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. ... 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. ... In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston employs slang and colloquial language throughout the novel. ... They were flawed. They were confused. ...

• Word Count: 835
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In the story "Their Eyes Were Watching God," by Zora Neale Hurston the protagonist, or main character of the story, Janie Crawford, is alienated by her society and by her culture since as long as she can remember. ... They were absolutely right, Janie was one of those rare people that come along in life and are born into unfortunate circumstances but by God's will were given the character to overcome those circumstances and find their own true identity. ... Jealousies towards Janie from her own culture is a recurring theme throughout the novel. ... The people sitting on the porch ins...

• Word Count: 1356
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

African-Americans intensified their pride in culture and their yearning for acceptance as equals in the United States. ... Common themes of the Harlem Renaissance included "twoness" first introduced by W.E.B. ... After the 1930's, Cullen avoided racial themes all together ("Harlem" 1). ... She is noted for her metaphorical language, her story-telling abilities, and her interest in and celebration of Southern black culture in the United States, and this is shown in her best-known novel Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) (Miers 143). ... Marcus Garvey emphasized to American blacks to b...

• Word Count: 925
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School