Thursday, January 25, 2007
Literary essay
Last semester, one of the Grade 11 classes read the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston while the other read the novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. We came up with a list of essay topics for each novel, and students wrote on one of their choice. Here is Jessica's essay about the importance of the minor character, Mrs. Turner in Their Eyes Were Watching God:
Mrs. Turner, a metaphor for the madness
Zora Neil Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes were Watching God, does not include many direct references to the racism of the time. Some critics have even accused her of glossing over the more intense issues. I feel however that although this is a story of a woman’s internalized journey for love, it successfully conveys the prejudices of the time through the character of Mrs. Turner. The scenes with Mrs. Turner are some of the few that discuss racism directly.
Normally you read a very stereotypical scenario of racism in which the person put in the superior position by society uses racism as an excuse to abuse the downtrodden. Mrs. Turner is an example of the opposite, internalized racism. She helps to illustrate the irony of racism as she pursues a hierarchy that will still leave her at the bottom. “If it wuzn’t for so many black folks it wouldn’t be no race problem” (141). Mrs. Turner is making a distinction in her skin color that seems trivial but shows the hypocrisy of the larger prejudice.
Many white readers of this novel might not realize the racial power struggles and insecurities within the black community. “Anyone who looked more white folkish than herself was better than she was in criteria, therefore it was right that they should be cruel to her at times, just as she was cruel to those more negroid than herself in direct proportion to their negroness” (144). This gives another factor of racism besides just the oppressor. The idea of accepting being lower and then trying to elevate yourself on the backs of your kin, proves how deeply rooted the racism was.
In the plot of the novel Mrs. Turner plays the role of a subtle villain. She plants seeds of jealousy in Teacakes’ mind and manipulates his own insecurities of his own place in the hierarchy. This leads to the only situation, besides his death, were Teacake feels the need to establish physical dominance over Janie. “Before the week was over he had whipped Janie. Not because her behavior justified his jealousy, but it relieved that awful fear inside of him” (147). Teacake is put in an inferior position by being blacker than Janie, but he is still her husband and uses the power that he has to compensate. This same power struggle is playing when Teacake dies, and his madness could be compared to the irrationality of Mrs. Turner.
I believe that Hurston, in keeping with the tone of her novel uses Mrs. Turner as a vessel for the larger antagonist, the madness and insecurity that eventually lead to Teacakes death. Through the scenarios created by Mrs. Turner the reader receives a unique perspective on the racism throughout the novel.
Last semester, one of the Grade 11 classes read the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston while the other read the novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. We came up with a list of essay topics for each novel, and students wrote on one of their choice. Here is Jessica's essay about the importance of the minor character, Mrs. Turner in Their Eyes Were Watching God:
Mrs. Turner, a metaphor for the madness
Zora Neil Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes were Watching God, does not include many direct references to the racism of the time. Some critics have even accused her of glossing over the more intense issues. I feel however that although this is a story of a woman’s internalized journey for love, it successfully conveys the prejudices of the time through the character of Mrs. Turner. The scenes with Mrs. Turner are some of the few that discuss racism directly.
Normally you read a very stereotypical scenario of racism in which the person put in the superior position by society uses racism as an excuse to abuse the downtrodden. Mrs. Turner is an example of the opposite, internalized racism. She helps to illustrate the irony of racism as she pursues a hierarchy that will still leave her at the bottom. “If it wuzn’t for so many black folks it wouldn’t be no race problem” (141). Mrs. Turner is making a distinction in her skin color that seems trivial but shows the hypocrisy of the larger prejudice.
Many white readers of this novel might not realize the racial power struggles and insecurities within the black community. “Anyone who looked more white folkish than herself was better than she was in criteria, therefore it was right that they should be cruel to her at times, just as she was cruel to those more negroid than herself in direct proportion to their negroness” (144). This gives another factor of racism besides just the oppressor. The idea of accepting being lower and then trying to elevate yourself on the backs of your kin, proves how deeply rooted the racism was.
In the plot of the novel Mrs. Turner plays the role of a subtle villain. She plants seeds of jealousy in Teacakes’ mind and manipulates his own insecurities of his own place in the hierarchy. This leads to the only situation, besides his death, were Teacake feels the need to establish physical dominance over Janie. “Before the week was over he had whipped Janie. Not because her behavior justified his jealousy, but it relieved that awful fear inside of him” (147). Teacake is put in an inferior position by being blacker than Janie, but he is still her husband and uses the power that he has to compensate. This same power struggle is playing when Teacake dies, and his madness could be compared to the irrationality of Mrs. Turner.
I believe that Hurston, in keeping with the tone of her novel uses Mrs. Turner as a vessel for the larger antagonist, the madness and insecurity that eventually lead to Teacakes death. Through the scenarios created by Mrs. Turner the reader receives a unique perspective on the racism throughout the novel.
# posted by MPA Student Work @ 8:37 AM 
