In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston points out a metaphorical comparison when Janie sees “a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom” (11) and expounds on the plant’s processes mentioning “the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree” (11). She then describes the relationship of the plant as “frothing with delight” (11). The detailed explanation shows us Janie’s attempts to seek understanding of “marriage” through a give and take scenario with a “bloom”. Also, the author emphasizes this saying that “she had been summoned to behold a revelation” (11).
What interests me is how the “bloom” is used to signify “marriage”. As the story progresses from this point, there are more relationship-type comments associated with nature. In what way does nature play any other role in the novel? Could the “revelation” relate to the religious nature of some of the characters in the story? How would we view the novel if Janie’s realizations were explained to other elders in her society? Would there be a subtle change?
The author also expresses how Janie’s grandmother feels about escaping the bad aspects of slavery in the past just to save her infant from being sold away. During these times she personifies her views during the night hours when “de limbs of dem cypress tree took to crawlin’ and movin’ round after dark” (18) and exaggerates her fears mentioning “Ah heered panthers prowlin’ round” (18). Her realistic description of a war when she states that “one night Ah heered de big guns boomin’ lak thunder” (18) gives the reader the impression that a war that has relation to the removal of slavery was taking place. The grandmother gives us a sense of tension through the words “prowlin’” and “thunder”.
Janie’s grandmother’s intense views on the war and slavery interest me. What other instances does she allude to this situation? How does she cope with the harsh conditions as a slave? Did her decisions saving the infant waver when her fears of “cypress trees” at night and “panthers” were aggravated by the thought of capture? What were the fears most slaves faced before being freed? How did her master and other slave owners cope with the losses of slaves when the Union won the Civil War?
Hurston describes Janie’s grandmother’s thoughts towards her own passing. The narrator personifies this saying “there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought” (24) and goes on mentioning that “Nanny entered the infinity of conscious pain again on her old knees” (24). She starts to face everything with indifference for an instant and saying “Lawd, you know mah heart. Ah done de best Ah could do. De rest is left to you” (24). Her last utterances show that she has strong religious outlooks.
The grandmother’s thoughts before passing interest me. Why does she disregard her granddaughter when relieving herself of all responsibilities? Does her indifference towards all impact Janie in any way? Was this reaction typical to aged people in their time? Did any other people portray dying similar to this back in the 1900’s?
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