Zora Neale Hurston and Her Biographical Background
Biographical Information
Zora Neale Hurston, an African-American author, was born in January of 1891 as the daughter and granddaughter of two former slaves. While many scholars place her birthdate on January 7, 1891, in her work, Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters, she states that she was born on the 15th of January, not the 7th. This fact is debatable due to the credibility of this work, as it was creatively written, rather than factually inspired. Hurston grew up in a rural community considered the first black township in the United States, and was exposed to a culturally affirming environment throughout her childhood. Her father, John Hurston, was a Baptist pastor and her mother, Lucy Ann Hurston, was a school teacher. Her mother died in 1904, and her father quickly remarried following her death. Zora was sent to a boarding school for her education, but was eventually expelled after her father failed to pay her tuition, so she sought out a job in the theatre. At age 26, she would return back to public school, stating that her age was 10 years younger in order to be eligible to attend. She would go on to study at Howard University to earn an associate’s degree, then continue various other forms of education including a Guggenheim fellowship, where she would write her most famous work, Their Eyes Were Watching God.
In 1942, Hurston would write her autobiography titled, Dust Tracks on a Road. This would highlight her life, focusing on her childhood and the influence her experiences had on her
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outlook on life. In this autobiography, she talks about her experience in an all-black school, specifically the day that her class was visited by two young white women. She describes herself reading aloud in class with great eloquence, which intrigued the two women and compelled them to take a strong interest in her. She goes on to write about how they would occasionally send her gifts, such as when she states, “A month or two after the two young ladies returned to Minnesota, they sent me a huge box packed with clothes and books.” (Hurston 36). This experience would instill jealousy in her peers, who would often tease her for wearing and using these gifts in front of them. Zora writes in her autobiography, “My chums pretended not to like anything that I had, but even then I knew that they were jealous.” (Hurston 36).
Hurston’s academic inclination would inspire her to become a writer. “Over a career that spanned more than 30 years, she published four novels, two books of folklore, an autobiography, numerous short-stories, and several essays, articles and plays.” (Boyd 3). Her work would allow her to become heavily influential during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s. She was a strong feminist and advocate for the rights of the African-American people, writing about the injustices that were taking place in her society. She used relevant topics and both passive and forward techniques in order to represent her stance on racial inequality. It is said that, “She wished to break the color barrier and used her talent as a writer to inform people of the injustice that was racism.” (The University of Richmond 1). In addition to her activism against injustice, she also wrote plays that portrayed the lives of typical African Americans, such as in her collaboration with Langston Hughes: Mule-Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life which highlighted the daily lives of African-Americans. Her interest and love for theatre stemmed from one of her first jobs, in which she traveled with a theatrical company and began her acting and theatrical career.
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There is not much to describe of her later years, as her fame lessened near the end of her life. This is partially due to the fact that she was falsely accused of molesting a 10-year-old boy in 1948. These charges were found to be false as, “Hurston had been in Honduras at the time, and the boy was mentally unstable – but she was indicted, and the story leaked to a black newspaper, which sensationalized it.” (Blumenthal 14). This would mark the lowest point of her career, and essentially end her success and the printing of her works. Hurston died on January 28, 1960, after suffering from numerous strokes and various other health problems. Her community would raise money to fund her funeral, as well as buy her a gravesite. It would remain unmarked for years, until 1973, when Alice Walker, inspired by Hurston’s works, would place a marker above her grave.
What makes Zora Neale Hurston unique in history is her impact on future generations, as opposed to her impact on her own generation. While she was alive, Hurston was an immensely influential figure in the Harlem Renaissance, as well as a strong activist for women’s and African-American’s rights. However, she was not credited in proportion to her works and good- doings. She received less than sufficient money for her works and died as a low-class citizen. When author Alice Walker discovered her works, she was greatly inspired. In reference to Their Eyes Were Watching God, Walker stated, “There is no book more important to me than this one.” (Walker). She was responsible for the re-publication of all of Hurston’s works so that they may be printed and available for the public to read and enjoy. Although she has passed, Zora Neale Hurston continues to spread her passion for equality with the generations of today through her writings.
