In Search Of One's Self: A Black Feminist Reading On Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston is considered among the foremost writers of the Harlem Renaissance. While not well known during her lifetime, Hurston now has undergone substantial critical reevaluation. Alice Walker, one of the most contemporary influential black woman writer honors Hurston as "A Genius of the South" and her "literary foremother".Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston's representative work, now has also undergone the substantial reevaluation like Hurston herself, arousing attention in the critical field, and creating many enlightening research of its form, content and theme. This thesis tries to interpret the novel from black feminist critical angle. The thesis consists of three parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.The introduction gives readers the purpose of the thesis and makes a general survey of the current black feminist criticism on the the novel.The body is composed of three chapters.Chapter One is a detailed discussion of the protagonist, Janie's pilgrimmage toward freedom: her suffering, her awakening and her autonomy.Chapter Two focuses on Huston's writing techniques and narrative strategy: the use of the framing device, the slave narrative and symbols of feminine power. Through these analysis, the author proves Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel of tradition and innovation.Chapter Three offers readers the reasons of Hurston's being forgotten and her rediscovery, thus points out that Hurston as a literary foremother of black women writers exerts great influence on them.The Conclusion makes a summary of the thesis and restates its main points.