Analysis of The Portrayal of The Protagonist in zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Wathing God.
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya akan menganalisis penggambaran tokoh utama
dalam novel yang berjudul Their Eyes Were Watching God karya Zora Neale
Hurston. Tokoh utama dalam novel tersebut bernama Janie Mae Crawford,
seorang wanita berdarah campuran Afrika-Amerika yang menemukan jati dirinya
melalui perjalanan hidupnya.
Hingga umur enam belas tahun, Janie hidup di bawah otoritas neneknya
yang memiliki konsep pencapaian kebahagiaan melalui pernikahan. Perjodohan
yang dilakukan neneknya adalah titik awal perjalanan hidup Janie menjadi wanita
yang dewasa. Kurangnya pengalaman membuatnya percaya pada konsep
kebahagiaan yang ditanamkan neneknya. Maka ketika pernikahannya gagal, Janie
menikah kembali hingga pernikahannya yang ketiga dengan seorang pria yang
umurnya jauh lebih muda dari padanya. Ia dapat menjadi dirinya sendiri ketika ia
memutuskan untuk melepaskan diri dari ketergantungannya terhadap orang lain.
Janie yang pada mulanya adalah seorang anak yang naïf, penurut yang
juga sangat bergantung pada orang lain, kemudian berubah menjadi seorang
wanita yang mandiri, tegar dan tidak mudah menyerah dalam memperjuangkan
pencarian jati dirinya. Melalui pengalaman-pengalaman pernikahannya yang
berliku, Janie akhirnya menyadari bahwa ia harus menjadi seorang yang mandiri
dalam pikiran dan keputusan- keputusan yang ia ambil, agar hidupnya bahagia.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………....i
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study..............................................................................1
Statement of the Problem .............................................................................3
Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................3
Method of Research .....................................................................................3
Organization of the Thesis ...........................................................................3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THE PORTRAYAL OF
THE PROTAGONIST IN ZORA NEALE HURSTON’S
THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD.................................................5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ................................................................20
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................24
APPENDICES
Synopsis of Their Eyes Were Watching God .............................................26
Biography of Zora Neale Hurston ..............................................................27
ii
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Life is full of choices; yet, we cannot choose where or when we are to be
born and raised. Choices are part of human life, but not everyone can make good
choices in life. Maturity is required for one to choose wisely and afterward one
will be responsible for their decisions in life. Maturity is a stage of one’s life when
one is truly aware of one’s true self. While true self refers to one’s real character
or personality that is shaped by one’s life background. One’s true self is shown
through the choices that one takes.
Their Eyes Were Watching God is Zora Neale Hurston’s novel which
reflects this situation; when a person has to make decisions to find one’s true self.
The protagonist is Janie Mae Crawford, an African American girl who grows
under her grandmother’s rules and dominance. Hurston focuses on Janie’s process
of finding her true self through the three marriages she has had. The
transformation of Janie’s characteristics is shown clearly in the novel.
Hurston was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1936 and she was able
to travel to Jamaica and Haiti. In Haiti she began writing her second novel, Their
1
Maranatha Christian University
Eyes Were Watching God, which was published in 1937. This novel is highly
acclaimed as the most important work of Hurston. “Hurston became the most
successful and most significant black woman writer of the first half of the 20th
Century. 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).
Alice Walker, another prominent African-American writer, rediscovered
Hurston’s work in the late 1960 and on Hurston’s second novel she claimed that
“there is no book more important to me than this one.” Some new books have also
been written about Hurston afterwards. “Throughout her country, this novel is the
required reading in many high schools and colleges” (Boyd).
Oprah Winfrey also admired Their Eyes Were Watching God, and she
claimed this novel as her “favorite love story of all time.” Therefore, Winfrey
produced a television adaptation of it. It aired for the first time in 2005 and it is
estimated to have been watched by 24,6 million viewers, which further entrenched
the novel in the public consciousness and in the American literary canon (Boyd).
Based on the above facts, I am interested in analyzing the portrayal of the
protagonist in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The exploration of the
protagonist’s transformation dominates the story. Characterization, as Karen
Bernando states in her article, is a very important element in a good story because
the protagonist’s behaviors in some difficult situations can create some challenges
for the reader to keep on reading the pages until the end of story (Bernando).
Protagonist is defined as “the main character in a story, novel, drama, or other
2
Maranatha Christian University
literary work; the character that the reader or audience empathizes with”
(Wiehardt).
