Essay About Self-Awareness And Zora Neale Hurston

“invisible Man” Comparative Essay
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Their Eyes Were Watching God and Invisible Man Essay
Life has never been easy for African-Americans. Since
this countrys formation, the African-American culture has
been scorned, disrespected and degraded. It wasnt until
the middle of the 21st century that African-American
culture began to be looked upon in a more tolerant light.
This shift came about because of the many talented
African-American writers, actors, speakers and activists
who worked so hard to gain respect for themselves and their
culture. Two writers were on the front lines of this
movement, Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison. Their
novels, Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God,
probed deeply into the life and culture of the
African-American, something that was practically unheard
of. But not only did their novels shed light on the
African culture, but they also shifted away from the
traditional Romantic style of writing. Instead of focusing
on religion or society, these novels focused on
self-awareness, pride, and finding happiness. The merit of
these novels pervades every page, but can especially be
found in the themes, diction, and characterization.
Both novels shared two similar themes: the pursuit of
happiness and self-actualization. These themes had to be
dealt with tenderly in an intolerant, white-culture
society. Both Hurston and Ellison did this beautifully, in
that their stories were not forceful nor preachy, but
merely simple, candid tales of the lives of two ordinary
African-Americans. Also, both authors refused to make
their stories a fairy tale. At the end of each novel,
neither Janie nor Invisible Man are as happy as theyd like
to be. But, both novels focus not on the bittersweet end,
but rather what the characters learned before they reached
the end. Janie realized that her strength was in herself
and her pride, with or without Tea Cake. And Invisible Man
realized that “My problem was that I always tried to go in
everyones way but my own” (pg. 573), and so took to
hibernation, to “shake off the old skin” and start living a
life he could be proud of.” In the end, despite some
dissatisfaction, both characters knew who they were and how
to pursue the happiness they craved. By using these two
themes, both Hurston and Ellison took a dramatic leap of
faith. These themes add the uniqueness and non-conformism
of the stories themselves.
Neither Hurston nor Ellison hid any part of their culture
to be politically correct; this fact is especially visible
in the authors use of diction in their novels. In Their
Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston employs slang and
colloquial language throughout the novel. In fact, almost
half of the novel is in this form. An excellent example of
this writing style is found on pg. 87 when Janie says “Ahm
gone tuh de house. Lemme know when dat ol pee-de-bed is
gone and Ahll be right back.” Ellison uses some
colloquial diction and