Metaphors in Their Eyes Were Watching God - 1611 Words

Introduction Metaphors can be defined as those concepts where a term is used to portray a different meaning in a phrase than what it literary means. Additionally, metaphors are also used to make rhetorical statements where one is speaking of something else but by the use of words that do not have the same meaning. Moreover, metaphors can be used when one is trying to compare two different items with different meanings to portray the same meaning in describing something (Arduini 83). The book â€Å"Their eyes were watching God† has several metaphors, which have different analyses. Analysis of Metaphors The book tells the story of the dreams of a young black American woman who has the beauty and characteristics of a young Caucasian woman. It†¦show more content†¦In the book, the metaphor mule has still been used where Janie’s grandmother catches her kissing another boy in the neighborhood. Her grandmother is only worried about the security of her granddaughter, as she does not want her to grow up and become poor or be used by men (Bowers 43). Therefore, the metaphor mule has been used to show that Janie’s grandmother would not love Janie to end up becoming another man’s laborer or burden of beast. Additionally, she does not want to see her granddaughter become poor and miserable in her life. She only cares about the security of her granddaughter. The metaphor has been used by the author to compare the state of being used as a worker or being mistreated to that of the mule. The author can also be considered as describing the characters as a bit stub born or opinionated, as mules would be. They seem to be weighing their emotions as compared to their religious beliefs thereby presenting conflicts that are characteristic of human behavior and interaction. â€Å"Marriage of the bees to the blossoms in the pear tree† (Wall 34) is another statement, which has been used in the book and has a metaphor in it. In this phrase, the metaphor is the marriage of the bees. Janie watches keenly how the bees are wedding while she is climbing the tree. This metaphor has been used to show that Janie has started to get the true meaning of true love. This means that she is growing up to become a woman. The marriage of the bees hasShow MoreRelated Use of Metaphors in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Hurston2926 Words   |  12 PagesTheir Eyes Were Watching God follows protagonist Janie Mae Crawford’s journey into womanhood and her ultimate quest for self-discovery. Having to abruptly transition from childhood to adulthood at the age of sixteen, the story demonstrates Janie’s eternal struggle to find her own voice and realize her dreams through three marriages and a lifetime of hardships that come about from being a black woman in America in the early 20th century. Throughout the novel, Hurston uses powerful metaphors helpingRead MoreMetaphor, Metonymy and Vioce895 Words   |  4 PagesBarbara Johnson’s critique focuses on the metaphoric, metonymic and voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. It focuses on the major character, Janie Crawford’s inner and outer change towards her various relationships. She focuses on the strengths, both vocally and physically, gained after her first slap down by her second husband, Joe Starks. 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J. Eckleburg’s represent the eyes of God. The people believed that this billboard over th e valley of ashes were the eyes of God watching over them, seeing everything. In this quote â€Å"But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust, which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic- their retinas