Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Harlem

Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Harlem Renaissance Zora Neale Hurston

Essential Question How does knowing the historical context of a literary work help us better understand the text?

Harlem Renaissance “HR” - period from the end of WWI through the middle of the 1930 s Depression Talented African-American writers produce a sizable body of literature (poetry, fiction, drama, and essay) “Two-ness” – divided awareness of one’s identity Common themes – alienation, marginality, the use of folk material, the use of the blues tradition, the problems of writing for an elite audience Racial consciousness; “back to Africa” movement (Marcus Garvey), racial integration; explosion of jazz, spirituals, and blues; painting; dramatic revues; etc.

Harlem Renaissance Lasted from 1919 -1937. Goals of the Harlem Renaissance: ◦ To respond to the social conditions of African- Americans; ◦ To break with the 19 th century minstrel stereotypes of African-Americans; ◦ To place greater emphasis on black folk culture; ◦ To provide political and social uplift for African-Americans through social programs such as the NAACP. 4

William H. Johnson Mount Calvary 5

Lois Mailou Jones Textile Design for Cretonne, 1928 6

Street Life – Harlem, 1939 -1940 William H. Johnson 7

Jazz • Began in New Orleans during the late 1800’s • Stemmed from Negro spirituals and grew into a more formalized type of music • Jazz is largely improvisation with musicians creating the rhythm as they play. • During the Harlem Renaissance, jazz made a geographical move to the North as more publishing companies opened in New York and more opportunities for band appearances became available. 8

Louis Armstrong 9

Billie Holliday 10

Zora Neale Hurston • • • From the 1930 s through the 1950 s, Zora Neale Hurston was on of the most prolific African-American female writers in America. Known for her candid portrayal of the struggle and courage of African. Americans in the rural South. She was a unique artist, folklorist, and anthropologist who remains one of the most revered writers of all time.

Author Biography Born in Alabama (1891) Age of three: moved to the town of Eatonville, Florida, the first all-black community to be incorporated to the United States. Attended Howard University & Barnard College (studied Anthropology) ◦ Known for her research in American folklore as well as Haiti and the British Isles Achieved fame & sparked controversy as a novelist, anthropologist, essayist, lecturer, & theatrical producer TEWWG published during the Harlem Renaissance (1937). TEWWG is her most famous and widely-acclaimed novel. ◦ Incorporates black folk life

Biography Continued Hurston died in a convalescent home, penniless, and nameless on January 28, 1960. She was buried in an unmarked grave until 1973, when writer Alice Walker discovered and inscribed her gravestone with “Zora Neale Hurston A Genius of the South 1901 -1960 Novelist, Folklorist, Anthropologist. ”

Local Color – Anthropology and Literature Culture Tradition (everything that humans do that isn’t motivated by natural instinct) time) Narrative Orality ( cultural behavior that exhibits continuity in (stories—differing cultures have a differing “sense of story”) (anything that is spoken, changed, recited, sung, or read aloud) Performance Etiology (any explanation for the origin of something) Folklore (cultural behaviors or traditions)

Setting Eatonville, Florida: 1930 s *The story is fictional, but Eatonville (a town created and governed by African Americans) is real. West Florida, Jacksonville, The Everglades, West Palm Beach

Eatonville Hurston spent most of her life in the town of Eatonville, Florida. History of Eatonville ◦ Shortly after the Civil War, newly freed slaves moved to central Florida in search of work. ◦ Because of the large influx of blacks, white landowners and voters soon found themselves outnumbered. ◦ In order to attempt a better balance of voters, the proposal was made to offer blacks the opportunity to purchase land establish their own community.

African-American Oral Traditions (through early 20 th Century) Hurston recognized the value of folklore, religion, and music to the African-American culture, and sought to interweave its richness and history within her novels, short stories, plays, and collections. One of the most important aspects of African-American cultures around the world. ◦ Oral tradition-the verbal communication of stories of history, family values, and morals, passed from generation to generation. ◦ Folktales are a part of this oral tradition, and exist in many cultures around the world.

Folktales Folktales are carried from one place to another as groups of people migrate, and can change and adapt to new situations and settings as these groups of people adapt to their new surroundings and challenges. Many African-American folktales traveled from Africa as slaves were brought to America. Early African-American folktales provided a way of broadening a sense of community and unity, as well as an escape from the burdens of slavery and oppression.

Folktales continued… Stories included heroes, magic, witches, biblical characters, and more, were used as a platform for teaching lessons, cultural values, and the importance of family togetherness. “Doc Rabbit, Bruh Fox, and Tar Baby” and “Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch” are two of the most famous African-American folktales.

Spirituals Spiritual- slave song Slaves were not allowed to speak any language other than English, nor were they allowed to read or write, slaves often communicated through song. Songs were used to educate, enlighten, and reflect upon the past, present, and future hopes of slaves. Slaves would sing songs expressing love, hope, sorrow, loss, and of their exile from their homeland. Slaves would also use songs to communicate information.

Characters Janie Crawford Nanny Logan Killicks Joe Starks Tea Cake Pheoby Watson Mrs. Washburn Mr. Turner Mrs. Turner Hezekiah Motor Boat

Symbols Janie’s hair Pear tree The horizon The hurricane Head rags worn by Janie / removal of hair rags

Motifs Language Power Love Independence Community Race & Racism History Religion / Spirituality