Power Relations In Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston, a very important female writer in African American literature history, is regarded as the mother of black female literature for her excellent contributions. Her representative work Their Eyes Were Watching God depicts a black woman Janie’s journey in self-discovery, pursuit of self and ultimate realization of self through three marriages. Janie’s three marriages are interwoven with multiple micro-power relationships. Janie finally acquires the equal status with men and fulfils her true self through constant struggles against oppression and pursuit of self in her three marriages where various kinds of micro-power relationships are omnipresent.According to the theory of Michel Foucault, power is a kind of relationship involving two individuals where one can direct or determine the behavior of the other, and the other may endeavors to avoid or resist such control or attempt to dominate the actions of others in turn, thus in this way to form a complex network of interpersonal power relations. Foucault’s micro-power theory centers on the interpersonal micro-power relations which is different from the traditional power theory which focuses on the macro-power relations between classes. Foucault’s micro-power relationship theory can be applied to analyze the complex relationships in Their Eyes Were Watching God, especially Janie’s complicated relationships with her three husbands. Foucault considers that family is a good site to analyze power relations. Therefore, Foucault’s contribution of micro-power theory offers a very useful and practical framework for analyzing the power relations existed among women and men at the family level, such as the power relations represented in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God.In this thesis, Foucault’s micro-power relation theory will be applied to analyze Janie’s complex power relations with her three husbands, including both repressive and productive power relationships. This thesis is composed of five parts. The Introduction contains a brief account of the female writer Zora Neale Hurston and her literary achievements, a general introduction of Their Eyes Were Watching God and literature review, the theoretical framework as well as the significance of this study.Chapter I analyzes Janie’s repressive power relationships with her grandmother Nanny and her first husband Logan. Chapter II centers on the patriarchal and economic power relations between Janie and her second husband Joe. Their power relation is also repressive and Janie’s resistance and reasoning against such repressive power will be analyzed. Chapter III analyzes the productive emotional power relationships between Janie and Tea Cake, Janie’s third husband. A summary of the findings and the limitations of the study will be given and suggestions for further studies will be put forward accordingly in Conclusion.Hopefully the result of this study may offer a new way of reading Their Eyes Were Watching God and Foucault’s theory of power can be applied to Hurston’s other fictions.