Biographical Lens
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In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, author Zora Neal Hurston addresses the social issues of racial inequality and slavery through the story of an African-American woman named Janie. During the life of Hurston, these social issues were present in her own family and community, therefore, she based the experiences of Janie loosely off of her own past self and society. As a child growing up in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, Hurston faced racial and gender discrimination and was able to see and understand the repercussions of slavery on her parents and grandparents. The main character in this novel is too, a descendant of enslaved African-Americans and faces the same types of discrimination.
In her autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road, Hurston describes herself, as a young girl in school, being especially literate and well-spoken, yet a lower-class citizen who is often unkempt. When two white ladies come to observe her class, they take a liking to her academic abilities and begin to support her through the giving of gifts such as clothes, books, and sometimes money. These women were not only acting out of kindness to Zora, but out of pity for her situation. The other African-American children would become jealous of this, and often bullied her for wearing and using these gifts. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston reflects this memory from her childhood when she states, “Mis’ Washburn useter dress me up in all de clothes her gran’chillun didn’t need no mo’ which wuz still better’n whut de rest uh de colored chillum had.” (Hurston 9). Janie was brought up in the back-house of a white woman and received help from the community in the form of similar items, such as clothes and money. She later goes on to say, “Dat uster rile Mayrella uh lot. So she would pick at me all de time and put some others up tuh do de same.” (Hurston 9). Janie would soon stop wearing these clothes and taking favors from the white community because she was pressured by her peer’s jealousy into thinking that she was receiving these favors out of pity, not love. This aspect of the novel almost
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directly reflects the childhood that Hurston went through, which shows that she took inspiration from herself in her character.
Zora Neale Hurston was a descendant of slaves, both of her parents being involved in slavery. Janie, too, was a descendant of slavery through her grandmother. In this novel, her grandmother completely represents both of her parents, as she is the one who raised her. Janie’s grandmother being enslaved reflects the issue of enslavement in Hurston’s family. Janie’s character was a child raised by her grandmother after both of her parents were uninvolved in her life. In the novel, her grandmother states, “You ain’t got no papa, you might jus’ as well say no mama, for de good she do yuh. You ain’t got nobody but me.” (Hurston 15). Likewise, Zora Neale Hurston was raised by both of her parents until her mother died in 1904. Following this tragic event, her father quickly remarried, stopped paying her tuition for boarding school, and Hurston was left to depend on various members of her family to support her until she could support herself. In the novel, this aspect of her childhood is exaggerated, as there are no parents present to raise Janie, only her grandmother. Briefly, Hurston describes how Janie’s mother was raped and got pregnant by her school teacher. Shortly after her birth, Janie’s mother walked out and never came back, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. Janie states that her mother, “was gone from round dere long before Ah wuz big enough to know.” (Hurston 8). This could be a way of the author expressing her feelings of abandonment from her father following the death of her mother.
Racial segregation and inequality is also an important issue highlighted in this book, however, not very prominently until the last chapters. Zora Neale Hurston lived in a black township, much like Janie did. At the end of the novel, Janie is living in recovery from a recent hurricane with her husband, Tea Cake. He is appointed to work for the local government in
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clean-up efforts around the town, and is part of the team that is burying dead bodies. When told to separate the bodies by race, he questions this decision. He is told that the whites are to be buried in caskets, while the blacks are to be buried in mass-graves. After hearing of this, he and Janie leave the town, appalled at the segregation and mistreatment of the deceased. Zora Neale Hurston was an influential figure in the Harlem Renaissance, fighting for the rights of African- Americans and working towards equality. While the characters in this novel showed their discontent by fleeing from segregation, Hurston showed her discontent by writing about it, generally in a passive fashion. This further shows how Janie reflects the personality and beliefs of Hurston.
Author’s Style
The use of literary devices, such as allusions, in literature helps the reader to compare
topics, plots, and morals between different writings and concepts. One of the most common sets of books used by authors in allusions is the Holy Bible, which is the doctrine that serves as the basis of the Christian religion. There are many different lessons found in the Bible that inspire all types of literature. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses allusions to reference the Bible, and other concepts of Christianity. As the child of a pastor, Hurston was well-versed in Biblical references, and she uses this skill to her advantage when writing. Throughout this novel, Hurston makes references to The Great Flood of Noah, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the Giving of the Keys to the Kingdom. These references represent the various relationships found in this novel as well as the influence of nature on the lives of the characters. Through these allusions, the reader is able to infer details about different characters and settings which enriches the reading experience. Zora Neale Hurston eloquently
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uses this literary device to her advantage throughout the entirety of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.
