1. Racism and Unattainable Aspirations
... six feet deep in her own misery. As Janie grows, however, she realizes that Nanny's material emphasis on idolization of whites is not the key to happiness or success. In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is enslaved by this emphasis on materialism and Nanny's unattainable aspirations. Through the racism that several blacks harbor against their own race and ... likes of Hicks and Mrs. Turner, whose racism is counterproductive and irrational. She knows that material wealth is not the key to happiness. And most of all, Janie knows what Zora Neale Hurston knows - unti...
- Word Count: 1653
- Approx Pages: 7
- Grade Level: High School