Statement of the Problems
The problems that I am going to analyze in my thesis are as follows:
1. How is the protagonist portrayed?
2. Why is the protagonist portrayed in such a way?
Purpose of the Study
The purposes of the study in my thesis are formulated as follows:
1. to analyze how the protagonist is portrayed.
2. to reveal why the protagonist is portrayed in such a way.
Method of Research
I conduct the library research for my thesis. First, I read the novel and I
pay attention mostly to the protagonist in the story. Second, I read several
reference books and search for some materials from the internet websites to create
an objective analysis. After that, I start to write my thesis from Chapter One and
then Chapter Two. In the end, I draw the conclusion from my analysis.
Organization of the Thesis
I divide my thesis into three parts, preceded by Acknowledgements,
Abstract and Table of Contents. Chapter One is Introduction, which consists of
Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study,
3
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Method of Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is Analysis of
Portrayal of the Protagonist in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching
God. Chapter Three is Conclusion. This thesis ends with Bibliography and
Appendices, which contain the synopsis of Their Eyes Were Watching God and
the biography.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the novel, I would like to draw some conclusions. The
protagonist has a complex life experience that shapes her. Janie Mae Crawford is
introduced as a naïve, dependent and obedient girl who later is transformed by her
life experiences into an aware, rebellious and independent woman. She is also
portrayed as a persistent and tough woman as she makes herself able to face her
complex life journey. She eventually finds her true self after going through three
marriages that give her valuable lessons.
Her journey to find her true self begins when she is sixteen years old. Her
grandmother is the figure who first shapes Janie. Her grandmother is very
dominant and she makes all decisions for Janie. Thus, Janie is initially portrayed
as a naïve, obedient and dependent girl. One significant point which is related to
Janie’s young life is the belief of her grandmother about finding happiness
through marriage. This ultimate goal of Janie’s life is influenced by her
grandmother’s belief. She has an idea of a happy marriage that gradually causes
her to be persistent in reaching it. It takes three marriages and many years for
Janie to realize that marriage is not the answer to happiness.
20
Maranatha Christian University
Janie’s persistence and toughness turn her failure in marriages into a better
understanding of herself and her life. Through Logan’s mistreatments she
becomes aware of what she deserves in life, instead of just being a slave who
works hard doing manual labor every day. Her awareness of her desire together
with her persistence leads her into her next marriages. Her awareness about
herself happens through a process and it is not an instant change; therefore,
through her marriage with Joe, she comes to another realization that money and
wealth cannot buy her happiness. In the abundant life she receives, she feels
empty because she is treated like an object. Being mistreated by Joe, Janie shows
her rebellious nature; she rebels against the obstacles in her life. The death of Joe
confirms that freedom is what Janie wants. She wants freedom to speak her mind
and to be herself.
After knowing what she wants, she chooses to live with Tea Cake, the man
who gives her that freedom. She feels alive as she never feels so loved and
appreciated before Tea Cake comes into her life. However, the fact that the
society puts males in control and power over females, also happen in Janie’s third
marriage.
The climax moment happens when Tea Cake is dying and showing his
dominance towards her. Janie, who is aware of her wants of freedom, takes an
independent action of shooting Tea Cake dead. This is shows her true self of
being independent. However, she is still grateful for Tea Cake and his existence in
her life, as he has opened up her eyes and made she realize her true self. The death
of Tea Cake opens her eyes to see the horizon which for long has been blocked by
her grandma’s idealism.
21
Maranatha Christian University
Janie’s persistence in finding happiness leads her into an awareness of her
desire to be herself and to express herself freely, which lead her into the
realization of the need to be independent. Her experiences have given her valuable
lessons to be who she is at the end.
The analysis shows that Janie is a dynamic character. From being naïve,
obedient, and dependent, she is later changed by her persistence and toughness in
facing her life process, into an aware, rebellious, and independent woman. Her
portrayal also shows how powerful the impact and influence the society can have
on a person. Janie cannot be herself when the rigid rules and control from her
grandma and her husband limit her movement. Janie’s persistence and toughness
is the key for the changes of her characteristic in enduring life difficulties and
later leads her into her freedom from the clutch of the norms of the society.
