Summary Of Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

In the book Their Eyes Were Watching God published in 1937, by Zora Neale Hurston explores the story of a girl named Janie, and her search for love. Janie as a young girl finds herself on an individual quest for love, and personal freedom. Through Janie’s journey she gets involved in three different marriages that help her grow as an individual as well as gain a better understanding of what love is. Janie also learns different lessons through her experiences with marriage, which contributes to Janie’s own personal growth as a woman. Janie’s first marriage was to a man named Logan Killicks, which was arranged by her grandmother also known as nanny when Janie was 16 years of age. One day Janie was caught by nanny in the act of kissing a boy named Johnny Taylor. After this incident nanny decided that Janie was now a woman, and so needed to get married instantly. Zora Neal Hurston states “Yeah Janie, youse got yo’ womanhood on yuh. So Ah mout ez well tell yuh whut Ah been savin’ up for uh spell. Ah wants to see you married right away”(12). Nanny wants Janie to get married so that she has security, and protection so that Janie does not get taken advantage of Nanny says,
A month after Nanny died Janie realized that being married to Logan was not going to bring about love. Zora Neal Hurston states “The familiar people and things had failed her so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off. She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman”(25). Janie came to the realization that she does not want Logan, and Janie’s experience with being married to Logan had crushed her dream. Janie becoming a woman at the death of her dream means that womanhood is about hardship, and Janie had now experienced the hardship of womanhood. Janie Ultimately does not love Logan, and she now realizes that love cannot be learned with