Their Eyes Were Watching...Zora Neale Hurston..

The first 50 pages of Zora Neale Hurstons bopok Their Eyes Were Watching was pretty enjoyable to me. The qoutes or dialogue as some may call it was a bit distracting and slowed the reading pace doqwn, but added to the authenticity of story. The language is that of southern blacks of the time period, and can relate to that of Ebonix today. To think about the words aloud or to simply sound them out is a simple strategy to work through them without having to go back. The dialect looks uncomprhendable at first, but they are really simple once broken down. Fausette introduced this a bit back when we read Mary Elizabeth.

As far as the story goes, Zora, like many other authors goes to shock value when 16 year old Janie is called in by her Nanny to find out how she came about. It is terrible to find out that she is the child of a rapist, and an alcoholic rape victim who gave up on her. She was raised by her grandmother or nanny who knows she is gonna die soon and wants to rest in peace knowing her kin or granddaughter is protectedand taken care of. Is she a bit senile her though? I wonder if the grandma really wants the best for her daughter if she just wants the continued pain of the family to live on. She basically sells her grandaughter off to a man she doesnt care for or know. AN older man who is established with "60acres" but who knows how he will treat her.

When Janie was under the pear tree in that particular scene before her Nanny called her in she was a girl. The pear tree and spring and the buds signified the scene of life before maturation. I thought of the scene as pollination momment in Janies life... when first reading it i thought she was going to get pregnant, and when she kissed that guy i still thought so. But i found it out it was her maturing into a women--perhaps permaturely as nature so goes sometimes. She was forced into marrying Mr. Killicks against her will.. and her youngness and immaturity are shown as she allows the trap to happen, as she ponders the thought of marriage equating love. She becomes a women none the less, even though an immature one.

Down the road comes Joe. Everything happens for a reason I guess, as Mr. Killicks is out for the day. Soon joe convinces Janie that he will treat her better and she thinks about leaving Mr. Killicks that night, leaving with Joe that morning. Her thinking presumes to be a bit more mature this time, as she thinks to two sides of a situation--if joe isnt there to take her, she is at least making the change she needs for herself-- this allows her to not be deathly dissapointed and convinces herself that she is indeed makign the right decision to leave, despite Mr.killicks advice that she wont fidn antything better out there.

So far everything seemed to shape up well for Janie in her new all black town. Her husband is the mayor, store owner, and makes quick money being a propietor and real estate agent. The last part of the reading doesnt talk much about Janie but more about Joe gaining power and confidence. The last part of the reading describes another character contemplating the way Joe is treating Janie. The treatment of Janie is rationalized as "they must understand each other" I wonder if something if foreshadowed here.// has Janie really found love or did she just need a ride out of Mr.killicks town?

Overall the reading has been fun for me. I like the story, although i dont like the pace that i have to take sometimes beacause of the dialogue. The story has taken something interesting turns so far. Lets see what kind of twists can occur ...and i think there will be some because of Janies heritage, past and the fact that most stories we have read end up twisting...