Nature’s Influence on Janie’s Desire in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

As children we often cling to the storybook ro globece. The happily ever aft(prenominal) clich certainly appeals to the young sentimentalist except, the harsh reality of life may soon prove this to be foolishly sentimental. In the novel Their eye Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston explores these circumstances as she outlines Janies pursuit of happiness. Janie is described as a child of nature. The spiritual mogul of nature has a abominable affect on the development of her character. Hurston uses this metaphor to symbolize Janies vehemence to find love. Though as a child she craved a conventional ro piece of musicce, nature guides her to her one true love. Before meeting the man of her dreams, Janie experiences many failed relationships that highlight the changes in her desires. Throughout the novel, Janie is influenced by immanent forces that modify these desires in her relationships with Johnny Taylor, Logan Killicks, and Joe Starks.On a spring day in West Florida, Janie spent the afternoon lying under a pear tree tree. The delicate serenity of nature filled her with sheer contentment and delight. In a dream like state, through the pollinated air she saw a glorious being coming up the road that in her spring blindness she had known as shiftless Johnny Taylor (11). Janies romantic visions are reflected by springtime. At sixteen years old, Janie, herself, was blooming into a woman. In a trance, Johnny Taylor became the target of her infatuation. Natures power of suggestion was able to beglamore his rags and her eyes (12). Just as Johnny Taylor kisses her, Janies grandmother, nanny, wakes from her nap and catches the two under the pear tree. In desperation, Nanny has Janie conjoin off to a wealthy farmer, Logan Killicks, and in an instant Janies carefree fantasies come to an end.Logan Killicks embodies all the qualities that Janie detests. Though she cannot observem to find natures beauty within him, Janie agrees to marry Logan to appease her gra ndmother. Her naivety is made manifest when she assumes that marriage compels love and that happiness would follow (21). Logan initially treats Janie with great care, provided Nanny warns her that his display of affection would be short-lived. Janie soon becomes concerned that she entrust not been able to love her husband. She romanticizes marriage and longs for some kind of natural attraction. When Janie realizes that she would never love her husband her first dream was dead, and so she became awoman (25). As their marriage deteriorates, Janie notices that their relationship dynamic has changed. As Nanny predicted, Logan no longer treats her with the kind of respect that he once did. Their loveless marriage turns strained and unpleasant as Logan strips Janie of her free will, forcing her to work as a field hand. When Logan leaves town, Janie catches the attention of a passerby, Joe Starks. Joe strikes Janie as a man with ambition his youthful energy and conviction remind Janie o f her own individual nature. Joe seeks to establish an all black city in which he could articulate his opinion. Their budding relationship appeals to Janies romantic visions of love and her thirst for adventure. When Logan returns, Janie decides to concur her life into her own hands and runs off with Joe.She hopes that from now on until ending she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything however she would soon discover that these childlike desires did not produce the love she so craved (32). Janie is initially quite taken with Joes physical beauty. different Logan, she is proud to have him by her side. When the newly married couple arrives in Green Cove Springs, they find themselves in an underdeveloped town. Joe goes to work building a community from the ground up by purchasing two vitamin C acres of land, establishing the towns first store and post office, and set the very first lamppost. Eatonville, as Starks later named it, matures into a boo ming town. As the Mayor, landlord, postmaster, and storeowner, Starks adopted many responsibilities that took a toll on his marriage. In magnitude to promote and protect his distinguished position in the community, he persuades Janie to withstand a high-class status that contrasted her free-spirited nature. Janie fears that this bureaucratic relationship would ruin their marriage. As Joe became consumed with his work, a feeling of coldness and fear took hold of Janie.She feels far external from things and lonely (46). Though he continues to provide for her, Joe discourages her desire to become a part of the town. Joe considers Janie inferior and believes she cannot think for herself. Janie resents his authoritarian manner and tries to resist however, Joe continues to break down her independent nature. Having big weary of the constant power struggle, Janie eventually surrenders her individualized freedom and comes to realize that Joe never was the man of her dreams. Janie coul d no longer see the blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man and yearns to rediscover the passionthey so desperately lacked. (72). Having grown weary from exhaustion, Joe falls sick. Renewed with purpose, Janie confronts Joe and blames him for robbing her of her freedom.