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1. Chose one symbol you noticed throughout our reading of Their Eyes Were Watching God

(Ch. 1-5).

2. Create a post that includes:

Name the symbol you identified

Explain how this symbol connects to themes or character development

Add an image that represents your chosen symbol (you can upload an image or use the drawing tool)

3. Review your classmates' posts to see other interpretations of symbolism from the novel and RESPOND to 2 peers. Your responses should be meaningful and 2-3 sentences.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie’s long, straight hair serves as a powerful symbol of her strength, beauty, and mixed-race identity. Her hair embodies her individuality, reflecting the freedom and autonomy she desires. When Janie describes her hair as "long, thick" and "hanging down her back like a single rope," it visually connects her to her heritage and reinforces her sense of self (Hurston 14). Yet, Joe Starks demands that she cover it, forcing her to hide it beneath a head rag, a clear representation of the control and suppression he wishes to impose on her. He insists, "You got to tie up your head... You look like the sun’s comin' up in the middle of the night" (Hurston 61), revealing his attempt to stifle her self-expression and assert dominance over her appearance.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the horizon symbolizes Janie's dreams, aspirations, and search for self-identity. Throughout the novel, the horizon represents a place of hope, fulfillment, and possibility, which Janie constantly strives toward. It serves as a metaphor for the idealized future she imagines but also reflects the challenges and complexities of her journey.

Janie’s Personal Growth: Early in the novel, Janie looks at the horizon with a sense of yearning for a better life, a life that is free from the limitations imposed by others, such as her grandmother, her first husband, and the men in her life. The horizon represents her dream of self-actualization and independence. As she matures, she learns that the horizon is not a fixed destination but a continual process of self-discovery.

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In There Eyes Were Watching God, Joe's store is a symbol for his ambition and power. The store represents his control over Janie. He forces her to work there while also limiting her voice and freedom. The town is his space where he argues dominance, symbolizes the expectations that restrict Janie.

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The mule represents the social position of Black women as doubly burdened by their race and gender. More broadly, the mule represents the dynamics of being owned and worked by others, often through poor or abusive treatment. Janie's grandmother uses the figure of the mule to comment on the hardships of being a black woman in their world.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie invokes the symbol of the horizon repeatedly throughout the novel; to Janie, the horizon symbolizes the realm of the possible, that which she can dream about. In the book the horizon represents Janie’s idealized views of nature. It represents the far-off mystery of the natural world, with which she longs to connect.

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In the story "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, a bee approaching the pear tree is mentioned. The symbolism it gave was about a man's interaction with a woman. Janie's "blossoming", like a tree in spring, into becoming that woman. Expressing her passionate love that she felt when she had her first kiss.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie sees the pear tree as a symbol of love. As Janie watches the bees around the tree it makes her think of being cared for, something Janie longs for. The tree also represents Janies first kiss with Johnny, which awakens her need for romance. Throughout the chapters the tree also represents Janies want for freedom and independence.

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Mr. sparks tells Janie to doll herself up in a dress. The dress signifies a sort of glorification as a possession, a trophy, charm, or a jewel. Janie doesn't argue and listens to her husband, Stark's calls the shots and is very authoritative about the power he has achieved and doesn't want Janie getting in the way whilst Janie wants some freedom. When Janie tries talking to her husband he warns her and makes her feel like a possession.

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The hurricane was devastating for Janie and Tea Cake and the life they built. Tea Cake gets infected with rabies trying to save Janie. Janie is forced to kill him because the disease destroys his mind. Janie's happiness and security were ripped away with his death, and she must find a new meaning from her experiences.

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Janie repeatedly references the horizon as a symbol throughout the novel, representing possibility, hope, and the dreams she longs for. It embodies her desire for a life filled with love, adventure, and fulfillment. The horizon serves as a reminder of the boundless opportunities that exist beyond her circumstances, motivating her to pursue her own path despite the obstacles she faces.

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The cracked plate in Chapter 2 shows how Nanny (The plate) is snapped by life

Nanny tells Janie her life story. Nanny went through tough times like being a slave, getting raped, having a daughter, raising her, and then said daughter got raped, which gave birth to Janie, after that Janie's mom abandoned her, and now left her Grandmother to care for her. At the chapter's end, Nanny tells Janie to be careful in life and "have some sympathy for her." (Hurston 20)

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Janie's dress depicts how Stark's began showing Janie off as a trophy that people couldn't have. the dress also begins the journey of her forced silence. Stark tells Janie to dress up and doesn't let her tell a speech, as a result he silences her while decorating her, keeping her like a trophy while keeping the power in his possession which creates a conflict because Janie wants freedom.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the pear tree and bees stand for Janie's perfect picture of love and harmony. A bee pollinating a blossom awakens her. The scenario shows exactly the right mix between two entities. Janie starts to think that mutual, natural, and fulfilling love should be what she experiences.

The scene beneath the pear tree influences Janie's expectations regarding relationships. Her first marriage to Logan Killicks is loveless and cold. Control and silence rule her second marriage to Joe Starks. Neither man offers her the kind of passion or companionship she so craves.

The pear tree also represents Janie's personal discovery. Gradually, she realizes that she must create her own happiness. Men cannot help her realize her ambitions. Her path reveals the conflict between personal independence and society's expectations.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the pear tree and bees stand for Janie's perfect picture of love and harmony. A bee pollinating a blossom awakens her. The scenario shows exactly the right mix between two entities. Janie starts to think that mutual, natural, and fulfilling love should be what she experiences.

The scene beneath the pear tree influences Janie's expectations regarding relationships. But her first marriage to Logan Killicks is loveless and cold. Control and silence rule her second marriage to Joe Starks. Neither man offers her the kind of passion or companionship she so craves.

The pear tree also represents Janie's personal discovery. Gradually, she realizes that she must create her own happiness. Men cannot help her realize her ambitions. Her path reveals the conflict between personal independence and society's expectations.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God,Janie always had her hair up in a scarf when she was with her husband,because she could never let it down as it was a sign to joe that he has no power over her.As soon as joe died Janie put her hair down to show that joe had no power over her no more because her hair was one of the symbols that Joe had control of over her but not no more as soon as he died.

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the bee pollinating the flower is a cycle of growth and a fulfillment. this can symbolize Janie's desire for love and self discovery. because the bee is attracted to the flower by its nectar, just like Janie was attracted to Tea cake by how he fulfilled Janie desires. just like the flower does the bee.