Watching....God?

The title of the novel, “Their Eyes were watching God,” suggests that God has a large role in the book. Other than one small reference in chapter 12 though, religion never shows up in the novel. Instead of thinking of God as a higher being above, Janie is spiritually inclined to think of God as a natural force on earth. It is as if the natural world is filled with that divinity which loves, teaches, and is feared.

If we look, for instance, at the pear tree scene, Janie is filled with erotic, passionate energy and feelings when she sees that perfect moment in nature. It fills her with love, yet also teaches her that she needs to achieve a harmony with nature to be truly happy. It isn’t until Janie moves to the Everglades with Tea Cake that Janie really starts to flourish and become happy. It is the muck, the nature, the raw divinity of the natural world that covers and consumes her when she feels as though she has made it to the harmony she seeks after that moment with the pear tree.

Another example is of course the hurricane. The hurricane demonstrates the fearful and godlike power of nature, and that what happy and wonderful feelings nature can give can also be taken away by the same divine power of nature. It is the opposite of the pear tree, it does not teach Janie how to be happy, but makes Janie rethink her place in life and reminds her of what kind of world she lives in. The world around her, the divine forces or God, creates happiness, yet also fills the world with chaos and pain.

Through these natural forces, God is a huge part of this novel. Through Janie’s eyes she has seen, by the end of the book, much of what God (nature) can do, and though she may not understand God’s reasons behind it, she is content, and happy. She is one with herself and has found a harmony with nature.

~A.K.P.