Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Zora Neale Hurston

• January 7th 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama
• "One of the pre-eminent writers of the 20th century in AA Lit."

Context:

• Chapter 3
• After marrying Logan. 
• Marriage doesn't mean love.
• Janie is looking for advice.

Passage:

• Please read in order.

Importance

• Difference between Janie and her grandma.
• Stability vs emotional and intellectual connection.
• Janie vs Nanny
• In the work of the author: 
• Old marriage ideals vs real ones. 

"’Cause you told me Ah mus gointer love him, and, and Ah don’t. Maybe 15 if somebody was to tell me how, Ah could do it.”
- Janie

"Got a house bought and paid for and sixty acres uh land right on de big road and…Lawd have mussy! Dat’s de very prong all us black women gits hung on" - Nanny

Importance of content.

• Nanny's development as a character.
• Her feelings and expectations with marriage are shown.
• Janie and Nanny's relationship's development.

“You and Logan been fussin’? Lawd, Ah know dat grassgut, liver-lipted nigger ain’t done took and beat mah baby already! Ah’ll take a stick and salivate ’im!”
- Nanny

“You come heah wid yo’ mouf full uh foolishness on uh busy day. Heah you got uh prop tuh lean on all yo’ bawn days, and big protection, and everybody got tuh tip dey hat tuh you and call you Mis’ Killicks, and you come worryin’ me ’bout love.”
- Nanny

Style

• Phonetics>Spelling in dialogues.
• African American Vernacular English
• "Lawd have mussy"
• "He ain’t kissin’ yo’ mouf"

“Humph! don’t ’spect all dat tuh keep up. He ain’t kissin’ yo’ mouf when he carry on over yuh lak dat. He’s kissin’ yo’ foot and ’tain’t in uh man tuh kiss foot long. Mouf kissin’ is on uh equal and dat’s natural but when 10 dey got to bow down tuh love, dey soon straightens up.”
- Nanny

Conclusion

• In the story we learn more about Nanny's ideas.
• Janie realizes that marriage doesn't mean love.
• Zora sticks to AAVE to represent African Americans.
• Diction plays an important part in AAVE.
• Clear difference in changes of AA women's marriage ideals

Sources:

• Zora Neale Hurston. “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”