Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Typical Bildungsroman

Their Eyes Were Watching God is the representative work of Zora Neale Hurston(1891 – 1960),who is an African-American novelist,short story writer,folklorist,and anthropologist.It is also a classic of African-American literature.This novel describes the maturation process of the protagonist Janie,and in this way tells readers how an African-American woman overcomes many difficulties and finally achieves her self-realization under the oppression of both the patriarchal society and the white people’s world.Their Eyes Were Watching God enjoys many typical Bildungsroman characteristics.Through the analysis of these characteristics,we can get some new explanations of this novel’s structure,theme,designs of plots,important events,etc.,and thus we can achieve a better understanding of Janie’s maturation process and this novel’s values.This thesis argues that Their Eyes Were Watching God is a typical Bildungsroman.It holds such an opinion because the novel reveals basic elements of a Bildungsroman in three aspects.Firstly,the thesis analyzes the general features of the Bildungsroman that Their Eyes Were Watching God possesses.The author puts her own life experience into the creation of the novel,and thus there are autobiographical components in the novel.There exists a prototype structure in Janie’s growth from innocence to maturity,and thus there is the plot pattern of the Bildungsroman in the novel.The author tries to use Janie’s experience to educate others,and thus the novel has the educational function of the Bildungsroman.Secondly,this thesis probes into the Bildungsroman theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God.There are five stages in Janie’s maturation process,and in each stage,she has a different experience of life,and thus develops a different self-reflection on life and gets a new understanding of herself.Lastly,this thesis discusses several catalysts commonly used in the Bildungsroman to promote the protagonist’s growth,including epiphany,alienation from the community and the change of living environment.These catalysts have significant influence on Janie’s maturation process.Based on these analyses,this thesis arrives at the conclusion that Their Eyes Were Watching God is a typical Bildungsroman.