Bibliography lists 9 sources. Were Watching God respond to society's traditional roles for women, and to what extent these characters are able to overcome these social constrictions to achieve a self-actualized life. No additional sources cited. A nine page paper looking at this important twentieth century novel in terms of the way Zora Neale Hurston created the complex characterization of her protagonist, Janie Crawford. The paper argues that Janie is less challenged by her role as an African-American as she is by her gender.
Bibliography lists seven sources.
The paper discusses Hurston's goals of bringing together both societies for an egalitarian purpose rather than promote a separatist viewpoint for either black or white society. An 8 page paper discussing the black author's unusual ability to move easily in both black literary circles and white ones simultaneously, and postulates that this helped her bring the joy and vitality of black experience to a primarily white audience. Bibliography lists 8 sources. A 5 page essay on Zora Neale Hurston's autobiography. It describes Zora's life briefly, then analyzes two major problems with the book, namely Zora's lack of closure regarding her prophetic 'visions' and her inability to perceive herself as a member of an oppressed race.