Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapters 1-2
Initially the question as to whether or not the dialect of the novel was representative/ important seemed rather unimportant to me. I did not believe that the dialect was going to affect the book in numerous ways but once reading past chapter one, it was clear that race was anissue within the characters of the novel. Though it does not yet come across as a major issue, it is clear that Janie and Nanny are both looked down upon by their neighbors and other people around them simply because they’re white. Also, the situation regarding Janie’s mother and the fact that she was raped by her teacher seem to be correlated with her race. There are strong racial aspects of the novel, but I’m not sure how much the dialect has to do with the racial issues. Yes, they talk insouthern, black dialect but that’s because that’s what they are. I feel that Hurstonhas made the dialect like this to bring reality to the readers, but not to discriminate against the characters or make them look unintelligent. While the novel grows, I predict Hurston will prove that the characters she’s created are intelligent, and do not let the history of black people in the south get in the way of their dreams. Nanny wants the best for Janie, and I predict she’ll be the growing character of the novel. Though she may hit downfalls and struggle to ignore racial discrimination, I do feel that she will overcome what she’s portrayed as, and live the dream her grandmother wants her to live.
