Their Eyes were Watching God
In the story, Their Eyes were watching God was the story of Janie and her tremendous journey to find her true self. There were many things that influenced her to mature throughout the book. One of these influences was nature. Nature played an important role in shaping Janie’s character; from the pear tree, where she first realized her sexuality to the devastating hurricane that swept the town. These features in nature helped her mature and realize what she needed as growing woman throughout the story.
The pear tree was a symbol in nature that shaped Janie’s character. The pear tree is a symbol of Jane’s blossoming love. It was first mentioned, in the spring when Janie was sixteen years old. “She saw a dust bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes each to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was marriage!” (Hurston 10-11) Janie’s her idea of love, life, and happiness revolves around the basic idea of the pear tree working in perfect harmony with nature. She cries, "Oh to be a pear tree--any tree in bloom!" (Hurston 11) In saying this Janie displays how desperately she wants the love and affection from a man that the tree receives from the bee with pollen. Janie connected the pear tree to each of her marriages. She had a horrible first marriage she described her husband by saying, “Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree." Logan made her realize that women should be treated with dignity and respect. (Hurston 13) In her second marriage with Jody, Janie is restricted and she Jody gets jealous when she’s around other men. This made her realize that a man should have faith in his wife and give her freedom to experience life. "Janie pulled back a long time because Jody did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees." (Hurston 28) Her dream of the pear tree did not come until her third marriage with Tea Cake. By
The pear tree was a symbol in nature that shaped Janie’s character. The pear tree is a symbol of Jane’s blossoming love. It was first mentioned, in the spring when Janie was sixteen years old. “She saw a dust bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes each to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was marriage!” (Hurston 10-11) Janie’s her idea of love, life, and happiness revolves around the basic idea of the pear tree working in perfect harmony with nature. She cries, "Oh to be a pear tree--any tree in bloom!" (Hurston 11) In saying this Janie displays how desperately she wants the love and affection from a man that the tree receives from the bee with pollen. Janie connected the pear tree to each of her marriages. She had a horrible first marriage she described her husband by saying, “Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree." Logan made her realize that women should be treated with dignity and respect. (Hurston 13) In her second marriage with Jody, Janie is restricted and she Jody gets jealous when she’s around other men. This made her realize that a man should have faith in his wife and give her freedom to experience life. "Janie pulled back a long time because Jody did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees." (Hurston 28) Her dream of the pear tree did not come until her third marriage with Tea Cake. By