Zora Neal Hurston Analysis

Zora Neal Hurston's writing style clearly displays the experiences of her childhood. Both her diction and manipulation of point of view allow the reader to gain a deepened understanding of her life as a youth. First, Hurston's diction allows the reader to recognize that she grew up in a country home. Her slow and eloquent tone describing "the fleshy, white, fragrant blooms" and the "big barn, [with] a stretch of ground well covered with Bermuda grass" reveals the atmosphere in which she was raised. Moreover, when observing the conversations she had with others, phrases such as "jump at de sun," "no-count Negroes," and "folks up north" further indicate her Southern origins. Alongside this, Hurston's avoidance of contractions in her work provides
Hurston recalls that her mother cared deeply about how she and her siblings presented themselves in front of others, in a way so as not to appear to be poor "no-count Negroes" and rather supply themselves with many opportunities in life. Her father, on the other hand, was shown to care more about his daughter's attitude so that she would not "have too much spirit" since "the white folks were not going to stand for it." Hurston intelligently presents these two different viewpoints from her parents in a way that can easily be understood by the audience. The way in which Hurston portrays her parents' discussions themselves is also notable. She writes them as memories rather than as a conversations, which is unique. She does not include the conversations in quotation marks, but rather allows it to flow along naturally with her description of her youth. In all, Hurston's selective choice of wording and masterful representation of point of view allows the audience to fully grasp what her childhood was like. Her slow and casual tone, description of relatable accounts, changes from "I" to "we", and inclusion of conversations all come together to provide a richer synopsis of her life as a