I (Austin Woetzel) would just like to apologize to the author of this section because their version had a much more creative look to it, but I was unable to format it to fit to this page.
by: Lauren Tembreull
ranking system: 1=not creative, 5=very creative
Janie’s Hair
Janie’s hair is a symbol of her power; it represents her strength and individuality. First, it represents her independence and boldness of the small community standards she is held to. The town’s critique at the very beginning of the novel reveals that it is considered improper for a woman of Janie’s age to wear her hair down. Her refusal to put her hair up clearly reflects her rebellious spirit. Second, her hair functions as a symbol of a typically masculine power and strength. Janie wears her hair in a braid or down instead of being tied back as most women would be told to do by men. This blurs gender lines and thus threatens Jody. Third, because of the straightness within Janie’s hair it has characteristics of a white person. Mrs. Turner worships Janie because of her straight hair and other Caucasian characteristics. Janie’s hair is used throughout the book to explain the power that she has over others
The symbol of Janie’s hair carries so much meaning throughout the whole book. It gives insight to who Janie is, but also other characters within the book. Hurston put a great deal of thought into this symbol intertwining the hair in so many ways.
Pear Tree
The pear tree and the horizon signify Janie’s model of a perfect life. In the bees’ interaction with the pear tree flowers, Janie witnesses a perfect moment in nature, full of energy, interaction, and harmony. She chases after this ideal life throughout the rest of the book.
Ranking: 4/5
Hurston’s use of the Pear tree was very creative. It follows along with the Janie’s life and gives the reader insight of how she wishes it to be.
The Hurricane
The hurricane represents the destructive rage that can have an impact on life. The hurricane shows how chaotic and unpredictable the world can be. It makes the characters question who they are and what their place in the universe is, makes the characters wonder what sort of world they live in, whether God cares about them at all, and whether they have tension with the world around them. In the face of the hurricane, Janie and the other characters wonder how they can possibly survive in a world filled with such chaos and pain.
Ranking: 4/5
The hurricane is a symbol that is relatable to life today. Hurston was able to show the similarity between the disaster of the hurricane and the disasters life can have. It fit into the story very well.
Religion
As the title indicates, God plays a huge role in the novel. The book refers to God as not a single body but rather a force made of many. This outlook is particularly evident in the spiritual way that life is described throughout the story. At various times, the sun, moon, sky, sea, horizon, and other natural aspects of the book were instilled through spirituality. The God in the title refers to these divine forces throughout the world, both beautiful and threatening, that Janie encounters. Her quest is a spiritual one because her ultimate goal is to find her place in the world, understand who she is, and be at peace with her environment.
Ranking: 5/5
The symbol of religion is never clearly mentioned within the text of the novel. Hurston twists different stories and teachings of religion into the plot of the book. The non-scripted way of having religious beliefs in the book was ingenious.
Race
Racism is a present symbol throughout the book relating to the multiple challenges that Janie had to face through her life. Janie and Tea Cake experience unfairness from whites at significant moments in the book. Two moments in particular stand out: Janie’s interactions, in Chapter 16, with Mrs. Turner, and the courtroom scene, in Chapter 19, after which Janie is comforted by white women but scorned by her black friends. In these moments, we see that racism in the novel operates as a motive to build the African Americans up. It proves the equality that has always been between races. In this way, racism operates in the novel just like the hurricane; it is a force that challenges Janie in her quest to achieve peace with the world around her.
Ranking: 3/5
Race within this story is an important factor. By having the majority of characters in the book be African Americans, Hurston is able to teach readers about the different cultures. She does this in simple, creative ways, for example, the way that the characters talk. The symbol of race is a creative way to teach of the cultures, although it is not the most important factor occurring throughout the book.
