Question

After Joe’s funeral she observes in her unhappiness how Nanny had taken “the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon” and “pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter’s neck tight enough to choke her.” At the end of the novel, though, Janie is able to “[pull] in her horizon like a great fish-net” with a delighted, peaceful heart. Explain why Nanny’s horizon was so restrictive for Janie and what led to its great expanse at the end. Use at least two examples of textual evidence to support your answer. Your answer should be at least two hundred words.

Answer 1

Gender roles are a central part in Their Eyes Were Watching God. In the book, women are expected to be good little wives and not speak up or disobey their husbands. They can gain power only through marriage, preferably to a rich and/or powerful man. Men are expected to demonstrate their masculinity by dominating their wives and keeping them in line. Both of these attitudes were common in the time that Hurston was writing.

Nanny's horizon was restrictive because at that time women had to be very obedient to their husbands according to society and what led to its great expanseis that at the end Janie met her third husband Tea Cake and they moved to the everglades. Janie finally has the love that she has longed for, and she and Tea Cake are happy, despite the fact that they're both occasionally jealous of each other. When a hurricane hits, though, things take a darker turn. A rabid dog attacks Janie, and when he tries to save her, Tea Cake gets bitten by the dog and contracts rabies. As a result, he begins to go mad, and he eventually tries to shoot Janie. She kills him in self-defense and is put on trial for murder. At the end white women ended up defending her.