Although Hurstons novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is a widely read novel today, that wasnt always the case. When her novel was first published, many black readers were enraged. It wasnt until the early seventies when Hurstons novel was rediscovered and thus eventually brought back into the literary canon. What aspects of the novel enraged the readers so that it would be forgotten for more than thirty years? One of the most important aspects of the novel that enraged the black readers was Hurstons portrayal of the white people. Readers complained that Hurston wasnt harsh enough in her critique of the white peoples treatment towards the black people. Rather than portraying whites as the stereotypical Simon Legree of Uncle Toms Cabinthe ideal poor, racist white trashmost whites that take part in the novel are contrarily very helpful towards the blacks and show great compassion towards them as well.
For example, when Janie begins her story we meet the Washburns. These are the white folks for whom Nanny worked for and they are very helpful towards both Nanny and Janie by treating them as if they are part of the family. Contrary to a lot of whites at the time who treated blacks as if they were still slaves, the Washburns treat both Nanny and Janie as human beings rather than slaves, showing great respect and love. In a way they are portrayed as angels who truly believe in human equality and dont have one bit of prejudice in them. Mah grandma raised me. Mah grandma and de white folks she worked widThey was quality white folks up dere in West Florida.
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Named Washburn. She had four granchillun on de place and all of us played together (8).
Furthermore, by reading Hurstons novel, one can clearly see that all blacks place the whites on a pedestal of knowledge. According to the blacks of the novel, whites know everything and are always right; they are superior and since blacks are supposed to be ignorant and stupid, they should believe and do everything the whites say. For example, Mrs. Turner states that she trusts only white doctors because black doctors arent as educated and skilled as the white doctors. Dont bring me no nigger doctor tuh hang over mah sick-bedWhite doctors always gits mah money (135-136).
Another example is when the Indians are evacuating the muck because they foresee a big hurricane coming and the blacks dont evacuate stating that since the whites arent evacuating theres no reason to. If there were to be a destructive hurricane, then the whites would be sure to know of it due to their ample knowledge of science and would definitely evacuate along with the Indians. Dey dont always know. Indians dont know much uh nothin, tuh tell de truth. Else deyd own dis country still. De white folks aint gone nowhere. Dey oughta know if its dangerous (148).
According to Hurstons novel, not only are the whites kind but also they know everything and black people acknowledge this fact, thus making themselves inferior to the whites.
Of course not all whites are depicted as angels. For example we meet Mistis in Nannys story and learn of her cruel behavior towards Nanny and her baby who is Janies mother. Furthermore, later in the novel we encounter the two whites who force Teacake to burry the dead bodies despite the fact that he is a free man. However, it is interesting to note that the character with the most hatred towards blacks, and thus is later most remembered by the reader, isnt a white character but a mulatto woman named Mrs. Turner. Mrs. Turner believes that since she has white blood in her, she is more worthy than the more dark-skinned people. Furthermore she believes that black people are the hindrances that are holding people like herself and Janie back from being accepted by the whites. She cannot accept the fact that Janie is married to someone as black as Teacake and states that there are too many blacks already and thus they should lighten up the race.
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She is the Simon Legree of the novel and displays more hatred and discontent of blacks than any other white character in the novel. Ah cant stand black niggers. Ah dont blame de white folks from hatin em cause Ah cant stand em mahself. Nother thing, Ah hates tuh see folks lak me and you mixed up wid em. Us oughta class off (135).
Such ironic situations such as this can only instigate readers to dislike Hurstons novel. The issue of race isnt the only reason for the discontent of the readers. The fact that Hurston portrayed the community of blacks as always being jolly and having no worries, when in reality they were disregarded by the white society and ill-treated, further outraged the readers.
During the majority of the novel when Janie was married to Joe Starks and also when she was living with Teacake in the muck, a common scene is repeated over and over again. The scene of blacks sitting around the porch of either Joe Starks shop porch or Teacakes porch, entertaining themselves with stories and jokes, is too unreal for the readers. These blacks, unlike the blacks in reality, lack the daily problem of racial discrimination and also live in a worry-free world where everything seems to be perfect. By depicting such scenes, Hurston conceals the harshness of the real world that millions of blacks experience constantly in their every day lives. Furthermore, one of the main themes of the novel deals with the struggle between men and women. Although Janies final love Teacake is the ideal man of her dreams, her previous two husbands turn out to be not so ideal. Logan, her first husband, was at first a loving man. However, as time went by, he began to lose interest in Janies physical beauty and always complained about her not helping him enough with the farm and how spoiled she was.
If Ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh tote it inside. Mah fust wife never bothered me bout choppin no wood nohow. Shed grab dat ax and sling chips lak uh man. You done been spoilt rotten (25).
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Joe Starks, her second husband (although they never really got married), was a man who merely used Janies physical beauty to show her off to the town as a trophy wife. Contrary to Logan, he didnt want her to do any hard work, but, on the contrary, expected her to tend the store all day and act like a mayors wife. He had no respect for her opinions and incessantly ordered her around. Ah done told you time and time agin tuh stick all dem papers on dat nail! All you got tuh do is mind me.
How come you cant do lak Ah tell yuh? (66).
[Women] just think theys thinkin. When Ah see one thing Ah understands ten. You see ten things and dont understand one (67).
Furthermore, when both Janie and Joe become older, Joe tries to conceal his old physical features by pointing out the faults of Janies physique. He constantly makes Janie the subject of laughter to others in the store by teasing her. Dont stand dere rollin yo pop eyes at me wid yo rump hangin nearly to yo knees! (74).
Due to the fact that most critics were men at the time the novel was published, such negative depiction of men would have insulted the readers themselves, thus resulting in criticism of Hurstons novel.
As one can clearly see, such characteristics of Hurstons novel werent themes to please the readers of that era when the whites suppressed blacks and mostor possibly allcritics were males. However, that era has dissipated and a new era has been born. The readers today appreciate Hurstons novel by surpassing the issues of black versus white and issues of male versus females. Instead, we concentrate on Janie herself as an individual who spends her entire life searching for her ideal love: her desire to be a tree in bloom with kissing bees surrounding her bursting buds. It is only with this point of view that one can truly appreciate Hurstons work of art..
