Zora Neale Hurston's Literary Output

Killens and Ward (1992) describe Zora Neale Hurston as one of the "most important literary figures" of the Harlem Renaissance and the 1930s (21). King (1998) maintains that Hurston represented a "pioneer in the attempt to define the totality of Afro-American women in literature and anthropological studies" (117). The aspect of "naming" is critical to Hurston's literary output, a symbol of the struggle of African-Americans to affirm an individual identity that is free, autonomous, independent and strong. African-American women's oppression at the hands of dominant white society and patriarchal Black male society often suppress Black female identity. Hurston's works demonstrate that through such processes as naming, African-American women achieve self-liberation.

Hurston's (1978) novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, illustrates the story of Janie and her quest of self, which finally guides her to a place where she is able to define and name herself. This is true despite an oppressive society that hopes to deny her power because she is a Black female. The theme of the story is Janie's search for a name or identity of her o

Related Essays

Zora Neale Hurston .... The aspect of "naming" is critical to Hurston's literary output, a symbol of .... King, S. (1998 .... Naming and power in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God .... (787 3 )

Creating a syllabus for American Literature .... A. "Orality and Textuality in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes .... and the Practice of Feminist Literary Criticism." Crossing .... Person, Leland S. "In the Closet with .... (2436 10 )

Langston Hughes .... other black writers combined European literary technique with .... editors, such as Charles S. Johnson at .... work was later continued by Zora Neale Hurston, a novelist .... (1904 8 )

Category: Literature - Z