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영어

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God is an African American woman’s story of her search for selfhood. It is the story of a spiritual journey of Hurston’s female protagonist whose name is Janie Mac Crawford, who initiates her marriage to Logan Killicks. Even Logan is a farmer who has achieved material success and can provide financial security to her, Janie’s first marriage which was arranged by her grandmother is failed. Through their married life, Hurston portrays their concerns in different ways. For Janie, passion is a her dream. However, Logan’s concern is to work hard in order to be a successful farmer. So Janie does not love the prospect of a life of toilsome farm work that Logan seeks. This causes Janie to turn to Joe Starks. Janie runs off with Joe because he speaks on what she is dreaming about. During her second marriage, however, she is controlled by Joe’s economic power and class status. Janie has recognized that she has an inner self which is separate from him. Thus, Janie chooses Tea Cake Woods because he has the ability to express his feelings more intensely than the other men in her life. In her marriage with Tea Cake, Janie flourishes in love and experiences the respect of an equal that she so desired in her earlier marriage. After his death, Janie returns to her hometown with nothing. However, she gets her story and finds fulfillment which represents an alternative source of meaning for the African American female.