Angel Fang
Mr. Hayes
English 10 Composition
12 March 2025
Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Close Reading
Right after Joe Starks, her second husband, died, Janie finally regained her voice back. When her husband was alive, he did not allow her to speak in public and have fun with other people in town. Now Janie is finally free from his controlling husband. The symbolism of hair and the use of imagery in the passage highlights Janie’s reclamation of herself. During her second marriage, Janie was not allowed to put down her hair. Now after 12 years, she finally “[tears] off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair” (Hurston 87). The use of the verb “tear” illustrates her eagerness to be free from suppression and her relief about the stifling marriage. Hurston uses hair as a symbol of freedom, suggesting that Janie finally breaks through the cage of the marriage and completes her self-growth at this moment. Joe used to spread bad comments about Janie’s aging body. However, when Janie stands in front of the mirror once again, she sees that “the young girl [is] gone, but a handsome woman [has] taken her place” (Hurston 87). She was not bothered by Joe anymore and she re-examined herself and found herself still stunning but in a different way. The imagery describing her change from a girl to a woman underscores that Janie has regained her ability to love herself, which demonstrates her self-discovery. Zora Neale Hurston uses imagery and the symbol of hair to emphasize Janie’s reclamation of herself and her re-gained self love.