One can learn from Janie that one has the right to live one’s life according
to one’s own way to be oneself and be responsible with one’s choices. After
analyzing the novel, I can see how great the novel is. The protagonist’s life
journey and transformation offer valuable lessons. The complex situation of
Janie’s life reflects the situation in real life, that one’s life could be very difficult
and complex. It makes her story more alive because the readers can relate the
story to their own life. The readers could also see the example of a person who
struggles and never gives up in finding her true self despite all the difficulties one
has to face.
I believe that this novel is worth reading since I have learned a lot from
this novel. Since one cannot depend on others to realize one’s own dream, I learn
that I should live my own life and find out by myself which path of life God has
22
Maranatha Christian University
prepared for me. I also learn that the conditions of the society will definitely have
an impact on my life, including my dream. Thus, I need to find out my own dream
in life and fight for it.
23
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text:
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins
Publisher, Inc. 1998. Print.
References:
“Aware.” Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries Online. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Web. 14 Dec. 2014
Bernando, Karen. “Characterization in Literature”. Storybites. 2014. Web. 14
October 2014.
Boyd, Valerie. “About Zora Neale Hurston.” Zora Neale Hurston. The Estate of
Zora Neale Hurston. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
---. “A Protofeminist Postcard from Haiti.” Zora Heale Hurston. The Estate of
Zora Neale Hurston 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
---. “The Official Web Site of Zora Neale Hurston.” Zora Neale Hurston. The
Estate of Zora Neale Hurston. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
“Dependent.” Def. 1. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Pearson
Education Limited, 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014
“Horizon.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
2005. 7thed. 2005. Print.
24
Maranatha Christian University
“Independent.” Def. 4a. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Pearson
Education Limited, 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014
“Naïve.” Def. 1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7thed. Oxford University
Press. 2005. Print.
“Obedient.” Def. 1. Cambridge International Dictionary of English. Cambridge
University Press. 1995. Print.
“Persistent.” Def. 2. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7thed. Oxford
University Press. 2005. Print.
“Rebellious.” Def. 1. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Oxford University Press,
2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
“Tough.” Def. 2. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, 2014. Web. 14
Dec. 2014.
Wiehardt, Ginny. “Protagonist.” Glossary of Literary Terms. 2014. Web. 14 Oct.
2014.
25
Maranatha Christian University
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya akan menganalisis penggambaran tokoh utama
dalam novel yang berjudul Their Eyes Were Watching God karya Zora Neale
Hurston. Tokoh utama dalam novel tersebut bernama Janie Mae Crawford,
seorang wanita berdarah campuran Afrika-Amerika yang menemukan jati dirinya
melalui perjalanan hidupnya.
Hingga umur enam belas tahun, Janie hidup di bawah otoritas neneknya
yang memiliki konsep pencapaian kebahagiaan melalui pernikahan. Perjodohan
yang dilakukan neneknya adalah titik awal perjalanan hidup Janie menjadi wanita
yang dewasa. Kurangnya pengalaman membuatnya percaya pada konsep
kebahagiaan yang ditanamkan neneknya. Maka ketika pernikahannya gagal, Janie
menikah kembali hingga pernikahannya yang ketiga dengan seorang pria yang
umurnya jauh lebih muda dari padanya. Ia dapat menjadi dirinya sendiri ketika ia
memutuskan untuk melepaskan diri dari ketergantungannya terhadap orang lain.
Janie yang pada mulanya adalah seorang anak yang naïf, penurut yang
juga sangat bergantung pada orang lain, kemudian berubah menjadi seorang
wanita yang mandiri, tegar dan tidak mudah menyerah dalam memperjuangkan
pencarian jati dirinya. Melalui pengalaman-pengalaman pernikahannya yang
berliku, Janie akhirnya menyadari bahwa ia harus menjadi seorang yang mandiri
dalam pikiran dan keputusan- keputusan yang ia ambil, agar hidupnya bahagia.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………....i
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study..............................................................................1
Statement of the Problem .............................................................................3
Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................3
Method of Research .....................................................................................3
Organization of the Thesis ...........................................................................3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF THE PORTRAYAL OF
THE PROTAGONIST IN ZORA NEALE HURSTON’S
THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD.................................................5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ................................................................20
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................24
APPENDICES
Synopsis of Their Eyes Were Watching God .............................................26
Biography of Zora Neale Hurston ..............................................................27
ii
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Life is full of choices; yet, we cannot choose where or when we are to be
born and raised. Choices are part of human life, but not everyone can make good
choices in life. Maturity is required for one to choose wisely and afterward one
will be responsible for their decisions in life. Maturity is a stage of one’s life when
one is truly aware of one’s true self. While true self refers to one’s real character
or personality that is shaped by one’s life background. One’s true self is shown
through the choices that one takes.