The closing of the novel begins with a hurricane that causes a severe flood in the everglades. Janie and her husband, Tea Cake, are warned about the danger of the impending weather, however, he insists that they will be safe in their home. When the hurricane comes, they are not prepared for the flooding that ensues. Tea Cake and Janie, filled with fear of their situation, decide that their only decision is to face the flood and walk to higher ground, when they are attacked by a rabid dog that bites Tea Cake in the face. This dog bite infects him with rabies, which leads him to have uncontrollable emotions and he later attempts to kill Janie. Janie, after speaking with a doctor, understands the dangers of his condition and is prepared to shoot him when he tries to kill her (Hurston 158-167). In the Book of Genesis, Noah is faced with the same decision: face a great flood, or build a boat and flee with his family. The Great Flood that occurs in the Bible symbolizes the ending of the world and all of the unnecessary evils it contains. All of the ungodly people are not granted access onto Noah’s Ark, thus all of the existing sinners are subject to death by the flood. Noah and his family are able to begin their new life, refreshed and alone in a good world. Similarly, the flood in the everglades represents the ending of Janie’s life as she knows it, and the getting rid of an unnecessary evil: Tea Cake. The flood results in Tea Cake dying, which begins Janie’s new life as an independent woman, without anything or anyone to hold her back. While Tea Cake was a relatively excellent husband throughout the novel, his passing represents freedom for Janie to fulfill her purpose and be made new in her own image.
Hurston alludes to the New Testament of the Bible when she states, “His pale white horse had galloped over waters, and thundered over land.” (Hurston 168). In the Book of Revelation,
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John the Apostle records visions of the end of the world, including the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse signify the destruction of the earth by God’s divine prophecy. The white horse is the result of the opening of the first seal, representing the conquering of the world. This white horse also appears at the end of the destruction of the world, as the horse that carries Jesus in Revelation 19:11. This white horse, now carrying the Son of Man, symbolizes the ending of the end, when judgement and ruin ensue. When Hurston references this white horse, she uses it to symbolize the aftermath of the flood and how the flood had conquered the land and their lives as they knew it. This also serves to emphasize the further changes and ruin that is to come into the lives of Janie and Tea Cake. This biblical reference allows the reader to further understand the implications of the flood on the lives of the characters as well as foreshadowing what is to come of them later in the novel. While the white horse symbolizes destruction and death, the rider (the Son of Man), brings peace and hope to Janie’s destroyed world.
Another example of an allusion in this novel is when the author states, “Nobody else on earth kin hold uh candle tuh you, baby. You got de keys to de kingdom.” (Hurston 109). When Tea Cake says this to Janie, he is guaranteeing the love that he has for her. By giving her the keys to his kingdom, he promises her that she will be taken care of for as long as they are in love and that she will live in their worldly version of paradise. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives the keys of His kingdom to the Apostle Peter, with the promise that he will have access and authority in this kingdom. The kingdom that is being referenced is the Kingdom of Heaven, which is often described as a paradise filled with the love of God for His people. Hurston is using this reference to compare the paradise of heaven to the paradise that Tea Cake plans to give to Janie when they begin to pursue a life together. By alluding to this Bible story, the author
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is allowing the reader to understand the passion that Tea Cake has in his love for Janie, and the promises that he is making for her.
In conclusion, the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is rich in theological allusions and the symbolism that coincides with them. Many of her works include allusions such as these, as well as many other literary elements that entice and captivate their audiences through layers of interpretation and meanings. In itself, this novel is heavily influenced by Hurston’s childhood experiences, such as being the daughter of a pastor, hence her theological eloquence. Elements of herself and others in her life can be found within the unique characters that she writes of. Many of the challenges that Hurston’s main characters face are based upon societal issues that she fought against during her youth, in the Harlem Renaissance. The reader can have a first-hand glimpse at how injustices have been instituted, dealt with, and solved when comparing Hurston’s characters to history. Their Eyes Were Watching God, a formerly under-appreciated novel, now inspires many other writers in their search for the perfect way to use their platform to inform, entertain, and captivate others.