Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God In Light Of Lacanian Desire Theory

Zora Neale Hurston is one of the most important black female writers during the Harlem Renaissance.Her representative work,Their Eyes Were Watching God,is considered as a masterpiece of African-American literature.Since the publishment of the novel,critics at home and abroad have expounded it from many standpoints such as post-colonialism,feminism,folklore and cross culture.This thesis analyzes the novel with Lacan's theory on desire.It analyzes Janie's journey to fulfill her desire coming after her three marriages to discover Janie's awakening and her rebellion against racism and patriarchy.For purpose of fulfilling her desire for a self and a voice,the heroine undergoes three marriages which are equivalent to Lacan's three levels of desire.The first marriage brings to her what she needs for living—the financial protection;the second marriage makes her learn to voice her demand,however,she does not obtain active responses from her second husband;the third marriage brings her to the desire level.Eventually she breaks the governance that men put on her and obtains recognition from others triumphantly.