Black Women’s Construction Of Subjectivity-a Cultural Interpretation Of Janie In Their Eyes Were Watching God

As one of the most prominent figures in the twentieth-century African American literature, Zora Neale Hurston is considered the backbone of Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s. However, controversy on Hurston and her works never stops during her lifetime. It was not until the 1970s with the rise of feminism movement that "rediscovery and reevaluation of Hurston" became popular in the western academic circles and her works now are regarded as the classics of American literature, African American literature and women literature. Hurston herself is also honored as the foremother of contemporary black female literature. Many prominent black female writers like Tony Morrison and Alice Walker in the 20th century have been greatly inspired by Hurston. The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God published in 1937 is viewed as her masterpiece. It reveals black women’s strong self-consciousness for the first time, thus becoming a milestone in the history of African American literature. Now it has been classified into the classics of African American literature as well as American literature in the twentieth century.Since the 1970s, numerous researches on this novel have been done by scholars from various aspects, such as narratology, feminism, ethnic culture and black folklore. The thought about subjectivity originated from ancient Greek philosophy. It is of significance in the development of Western philosophy. The establishment of the thought about subjectivity has undergone a lengthy process, from Descartes to classical German philosophy. The essence of subjectivity lies in the unity of passivity and initiative; inter-subjectivity, the modern modification of subjectivity, is to reestablish subjectivity in accordance with new social and historical environment. This thesis attempts to explore the construction of black women’s subjectivity in Their Eyes Were Watching God with the protagonist Janie as an example from the perspectives of passivity, initial and inter-subjectivity in subjectivity philosophy.Chapter One is the introduction part, in which Zora Neale Hurston and Their Eyes Were Watching God are introduced, and literature review, the thesis structure and theoretical foundation are presented. Chapter Two explores the passivity presented by the black women in the novel. The abuse from the white in slavery, the erosion of the white culture to the black culture and the oppression of the black patriarchal society lead to the blankness and distortion of black women’s spirit. Thus, they are unable to realize their subjectivity and eventually turn into objects in the subject world. Chapter Three focuses on the initiative presented by black women’s endeavor to fulfill their subjectivity. Janie’s awakening to self-consciousness lays the foundation for her following struggle. In her three marriages, Janie dares to make herself heard, combat with the specter of slavery and challenge the authority of the black patriarchy. Eventually she succeeds in obtaining freedom and realizing her subjectivity. Chapter Four expounds the formation of black women’s inter-subjectivity from the angles of independence of individual subjects and co-existence of subjects. The successful self-defense marks Janie’s independence and maturity; her deep love for the ethnic culture and dependence on the black community indicate that Janie is active in interacting with others and expressing her true self so as to enjoy the present moment. Based on the above analyses, the last chapter concludes that Their Eyes Were Watching God is a work ahead of its time. Although the protest literature prevailed in her time, Hurston still probed into the rich inner world of the black and presented the new black woman’s journey to independence and maturity, which is quite estimable. Hurston’s characterization of the protagonist Janie shows her deep concern on the living state of the black and offers an excellent example for black women to construct their subjectivity.