Social Class and Power in the Novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (Essay Sample)

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Social Class and Power in the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God."
Having a better socioeconomic status affects how we spend our lives in the modern world. Depending on your socioeconomic status, the type of friends you make may be affected. "Their Eyes Were Watching God," by Zora Neale Hurston, focuses heavily on the issue of social class throughout the novel. Her grandmother saw nothing more promising for Janie than a rise in social status when she looked at her, and she was correct. Her upbringing meant that Janie would choose her future partner based on her social status. Janie's grandma tried to steer her toward the social elite and material fortune when she reached the legal age for a committed engagement. When it came to raising her granddaughter, her grandmother failed miserably. To Janie, being a housewife was all she had to do, as she would never have to work a day in her life if she did not want to. Social class is most repeatedly tied to wealth, however, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" seems to draw a correlation between one's social class and morality. The misfortunate working classes seem to be more honest and decent than the wealthier middle and upper classes.
In our society, the material achievement is often regarded as a surrogate for social status. In the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," there is evidence that social class impacts morality. People from the lower and medium courses tend to be seen as less dishonest and rude than those from the middle and higher classes. Zhao states, "She learned that marriage didn't make love, so she became a woman" (25). This means that having a high social status correlate directly with one's ability to wield power and influence over others. The protagonist demonstrates the futility of such goals by showing how a person's social status has no bearing on their well-being. The higher classes in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" are rife with snobbery and jealousy, yet they lead unfulfilling lives in the novel. Migrant workers in Florida's Everglades have entire and happy lives, while those at higher socioeconomic levels struggle. Because of her charm and sound qualities, Janie is the most outgoing character in the novel.
Slavery was not just a thing of the past for them; they had their gaze fixed on God. New forms of jailer-prisoner power have emerged based on the premise that the trauma endures even after the inmates have been released. Women are shown as inmates, whereas men are depicted as guards in prison. The institution of marriage, despite its reputation as a haven for women, is a place where women are driven to feel confined. When Tilly states that “Jody told her to dress up and stand in the store all that evening. Everybody was coming sort of fixed upm and he didn’t mean for nobody else’s wife to rank with her” (41); it is in light of Janie's two failed marriages. The protagonist's new status as a widow provides her with much-needed relief. When it comes to success, one's social class might often get in the way. The protagonist enjoys greater autonomy over her destinies than other people, thanks to upward socioeconomic mobility. They cannot agree on anything since their views on freedom are opposites. But Janie has a different idea. She believes Nanny is suffocating her, while Nanny thinks she is freeing her. In other words, they're both dead incorrect.
Phonetically transcribed dialogue in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" mimicked black vernacular speech. The protagonist emphasizes sincerity and views truth as the pinnacle of all human ideals. By examining male dominance and female subjugation, the author examines men's use of language to impose their will on the rest of society and themselves. As a general rule, the best way to use language is when it is backed up by evidence. The term "porch talkers" is used to describe their behavior in the novel. According to Zora, "Love is lak de sea. It's uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore" (17). Talk has been linked to the wrong connotations, whereas activity has been linked to the positive. This causes Jane to believe that gossip is a waste of time and prefers to act rather than talk.
Zora Neale Hurston's novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," shows Janie's strength as a woman in the twentieth century. Janie's three marriages, two of which were abusive, have strengthened her due to her experiences. Janie was confident about her objectives and aspirations as a child but felt anxious about herself. She was torn between conforming to social norms and pursuing her interests and goals. In the end, she was always the one to make the correct choice. Social conventions of her generation dictated that she had a respectable social position as a woman. In the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," Janie serves as an example of this idea. Janie's friend Mrs. Turner reveals her thoughts about the darker race to the audience. She believes she is superior to dark-skinned individuals when it comes to skin color. She expresses her displeasure with Janie's husband's conduct through her words. Janie's husband is assigned the responsibility of helping him complete the project by separating the white and bla