Blog Post #20 Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hamlet, and The Black Walnut Tree

3x3 Matrix
Janie lacks independence
Jodie hurts Janie
Janie kills Teacake

Poetry Comparison: The Black Walnut Tree
In both Their Eyes Were Watching God and "The Black Walnut Tree", there is a tree as a major theme. In both, this tree represents growing up. To Janie, this manifests itself in the form of a pear tree. A pear tree blossoms and bears fruit, which to Janie, represents becoming a woman. And while the girl's age in "The Black Walnut Tree" is not explicitly stated, I interpret her as being within her teenage years. The fact that she has to decide whether she wants to hold on to sentimental value or financial value encourages some experience of maturation, just like Janie. When Jodie dies, the book describes it as "The young girl was gone, but a handsome woman had taken her place" (Hurston.87), but this isn't the only time in the book when a statement along these lines is made. Whenever a significant period of her life ends-- including her realization that she is colored and therefore 'different,' and when she leaves Logan for Joe--  the same type of realization is described.

Hamlet Comparison:
Despite the many major difference between Shakespeare and Hurston's works--including medium, speech patterns, time period, and many more-- there are some parallels to be drawn between Hamlet and Their Eyes Were Watching God. The first is the role and significance of water. In both, water ultimately kills the main character's significant other. In Hamlet, Ophelia drowns herself, and in Their Eyes Were Watching God, Teacake's sickness doesn't allow him to safely drink water, and also drives him to madness after a massive flood. But, this isn't the only reason water is significant. Trees and gardens are also motifs through both, for the kingdom, and also for Janie in the pear tree. If these plants symbolize Hamlet and Janie, and plants need water to survive, then without Ophelia and Teacake, Hamlet and Janie began to wither, leading to their death; literal and metaphorical.

Blog Post #19 Their Eyes Were Watching God Analysis Chart

I turned this chart in, I will be uploading pictures of the things momentarily.

Blog Post #18 Hamlet essay