong, especially when we see her return to the town as a much older woman, with her hair flowing freely down her back. This action greatly strengthens the symbol, because of the fact that it was socially unacceptable for older women to wear their hair down. Henceforth, Janie’s choice to wear her hair down in her old age symbolizes her independence and individuality.
However, upon marrying Joe, Janie is forced to keep her hair tied up in hair rags. Her overbearing and strict husband is enraged by the male attention Janie’s hair receives, and rather than trusting her, he forces her to hide it from the world. Her hair rags therefore become a apparent and strong symbol of Joe’s jealously and possessiveness.
Matt Bonner’s mistreated mule becomes a symbol, though slightly less obvious, of the way Janie is treated by Joe. She sympathizes with the mule because of the way it has been starved and mistreated. This symbolizes how Janie has been starved of Joe’s attention and mistreated by his harsh words and physical beatings. Janie finds herself relating to the mule and feeling deep compassion for it, which therefore makes the mule a symbol of her hardships with Joe.
The sun is a vivid and frequently used symbol for Tea Cake. Using beautiful imagery, the author compares Tea Cake to the sun, and often refers to Tea Cake as the sun in her use of metaphors. Along with Janie’s hair, the sun is undoubtedly one of the strongest uses of symbolism found in the book. I believe that the author chose the sun to symbolize Tea Cake because he is the light of Janie’s life. Before he entered her life, she had been groping in the darkness, searching for love in the worst places. Tea Cake shines light over her life and allows her to finally see the beauty in her world. She finds peace and happiness with Tea Cake, because he truly is the “sun” in her life.
Lastly, the devastating hurricane that strikes near the end of the novel is used as a symbol of abrupt change in Janie’s life. Although this symbol is found in only one part of the book, rather than being repeated throughout, it is still relatively strong. Before the hurricane, Janie’s life with Tea Cake had basically been bliss, but afterword, her hardships seem to pile up. She and her husband are without a home; Tea Cakes is forced to bury the people who died in the hurricane, and shortly after is diagnosed with rabies and becomes crazed. Altogether, Janie’s ideal life has undergone abrupt and incredible change, which is symbolized by the hurricane.
Altogether, Zora Neale Hurston shows incredible skill in her use of symbolism throughout her famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Through her symbols of Janie’s hair, head rags, the mule, the sun, and the hurricane, we discover different traits and struggles of characters in the novel. When reading this book, individuals would do well to see past the plot, and get in touch with the fine print of symbolism, unveiling a new realm of meaning.