Their Eyes Were Watching God - Rebirth of Transcendentalism Essay Example for Free

Their Eyes Were Watching God Rebirth of Transcendentalism Essay A century slipped by between the time of introspective philosophy and the distribution of Zora Neale Hurston’s tale, Their Eyes Were Watching God. During this time, the methods of reasoning of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau blurred as the post-war period of social authenticity started to rule American culture and American writing. In this way, Their Eyes, distributed in 1937, was despised and condemned by numerous individuals for not being â€Å"political or serious† enough. It was not until twenty years after Hurston’s passing that individuals started to acknowledge Hurston’s works, particularly Their Eyes, as significant writings in the African American and the American women's activist developments. With further examination, in spite of the fact that Their Eyes is a cutting edge novel, it really returns the perusers to the time of Thoreau and Emerson; Their Eyes Were Watching God has components of introspective philosophy †confidence, dissention, and the over-soul †as upheld by the papers of visionary masterminds. To start, an essential thought of introspective philosophy is confidence, which focuses on a person’s own judgment and instinct. Janie, the hero of Their Eyes, shows independence when she utilizes her own decisions for the battles she faces. For instance, as she understands that her marriage with Jody is tumbling down, â€Å"she saw that it never was the fragile living creature and blood figure she had always wanted. Simply something she had gotten up to wrap her fantasies over. [†¦] She had an inside and an outside now and abruptly she knew how not to blend them† (Hurston, 72). Janie knows her objectives and wants, both are which broken by Jody, so she should now recognize the contrast between the untruths and reality of her fantasy. Along with fearlessness, her instinct invigorates her the to talk up to Jody on his demise bed. In addition, when she at last finds the adoration for her life, she feels â€Å"a self-squashing love, [allowing] her spirit [to] creep from its stowing away place† (Hurston, 128). She doesn’t conceal her sentiments however goes to seek after her darling, Tea Cake. She is solid will and has power over her emotions and contemplations. Indeed, even Tea Cake urges Janie to utilize her own psyche, â€Å"‘Nobody else on earth family hold uh flame tuh you, child. You got de keys to de kingdom’† (Hurston, 109). As Emerson would state that Janie has visionary beliefs in light of the fact that, â€Å"[She has the] trustworthiness of [her] own psyche [†¦] What [she] must do is every one of that worries [her], not what the individuals think† (Emerson, 80). Her past encounters and her current decisions lead Janie to creator her own way later on. Just when Janie depends on herself and holds her â€Å"keys to de kingdom† does she discover her bliss and contact her fantasy. Moreover, another component of introspective philosophy is dissention, or independence, which focuses on the significance of finding one’s personality as opposed to yielding to society. Emerson clarifies rebelliousness as â€Å"the extraordinary man who amidst the group keeps with flawless pleasantness the freedom of isolation (Emerson 80). Janie shows precisely this on the day she shows up back in Eatonville. Wearing her blue glossy silk dress, she certainly strolls past the ladies and men, disregarding their pernicious tattles and leaving them in stunningness. Regardless of her isolation because of Tea Cake’s passing, Janie invites her autonomy; she is consummately quiet with herself. Additionally, Thoreau likewise expounds on individuality; he composes, â€Å"The just commitment which I reserve an option to accept that is to do whenever what I think right [†¦] They just can compel me who comply with a higher law than I† (Thoreau, 104). Janie shares Thoreau’s disposition when she confronts both of her late spouses and proclaims what she accepts is correct. Logan discloses to her that she doesn’t have a place anyplace yet â€Å"‘It’s any place Ah need yuh’† (Hurston, 31). This is most likely the most noticeably terrible thing he can say to his love bird; it’s destructive, defaming, and ill bred. Notwithstanding, in contrast to the various ladies, for example, Nanny, during the time, Janie goes to bat for herself by shouting back at his