Symbolism of The Pear Tree in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example

📌Category: Books, Their Eyes Were Watching God
📌Words: 920
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 21 April 2022

In the book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the author references a pear tree as a symbol of the main character's journey to self fulfilment, hopes, and curiosity.  The main character: Janie, is stuck in a chokehold of many societal expectations such as sexism, descrimination, prejudice, racism, and stereotyping. Around the early 1900’s when this book takes place a black woman like Janie was not supposed to obtain power unless it was at the hands of a man that was put above her. Janie does not fit into societal norms and Zora Neale Hurston uses the symbolism of the Pear Tree to represent Janie's progress in finding her individuality. Throughout the text as Janie unconvers more of who she truly is, the pear tree is referenced in different ways such as Janie's self discovery.

Hurston begins chapter two by giving the audience a recollection of Janie's family life. The author reveals that both Janie and her mother were conceived of rape, due to this Janie's grandmother has an attachment to Janie’s purity. Hurston includes this background to show the first example of Janie's control being taken away because of a man. Janie is automatically not trusted to keep herself safe considering how her mom and grandmother were treated by men previously. 

Hurston begins chapter two by giving the audience a recollection of Janie's family life.The author reveals that both Janie and her mother were conceived of rape , due to this Janie's grandmother has an attachment to Janie’s purity. Hurston includes this background to show the first example of Janie's control being taken away because of a man's actions. In chapter two Zora Neale Hurston shows the baseline of what the pear tree will represent for Janie’s independence .”She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation.” (chapter two) This excerpt from the text is included because it proves how Janie is developing a sense of what love is to her and not what love is to society or her family. The bee on the blossom of the pear tree is symbolizing a dependent and mutual relationship, in which throughout the text we learn Janie's true desire is to be treated and loved equally by her partner. Neale Hurston includes this to show what Janie truly desires in her newly discovered love life. The sexual awakening of Janie happens soon after this scene when Janie takes a hold of her first kiss with a ‘lazy’ young boy named Johnny Taylor.

Zora Neale Hurston included Janie making her own choice and protesting what she has learned from her elders. By kissing Johnny Taylor, Janie now has lost her innocence in the eyes of society. The kiss shared with Johnny is another element of symbolism caused by the pear tree. Neale Hurston describes Janie's awakening as a “ delight” ( chapter two) However, Janie's Grandmother does not believe the incident she witnessed was innocent at all. In this scene Janie taking control of her sexuality with a kiss is also a symbol of Janie's innocence being broken. In  a controlled society in which  Zora Neale Hurston writes this book, Janie is defying social standards. In efforts to reel Janie back in, Janie's grandmother insists that Janie marry a 60 year old successful and powerful man which is ideal for a woman like Janie in this society. However, despite Janie respecting her grandmother she does not respect the idea of  marrying a man she does not know. After some time, Janie reveals that she is concerned that she will never love this man. In response, Janie is scolded by her grandmother because her grandmother does not have the same idea of love as Hurston symbolized in a pear tree in chapter two. Hurston writes this conflict to show how Janie has learned from the pear tree and how it has allowed her to be able to stick to her new beliefs despite the circumstances.

In the final chapters of the book Janie is finally feeling the emotion in which she first experienced under the pear tree in chapter two. Hurston uses the character Tea Cake to represent a potential fulfillment of the ‘pear tree concept’ of love Janie desired. “He could be a bee to a blossom—a pear tree blossom in the spring. He seemed to be crushing scent out of the world with his footsteps. Crushing aromatic herbs with every step he took.”  (chapter 9, 109)  After  Hurston shows the multiple failed attempts at love Janie has endured by following others intentions and societal constructs. Finally, Janie is experiencing the love she has craved.  In this excerpt Tea cake is thought to be like the bee and Janie is the flower. Hurston writes this in such a way that gives the reader a sense of relief and it confirms that Janie's concept of love was the one that truly matters. Janie chooses to be with Teacake and by taking the independence that she has learned from the pear tree, Janie was able to grasp what she wanted all along. The referencing to both Janie and Teacake being direct organisms from scene two also further goes to show how important Hurston's notes of the pear tree throughout the text was deeper than we may have initially thought.

In conclusion, in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, it is implied that the pear tree is a symbol of Janie’s journey to self fulfilment, hopes, and curiosity. Ultimately Zora Neale Hurston has used the symbolization of the pear tree to show the issues of societal construct and the barriers that needed to be broken in order to pursue one's individual happiness.

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