The Color Purple

1. Discuss the links that you see between Hurston and Alice Walker through their novels. What do you see in Alice Walker’s work that is reminiscent of Janie? Use examples and quotes from the text.

“There is no book more important to me than this one” says Alice Walker of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. It is apparent that Hurston’s writing deeply affected Alice Walker’s persona as an author, as well assisted in shaping her “womanist” view towards female kind. Therefore, it is not surprising that Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and Walker’s The Color Purple touch upon the same issue of female African American self-actualization. Both authors accompany us on a journey of adversity, including racism and sexism, leading to self-worth and true complacency for their protagonist.

Like Janie, Celie is first introduced to us, the readers, as a young girl who is forced into a marriage arranged by her parent. It is not romance, but a business transaction, with offers, negotiations, and an exchange of goods- Celie. Unfortunately, Celie enters into contractual wedlock with several emotional burdens weighing heavy on her heart. Her father raped her, resulting in two pregnancies. Both babies were stolen from Celie by her father and mysteriously disposed of. Celie’s new husband, indiscriminately named Mr. _______, beats Celie for lack of anything else to relieve his boredom. “Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr. _______ say, cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for- he don’t finish.” (Walker, 22). Lastly, she must take care of Mr. _______’s children, who neither like nor obey her.

While Janie does not have a physically or sexually abusive relationship with her father or first husband, Logan Killicks, she does harbor the same longing for something better in her heart. Going through the motions of the daily household routine, both Janie and Celie feel the tug of grander things move their hearts. However, Celie internalizes these feelings and tries to numb herself to the monotony, while Janie uses these feelings to motivate her to escape. Janie’s second marriage to Jodie Starks more closely parallels Celie’s life with Mr. _______. These women are treated like children by their own husbands. Jodie and Mr. _______ firmly believe that women need to be trained and disciplined. To escape this mentality, both women search for a real relationship, based on true, respectful love. Celie finds this love in Shug Avery, Janie, of course, unites with Tea Cake. Society does not approve of either of these pairings, but the fact that they do not heed to societal pressures reflects their achievement of self-empowerment. They will not let anyone or anything extinguish their happiness. Celie finally learns, “If she come, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content. And then I figure this the lesson I was suppose to learn.” (Walker, 240). Janie comes to a similar conclusion after Tea Cake’s death, and finds peace within her soul.

Also, both novels use an extensive amount of nature imagery and religious references to highlight the emotional journey of the plot. As Shug says to Celie, “I think it makes God angry if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it” (Walker, 210). Zora Neale Hurston employs nature imagery to educate Janie’s heart about love. “She[Janie] saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage!” (Hurston, 11). The title of Hurston’s novel alludes to religion quite directly; both stories provide a sense of confusion and wonder with God from the African American perspective. Honestly, I believe that both novels could be titled Their Eyes Were Watching God because throughout these stories of oppression, struggle, and self-acceptance that span over multiple decades, we feel that these people are staring at the sky, wondering how to work through the aversive life God has injected them into. It is with that same grace of God that they succeed.

Works Cited

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

2. How does this book serve as a revision of the Slave Narrative? What components were in the slave narrative that you see here? What components are missing or “revised?”

Their Eyes Were Watching God is an intriguing revision of the slave narrative. Zora Neale Hurston parallels Janie’s female imprisonment as an unhappy wife searching for self-actualization with the traditional slave narrative. There are elements of captivation, oppression, and escape within Hurston’s novel.

Janie’s grandmother in the story actually was a slave. She was impregnated by her master, giving birth to Janie’s mulatto mother. She managed to escape and find emancipation, becoming economically independent, owning her own house and raising her granddaughter. As a product of slavery, Janie’s grandmother values stability and safety above all else. She marries Janie off to the mundane farmer Logan Killicks to ensure Janie’s economic security. It has nothing to do with the man’s personality; her grandmother tells her quite plainly, “’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah want you to have, baby, it’s protection. Ah ain’t gittin’ ole, honey. Ah’m done ole” (15). In this nouveau slave narrative, Janie’s first marriage essentially represents Janie being “sold” into slavery (wedlock) by her master (grandmother). Janie has no control over her servitude to Logan. She is miserable and unbearably bored in this life.