Their Eyes Were Watching God is Zora Neale Hurston’s novel which
reflects this situation; when a person has to make decisions to find one’s true self.
The protagonist is Janie Mae Crawford, an African American girl who grows
under her grandmother’s rules and dominance. Hurston focuses on Janie’s process
of finding her true self through the three marriages she has had. The
transformation of Janie’s characteristics is shown clearly in the novel.
Hurston was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1936 and she was able
to travel to Jamaica and Haiti. In Haiti she began writing her second novel, Their
1
Maranatha Christian University
Eyes Were Watching God, which was published in 1937. This novel is highly
acclaimed as the most important work of Hurston. “Hurston became the most
successful and most significant black woman writer of the first half of the 20th
Century. 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).
Alice Walker, another prominent African-American writer, rediscovered
Hurston’s work in the late 1960 and on Hurston’s second novel she claimed that
“there is no book more important to me than this one.” Some new books have also
been written about Hurston afterwards. “Throughout her country, this novel is the
required reading in many high schools and colleges” (Boyd).
Oprah Winfrey also admired Their Eyes Were Watching God, and she
claimed this novel as her “favorite love story of all time.” Therefore, Winfrey
produced a television adaptation of it. It aired for the first time in 2005 and it is
estimated to have been watched by 24,6 million viewers, which further entrenched
the novel in the public consciousness and in the American literary canon (Boyd).
Based on the above facts, I am interested in analyzing the portrayal of the
protagonist in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The exploration of the
protagonist’s transformation dominates the story. Characterization, as Karen
Bernando states in her article, is a very important element in a good story because
the protagonist’s behaviors in some difficult situations can create some challenges
for the reader to keep on reading the pages until the end of story (Bernando).
Protagonist is defined as “the main character in a story, novel, drama, or other
2
Maranatha Christian University
literary work; the character that the reader or audience empathizes with”
(Wiehardt).
Statement of the Problems
The problems that I am going to analyze in my thesis are as follows:
1. How is the protagonist portrayed?
2. Why is the protagonist portrayed in such a way?
Purpose of the Study
The purposes of the study in my thesis are formulated as follows:
1. to analyze how the protagonist is portrayed.
2. to reveal why the protagonist is portrayed in such a way.
Method of Research
I conduct the library research for my thesis. First, I read the novel and I
pay attention mostly to the protagonist in the story. Second, I read several
reference books and search for some materials from the internet websites to create
an objective analysis. After that, I start to write my thesis from Chapter One and
then Chapter Two. In the end, I draw the conclusion from my analysis.
Organization of the Thesis
I divide my thesis into three parts, preceded by Acknowledgements,
Abstract and Table of Contents. Chapter One is Introduction, which consists of
Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study,
3
Maranatha Christian University
Method of Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is Analysis of
Portrayal of the Protagonist in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching
God. Chapter Three is Conclusion. This thesis ends with Bibliography and
Appendices, which contain the synopsis of Their Eyes Were Watching God and
the biography.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the novel, I would like to draw some conclusions. The
protagonist has a complex life experience that shapes her. Janie Mae Crawford is
introduced as a naïve, dependent and obedient girl who later is transformed by her
life experiences into an aware, rebellious and independent woman. She is also
portrayed as a persistent and tough woman as she makes herself able to face her
complex life journey. She eventually finds her true self after going through three
marriages that give her valuable lessons.
Her journey to find her true self begins when she is sixteen years old. Her
grandmother is the figure who first shapes Janie. Her grandmother is very
dominant and she makes all decisions for Janie. Thus, Janie is initially portrayed
as a naïve, obedient and dependent girl. One significant point which is related to
Janie’s young life is the belief of her grandmother about finding happiness
through marriage. This ultimate goal of Janie’s life is influenced by her
grandmother’s belief. She has an idea of a happy marriage that gradually causes
her to be persistent in reaching it. It takes three marriages and many years for
Janie to realize that marriage is not the answer to happiness.
