"Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay, Draft 1"

            In, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston, a recurrent clash against an unbending social order and destitute position marks the coming-of-age story of Janie Woods, mixed African-American, up against enormous odds including poverty, womanhood, and race.  In successfully negotiating obstacles throughout her life including broken marriages, obvious racism, and inherent oppression, it is argued that Janie’s new-found sense of happiness in the end of the novel epitomizes her transcendence to self-actualization in recognizing her inherent, undying love for her former husband Tea Cake, despite the overwhelming grief that would consume most widows in the near wake of their spouse’s death, all the more supporting the claim that Janie has managed to self-actualize in recognizing the eternal nature of love as only concluded by our very deaths. 

            In Janie’s progression to this final stage of personal growth, the contrasting culmination of her last marriage with her other marriages reveals the power and positive influence with which Teak Cake had created for Janie.  No other marriage compared with similar resulting positivity or happiness for Janie.  Jody Stark’s marriage exemplifies an unparalleled discontent between the two spouses, “The spirit of the marriage left the bedroom and took to living in the parlor.  It was there to shake hands whenever company came to visit, but in never went back inside the bedroom against” (71).  This contrasts starkly with the intimacy between Janie and Tea Cake, in which there relationship blossomed beyond the pear tree, and provided Janie with both her need for love and for self-esteem within her marriage to Tea Cake.  Additionally, the lack of respect that each Jody Stark and Janie had given each other illustrates the inability of the couple to manage and resolve conflict, as demonstrated by Jody’s repetitive physical and verbal bullying of Janie, “You oughta throw somethin’ over yo’ shoulders befo’ you go outside.  You ain’t no young pullet no mo’.  You’se uh ole hen now” (77).  This differs sharply from Tea Cake and Janie’s management of marital troubles, especially when Janie accuses Tea Cake of cheating in which he states, “Naw, never, and you know it too.  Ah didn’t want her… Whut would Ah do wid dat lil chunk of a woman wid you around” (138).  It is obvious that Tea Cake fulfills much more than Janie’s need for love, intimacy, and self-esteem, but rather formulates a mutual respect between the two, that defines their marriage and allows for its success.

            The most fundamental trait of a self-actualized individual involves self-fulfillment.  In Janie’s situation this is highlighted through her steadfast love for her third and final husband, Tea Cake.  However, it is revealed that Tea Cake dies at the hands of his wife, a death brought on in self-defense of Tea Cake’s illness.  Hurston describes the aftermath for Janie as, “…the meanest moment of eternity… the grief of outer darkness descended” (184).  Not only does Janie Woods experience this personal anguish in killing her own husband for her life, she faces the tragedy and humiliation of being put on trial for murder of her most beloved.  It is assumed that such unfortunate events would ruin a person forever, but not Janie.  Janie Woods is found acquitted returning to her origins in Eatonville, FL where she recites her tale to her friend Pheoby.   It is at the conclusion of this conversation that reveals the progression of psychological development of Janie since her husband’s death.  Surprisingly, it is not one of despair for her husband.  Rather, Janie describes a positive atmosphere an outlook in conveying her present feelings.  She believes that, “Tea Cake… could never be dead until she herself had finished feeling and thinking.  The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall.  Here was peace” (193).  This final and concluding realization pays homage to Janie’s remarkable tenacity as a Mixed African-American Woman enduring the hardship of death and the equal hardship of matching the societal values of the women of her time.  It furthermore, illustrates her remarkable resolve in overcoming substantial emotional trials in the midst of tragedy, and underlies her new-found resolve and mental schema as that of self-actualization.