Finding the Pulpit, Finding Voice
Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) is Zora Neale Hurston's most popular novel. It is taught in high schools and in universities, in African American literature, American literature, American studies, Women's studies and in many other disciplines. The novel gained popularity after lying dormant for decades. African American writers, including Alice Walker rediscovered Hurston and brought her work back to the public. I have taught Zora Neale Hurston's work since the early eighties and continue to find Hurston's voice to be a significant voice for students in my courses. One of the reasons that I consider Hurston's voice to be important is that Hurston was also very clear about the IDEA of finding voice. She emphasized in her fiction and non-fiction the struggles of African American women with finding our voices and in fulfilling dreams because of our experiences with racism and sexism. Their Eyes Were Watching God clearly exhibits this. Not only is it difficult for Hurston's characters to find voice, but even when they have a message, they have no forum in which to deliver their messages. Nanny, Janie's Grandmother, has dreams, wishes and a message for and about African American women which she passes on to Janie, who passes them on to the readers. In the novel, Nanny is aware of the limitations of her ability to find the forum in which to deliver her message, but she has hope that her daughter and her grandaughter can find their own forum. Hurston, in the same manner, realizing and acknowledging the stuggles of African American women during her era, passes on her messages through her work to contemporary African American women, some of whom have found a forum in which to deliver the message.
Ah was born back due in slavery so it wasn't for me to fulfill my dreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do. Dat's one of de hold-backs of slavery. But nothing can't stop you from wishin' ...Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about colored women sittin' on high, but they wasn't no pulpit for me. Freedom found me wid a baby in mah arms so Ah said Ah'd take a broom and cook-pot and throw up a highway throughout the wilderness for her. She would expound what Ah felt. But somehow she got lost offa de highway and next thing Ah knowed here you was in de world. So whilst Ah was tendin' you of nights Ah said Ah'd save de text for you. Ah been waitin' a long time, Janie, but nothin Ah been through ain't too much if you just take a stand on high ground lak Ah dreamed.
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