20
Maranatha Christian University
Janie’s persistence and toughness turn her failure in marriages into a better
understanding of herself and her life. Through Logan’s mistreatments she
becomes aware of what she deserves in life, instead of just being a slave who
works hard doing manual labor every day. Her awareness of her desire together
with her persistence leads her into her next marriages. Her awareness about
herself happens through a process and it is not an instant change; therefore,
through her marriage with Joe, she comes to another realization that money and
wealth cannot buy her happiness. In the abundant life she receives, she feels
empty because she is treated like an object. Being mistreated by Joe, Janie shows
her rebellious nature; she rebels against the obstacles in her life. The death of Joe
confirms that freedom is what Janie wants. She wants freedom to speak her mind
and to be herself.
After knowing what she wants, she chooses to live with Tea Cake, the man
who gives her that freedom. She feels alive as she never feels so loved and
appreciated before Tea Cake comes into her life. However, the fact that the
society puts males in control and power over females, also happen in Janie’s third
marriage.
The climax moment happens when Tea Cake is dying and showing his
dominance towards her. Janie, who is aware of her wants of freedom, takes an
independent action of shooting Tea Cake dead. This is shows her true self of
being independent. However, she is still grateful for Tea Cake and his existence in
her life, as he has opened up her eyes and made she realize her true self. The death
of Tea Cake opens her eyes to see the horizon which for long has been blocked by
her grandma’s idealism.
21
Maranatha Christian University
Janie’s persistence in finding happiness leads her into an awareness of her
desire to be herself and to express herself freely, which lead her into the
realization of the need to be independent. Her experiences have given her valuable
lessons to be who she is at the end.
The analysis shows that Janie is a dynamic character. From being naïve,
obedient, and dependent, she is later changed by her persistence and toughness in
facing her life process, into an aware, rebellious, and independent woman. Her
portrayal also shows how powerful the impact and influence the society can have
on a person. Janie cannot be herself when the rigid rules and control from her
grandma and her husband limit her movement. Janie’s persistence and toughness
is the key for the changes of her characteristic in enduring life difficulties and
later leads her into her freedom from the clutch of the norms of the society.
One can learn from Janie that one has the right to live one’s life according
to one’s own way to be oneself and be responsible with one’s choices. After
analyzing the novel, I can see how great the novel is. The protagonist’s life
journey and transformation offer valuable lessons. The complex situation of
Janie’s life reflects the situation in real life, that one’s life could be very difficult
and complex. It makes her story more alive because the readers can relate the
story to their own life. The readers could also see the example of a person who
struggles and never gives up in finding her true self despite all the difficulties one
has to face.
I believe that this novel is worth reading since I have learned a lot from
this novel. Since one cannot depend on others to realize one’s own dream, I learn
that I should live my own life and find out by myself which path of life God has
22
Maranatha Christian University
prepared for me. I also learn that the conditions of the society will definitely have
an impact on my life, including my dream. Thus, I need to find out my own dream
in life and fight for it.
23
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text:
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins
Publisher, Inc. 1998. Print.
References:
“Aware.” Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries Online. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Web. 14 Dec. 2014
Bernando, Karen. “Characterization in Literature”. Storybites. 2014. Web. 14
October 2014.
Boyd, Valerie. “About Zora Neale Hurston.” Zora Neale Hurston. The Estate of
Zora Neale Hurston. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
---. “A Protofeminist Postcard from Haiti.” Zora Heale Hurston. The Estate of
Zora Neale Hurston 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
---. “The Official Web Site of Zora Neale Hurston.” Zora Neale Hurston. The
Estate of Zora Neale Hurston. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
“Dependent.” Def. 1. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Pearson
Education Limited, 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014
“Horizon.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
2005. 7thed. 2005. Print.
24
Maranatha Christian University
“Independent.” Def. 4a. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Pearson
Education Limited, 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014
“Naïve.” Def. 1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7thed. Oxford University
Press. 2005. Print.
“Obedient.” Def. 1. Cambridge International Dictionary of English. Cambridge
University Press. 1995. Print.
“Persistent.” Def. 2. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7thed. Oxford
University Press. 2005. Print.
“Rebellious.” Def. 1. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Oxford University Press,
2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
“Tough.” Def. 2. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, 2014. Web. 14
Dec. 2014.
Wiehardt, Ginny. “Protagonist.” Glossary of Literary Terms. 2014. Web. 14 Oct.
2014.
25
Maranatha Christian University