Nature's Part to Play in Hurston
Whether it's the pear tree, hurricane, or just the pastoral descriptions, nature's romanticism is apparent throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God but I still can't figure out what its place in the novel actually is. On the one hand, the book's descriptions of the pear tree evidently symbolize not only Janie's sexual awakening but also just her idealized view of nature like she idealizes everything else in the book. In this case, nature would seem to be presented in a pretty romantic light, showing the beauty of nature and how idyllic it can be.
On the other hand, the book shows us this really chaotic and tumultuous aspect of nature, which is the hurricane. Not only does the hurricane come suddenly and cause a lot of destruction, but it also threatens the lives of many characters. Suddenly, the depictions of nature, while still beautiful, become dark and turbulent. So, why is something so influential to the psyche of Janie in a good way also portrayed suddenly as this chaotic, uncontrolled force?
In addition to these two different representations of nature, Hurston also adds God to the mix which makes everything more complicated. The 3rd person narrator says that when the people were waiting for the storm to end, "Their eyes were watching God" which must be important because it's the title of the novel.
Now I have to ask what on earth Hurston is trying to say about nature. Is it picturesque and pastoral like Janie's innocent outlook on it? Is it constantly changing from calm to turbulent on a whim? Is it an act of God, one whose consequences can last forever like the bite of a rabid dog? Perhaps it's a mix of all three, but if so, where does this symbolism fit into the larger themes of the novel? If we have this really anthropological depiction of a specific town's gender expectations and struggles, why does nature always seem to play an undefined, changing role in the story? Why would Hurston want to include a layer of complicated romanticism on top of everything else she's doing if she didn't have some overarching connection to make?
I mean, if we go with Janie's opinion, her life is a tree (chapter 2). If we go with others' opinions, the Hurricane comes from God. You can basically turn to any page in this novel and find similes and/or metaphors about nature so how do we decide what's important to the book's overall message?
I think that nature serves as another element that pushes Janie to mature throughout the novel. As you said, the pear tree represents Janie's sexual awakening, which indirectly leads to Janie's marriage of Logan Killicks because right after she notices the tree she's driven to kiss that one boy. After this, Nanny quickly marries Janie off because she wants her to have a safe home with economic stability. The hurricane forces Janie out of the muck and in to the surrounding land, where things are unfamiliar and all that she really has are her thoughts and Tea Cake for company. Lastly, the rabid dog biting Tea Cake forces Janie to find her own path in life without Tea Cake, but by this point she has already found who she is, so even this monumental loss does not spell the end of Janie's life.
ReplyDeletei think nature serves as a symbolism for the chapter in janies life. As she embarks on new journeys with each of her lovers she takes a risk, in the same way that nature can be unpredictable. Furthermore, the recurring idea of the horizon and cycle of the day makes me wonder if it has some deeper meaning to janies life overall. When she starts out each of her journeys shes beginning the "day" as the sun rises, and then as she returns from them or leaves them the sun sets and a new day begins. There are thousands of metaphors of nature in this book, and I think they serve a purpose to symbolize janies path to finding herself. It can be unpredictable and harsh, but it can also be full of immense beauty
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