When Janie spots Joe Starks walking down the road, she sees her chance to escape. She runs off with Jodie, accompanying him on his quest to establish a thriving colored community. Janie harbors an eternal hunger for excitement, passion, and independence, but Jodie does not offer these to his new bride. The possibility of freedom seems synonymous with Joe Starks, but Janie quickly realizes that he is only interested in having a respectable politician’s wife on his arm. He only loves Janie as an extension of himself- as a possession that is meant to be seen, not heard. Her opinions and aspirations are stifled under Jodie’s ego. Once again, Janie finds herself a slave to Jodie’s dominance. Her sexuality and her ardor for life is oppressed. Joe barks orders to his wife in front of the townspeople, and ridicules her because of his own insecurities. This time, Janie does not look for an escape route; instead, Jodie is the one that sets Janie free with his rapidly deteriorating health and resulting death. Janie finds solace in Jodie’s passing, and finally feels a sense of freedom. She takes off her head scarf and lets her hair down, an act of defiance that Jodie prohibited. Relieved and emancipated, Janie is content with her life.

At this point, Tea Cake enters and sparks a fire in Janie’s heart. Together, they build a life centered around true love and equality. They love each other for who they are, and do not attempt to impose changes on one another. They start their new existence together as a team, working alongside each other in the Everglades and living their lives to the fullest, with parties and friends that share in their happiness. We, the readers, are finally introduced to a Janie that exudes pure joy. We might conclude that this is the end of her symbolic slavery, but that assumption is wrong. Although Tea Cake embodies real love for Janie, she is still bound to his happiness. Tea Cake gives Janie’s life meaning, and provides her with a source of love and desire. We celebrate in Janie’s joyous union, but it is still a union- not independence. Mentally, Janie is still searching for someone else to complete her, when her true completion should come from within. This self-discovery is finally achieved by the end of the novel, after Tea Cake’s death. Janie concludes that her soul is at peace because she is a slave to no one, for good or bad. The only person that can supply her with freedom is herself.

Works Cited
"slave narrative." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/548224/slave-narrative>.

Tender Buttons

1. Read Tender Buttons and see if you can pick out a pattern for the piece. Think of these questions: What do these objects have in common? Why might Stein be experimenting with these particular words? As always, use quotes from the text in your answer.

Tender Buttons is a very fragmented piece of work. Gertrude Stein experiments with syntax, connotation, sentence structure, and imagery. Her writings reflect the ideals of the modern art movement: broken pieces of a whole, a singular experience in time, a rebellion against convention. After reading through Tender Buttons, one feels uncomfortable and disjointed. However, there is a common thread throughout the poems. All of the objects she discusses are those that would be prevalent in a woman’s world.

Gertrude Stein has been called an early feminist by many. By composing poems about female possessions, she is exalting the female position. Male writers write about male subjects, because until that time, male society was the only important thing in life. Stein gives depth and significance to the female life in her work. She shows us that a woman’s world is important, worthy to be the subject of art. Stein does not dwell on quaint notions of love and giddiness, and she does not center on the role of motherhood or childbearing. Everyday, common objects are the main characters of her work- a dress, a hat, a piano, a shawl, etc. These are things that a woman would come in contact with every single day, going through the motions of her mundane routine. Clothing, food, household items. They are overlooked because they are not the instruments of man. They are not intellectual, they are not forceful, and they are not grandiose. But they are not any less worthy of documentation, and Stein recognizes this fact. To the ignorant male, these are not worth observing, but to Gertrude Stein, they are symbolic and pivotal in delving beneath the surface of the female psyche. These silly little objects are the fundamental components of a woman’s existence. Through these ordinary things, her perspective is distorted and translated. By fragmenting the individual parts of each item, Stein reveals the inner core. We can see how a red dress is more than a dress, how it affects your life, how it affects your mentality, and how it plays a role in the larger framework of the universe.

Essentially, Gertrude Stein not only commands our attention to the importance of the female existence, but arguably declares its precedence over the male existence. I believe that her feminist pattern for Tender Buttons highlights her stance on female complexity. If a woman can express internal significance through milk or a hat, what would she be capable of doing with the resources of mankind at her disposal? I am convinced that Stein utilizes Tender Buttons to showcase feminine depth and power. Her style of writing reflects the modernist movement in art and literature, but her choice of subject matter and consistent theme of female life carries her feminist opinions through the work. Her experimentation with grammar and diction are a catalyst for our brains, to stir our emotions to the point of analysis. She wants us to get the raw, undiluted essence of a woman. She wants her writing to dig under our skin, causing an undeniable itch that does not allow us to be distracted from her message; there is more to a woman than what a man might define her as.