Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Of the Many themes that course through Zora Neale Hurston’s well known 1937 Novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the evolution of the protagonist, Janie’s, voice is one of the more well known subjects. Though the novel may be about a young African American woman growing into herself, the entirety of the novel can be traced through Janie’s speech. From her Disagreement with Logan Kilicks, to her silent but begrudging submission to Mayor Jody Starks, To her bloom of self-discovery with Tea Cake Woods Janie’s voice is very present and very reflective of herself in all of these events.

The novel begins with Janie's return to Eatonville after the events involving Tea Cake Woods. As Janie walks through town she sees a group of women sitting on the porch talking and gossiping. “These sitters had been tongue less, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long. Mules and other brutes had occupied their skins, but now, the sun and the bossman were away, so the skins felt powerful and human. They became lords of sounds and lesser things. They passed nations through their mouths. They sat in judgment.” (Hurston 2) The “skins” of which Janie was referring too are the blacks after a day of work returning to the porch to talk and tell folk talks. The idea that they feel powerful and that they are “lords of sounds and lesser things” shows that the telling of folk tales and verbal communication are both very large parts of the African American culture during that time period. After Janie passes the “skins” she returns to the house that she and Jody Starks used to share.

As Janie begins to wash up inside her old house she is confronted by her friend Phoeby. Janie realizes that she should explain her absence and return to the others, but decides to do so by using her friend Phoeby. As she explains “Ah don’t mean to bother wid tellin’ �em nothin’ Phoeby. Tain’t worth de trouble. You can tell �em what I say if you wants to. Dat’s just the same as me cause my tongue is in my friend’s mouf.” (Hurston 6) Janie displays here that she has matured in communicating verbally because she understands how to tell the skins without actually getting up in front of them and telling them. She is also willing to tell Phoeby this story instead of remaining silent.

Janie grew up under her grandmother’s rule and as such she had to learn things from someone who was a generation removed from herself. William L. Andrews mentions that “Many vibrant voices speak throughout the novel; some seek to silence Janie while others inspire her.” (Andrews 327) Mr. Andrews brings up the idea that there are factors on both sides of Janie’s journey, those who would help and those who would seek to hinder the growth of her voice. As it turns out though she means well, being like a parent, Nanny only serves to hinder Janie's growth by marrying her of quickly to a church man and local land owner by the name of Logan Kilicks. At first Logan is a nice man who seems to treat Janie well, but after nanny dies Logan becomes controlling and make Janie work the fields like another farm hand and not like his wife. Through the whole ordeal Janie’s voice is constantly undermined by Logan’s lack of respect so Janie runs away with a man by the name of Jody Starks. Jody, or Joe, is a man who wants to be a “big voice”, and he gets his chance as Janie and he happen upon the town of Eatonville. In a short period of time Joe becomes the mayor and shop owner of the small southern town and Janie is once again silenced. As Janie is about to give a speech Joe cuts in and takes over, “Thankyuh fah yo compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ �bout no speech makin’… Ah never married her for nothin’ lak dat. She’s a woman and her place is in de home.” (Hurston 40-41) Not only does Joe silence her in the speech he immediately takes complete control by making her tie up her hair and not allowing her to speak to the other women in town. “Not only is storytelling mainly the province of men in Eatonville, but Mayor Starks has ordered Janie to remain aloof from other women and has forbidden her participation in their verbal rituals.” (Andrews 724) Joe Stark’s control issues stifle Janie’s ability to communicate with anyone effectively and will eventually cause the love they once shared to come to an end. At this point Janie is begrudgingly bearing through Joe’s control issues and she has become quiet and submissive towards Joe until