wrongs so she can restore her autonomy and poise. With respect to Jody †a spouse who makes her tie her hair back, precludes her from claiming discourse and social cooperation, and misuses her †Janie at last takes up the mental fortitude to come clean at his deathbed. â€Å"‘All dis bowin’ down, all dis dutifulness under yo’ voiceâ€dat ain’t whut Ah surged off down de street tuh get some answers concerning you’† (Hurston, 86). Jody has squashed her deepest desires and her picture of adoration, and she’s not going to let him overlook that. She would not comply; she has no commitment to comply. After Jody’s passing, Janie is at long last free. Much more, she feels no regret and she doesn’t grieve in light of the fact that the lost of her significant other gives her back her distinction. To wrap things up, the over-soul is another point of convergence of introspective philosophy; it interfaces God, Nature, and Man. Emerson writes in his article, Over-soul, â€Å"We live in progression, in division, in parts, in particles. Interim inside man is the spirit of the entire; the shrewd quietness; the widespread magnificence, to which each part and molecule is similarly related; the everlasting One† (Emerson, Over-soul). This over-soul interfaces the messed up bits of the universe together. Hurston’s Their Eyes contains numerous subtleties that help the over-soul. For example, before all else Janie â€Å"saw a residue bearing honey bee sink into the sanctum of a sprout; the thousand sister-calyxes curve to meet the affection grasp and the happy shudder of the tree structure root to most minor branch creaming in each bloom and foaming with delight† (Hurston, 11). This symbolism of the honey bee and the blossom represents Janie’s dream. The honey bee and the blossom existed together in congruity, much the same as what Janie trusts her marriage will be. This is Janie’s blameless soul as portrayed essentially. Later on notwithstanding, as she’s constrained into wedding a man she doesn’t love, she starts to know â€Å"the expressions of the trees and the breeze. She frequently addressed falling seeds and stated, ‘Ah trust you fall on delicate ground’ [†¦] Janie’s first dream was dead, so she turned into a woman† (Hurston 25). As she develops more, she likewise starts to comprehend the sound of nature. Nature and Janie’s spirits have all the earmarks of being one, joined together and becoming together. She converses with the seeds, notice them, identifying with them of a world that can be disillusioning and out of line. At long last, after she shoots her adored Tea Cake so as to secure herself, Hurston composes that Janie â€Å"pulled in her viewpoint like an extraordinary fish-net. Pulled it from around the abdomen of the world and hung it behind her. Such a large amount of life in its cross sections! She brought in her spirit to come and see† (Hurston, 193). In spite of the fact that it was a terrible and unexpected demise, Janie is in harmony. The affection for Tea Cake won't be overlooked in light of the fact that he will consistently be with her. Janie now comprehends the riddles of nature and her reality; she is prepared for whatever that may come. Janie has learned and developed, in particular, she has discovered her spirit. All things considered, after a century, Their Eyes Were Watching God prompts the resurrection of visionary thoughts, including yet not constrained to confidence, rebelliousness, and the over-soul. All through her excursion, Janie starts to distinguish herself as an independent individual with a spirit, which are all supernatural attributes. In the mid 1900s, in view of the on going social equality developments, an African American lady is the least anticipated that individual should forces every one of these characteristics. All things considered, Janie Crawford turns into a conspicuous writing figure that gives individuals expectations and dreams, while satisfying those of Emerson and Thoreau. Catalog Emerson, Ralph Waldo. From Self-Reliance. The InterActive Reader Plus. Illinoise: McDougal Littell, 2003. 78-83. Print. Ferguson, Craig. Ralph Waldo Emerson †Within Man Is the Soul of the Whole; the Wise Silence; the Universal Beauty Transcendental MeditationBlog. N. p. , 27 Mar. 2010. Web. 05 Aug. 2013. . Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print. Thoreau, Hentry David. From Civil Disobedience. The InterActive Reader Plus. Illinoise: McDougal Littell, 2003. 90-105. Print.