Zora Neale Hurston: Harlem Renaissance Writer

Zora Neale Hurston was an amazing writer that contributed to people's perceptions on African American women. One of her most famous novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is a novel that talks about a woman and her struggle to be independent. She wants to rely on herself and make her own choices. Hurston's diction was much like the diction of the time period in that she wrote as people would talk so as to make the story more realistic and appealing.

Her analysis of a woman and her power embodies the feeling that all people are equal and deserve to have equal rights, as most people during the Harlem Renaissance felt. Her novel was so influencial in the way people thought that they created a movie to help depict her story of a struggling woman.

" Janie, on her gossiping neighbors, stressing the importance of storytelling and oral tradition: "Ah don't mean to bother wid tellin' 'em nothin', Pheoby. 'Tain't worth de trouble. You can tell 'em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat's just de same as me 'cause mah tongue is in mah friend's mouf""

In the quote above, from Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston represents herself and the black community of that time by writing as though it was spoken. She does not use proper grammar, however she notably makes sure that you sound it out so as to fully read the book. One of the devices by authors was to make sure that there was full reading and not skimming, so they put extra meaning into each paragraph.

To see more of her writing and some of her most famous quotes in Their Eyes Were Watching God go to: http://www.novelguide.com/theireyeswerewatchinggod/toptenquotes.html