Heroic Traits of Julius Caesar and Brutus

Julius Caesar:
Heroic Traits:

• He already led Rome so he could possibly be a good leader.
• Once popular to the public.
• Julius Caesar knows his priorities and he will get what he wants.
• Defeated Pompey in battle.  

Tragic Flaws:

• Too ambitious for his own good.
• He had to much of an ego.
• Caesar did not respect his wife or the soothsayer for their advice.
• Intelligent, but oblivious to the conspiracy.  

Brutus:
Heroic Traits:

• Brutus knows that Caesar could abuse his power as king so action has to be taken.
• He joins the conspiracy for the safety of Rome and its people.
• Although Brutus is a close friend to Caesar, he took precautions before joining the group who wants to assassinate the future leader of Rome. 
• Makes a speech about how the conspirators were trying to protect the people of Rome from Caesar if he become drunk with the power of being king.
• Treats his wife, Portia, with respect, realizes that equality is important.

Tragic flaws:

• Brutus trusted to many people.
• Believed the motives of others.
• Put his public life above his personal life.
• Naive, took his feelings for the people.

Julius Caesar

Brutus

Their Eyes Were Watching God Book Review

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about the freedom of women and how to live your life. Janie was a young woman who was looking for true love and the meaning of life. It took her years to finally find the answer but she learned and gained so much knowledge along the way.

I never thought this book would have so much meaning to me. At first, I thought it was just going to be another required book to read. As Janie's story began to unfold, I was instantly pulled in. Just as any other person, Janie was determined to figure out her purpose in life. After two failed marriages, she finally found what she was looking for. Tea Cake was one of my favorite characters because he expressed hid love to Janie like no other.  He wanted to take care of her and keep her out of danger. One of the most prominent events in the book, the hurricane, really pushed the book to its limits.  Unfortunately, the life of Janie and Tea Cake took a turn for the worst.  During the length of Tea Cake illness, I was flying through the pages of the story, only to find out what would happen next.  I was left speechless after Janie shot Tea Cake, her one true love.  It was done out of safety.  The love between Janie and Tea Cake remained the same, it just could not be shared the same way it was before.  The ending of the book left me feeling very hopeful because Janie achieved what she wanted to do and I want to follow in her footsteps. 

I can see where Zora Neale Hurston was highly criticized during the story.  Their Eyes Were Watching God is an honest, true historical fiction novel.  It opened my eyes to the terrible treatment African American women received before they were given equal rights.  Even though the harsh words said about this book, I was painted with beautiful images that gave me a lot of insight and made me feel like I was in Janie's shoes.  This books is inspiring for all, because if you work hard, you will make it to the horizon and back.  I give this book a five out of five stars. 

   Image: http://bit.ly/iUbHWy

Their Eyes Were Watching God Imagery

The imagery in Their Eyes Were Watching God is used frequently and it describes certain events and feelings that the characters have throughout the book.  

1.      “The morning road air was like a new dress.” Janie was ready for change. Page 32

2.      “A feeling of coldness and fear took hold of her. She felt far away from things and lonely.” Janie is now being expected to take on more responsibility and she does not feel loved. Page 46

3.      “…He’s de wind and we’se de grass. We bend which ever way he blows.” Joe is now the man who has control of Eatonville. Page 49

4.      “Every morning the world flung itself over and exposed the town to the sun.” Every day is a new chance to start over. Page 51

5.      “A little war of defense for helpless things was going on inside her.” Janie can’t speak her mind so all of her feelings are bottled up inside her. Page 57

6.      “She was a rut in the road. Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels.” Janie learned to not speak and keep her opinions to herself. If she spoke her mind, there would be consequences. Page 76

7.      “It was like somebody snatched off part of a woman’s clothes while she wasn’t looking and the streets were crowded.” Janie was very embarrassed because she cut the tobacco plug wrong and Joe made a fuss over it. Page 78

8.      “But even these things were running down like candle grease as time moved on.” Janie starts to notice that Joe’s physical features that once made her believe that he was handsome have now changed. He has now grown old and is treating Janie terribly.

9.      “He stands in his high house that overlooks the world. Stands watchful and motionless all day that with his sword drawn back, waiting for the messenger to bid him come.” Death is silently waiting to take Joe in his clutch. Page 84

10.  “She had been getting ready for her great journey to the horizons in search of people; it was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her.” Janie is now ready to fully blossom and show the world who she truly is. Page 89

11.  “They were all so respectful and stiff with her, that she might have been the Emperess of Japan.” Now that Janie is single, all of the men want to please her and hope she will fall for them. Page 92-93

12.  “He was jumping her king!” Tea Cake is already starting to win Janie’s heart. Page 96

13.  “So she sat on the porch and watched the moon rise. Soon its amber fluid was drenching the earth, and quenching the thirst of the day.” The moon signifies the end of the day and Janie met a man who she could possibly falling for. The day was fulfilling to her. Page 99

14.  “He could be a bee to a blossom—a pear tree blossom in the spring.” Janie thinks that Tea Cake could be the lover she has been looking for. Page 106

15.  “Nobody else on earth kin hold uh candle to you, baby. You got de keys to de kingdom.” Janie has the keys to Tea Cake’s heart; they are both in love. Page 109

16.  “De world picked out black and white for mournin’, Joe didn’t.” Janie does not want to mourn over her dead husband anymore, she is ready for new love.

17.  “If people thinks de same, they can make it all right. So in the beginnin’ new thoughts had tuh be thoughts and new words said.” Janie is trying to say that great minds think alike, and it’s the thoughts and words that count.

18.  “One went outside and chewed a little grass like a sick dog, he said to keep it from killing him.” The men who fought at the party were trying to hide their weaknesses. Page 123

19.  “So her soul crawled out from its hiding place.” Janie can be her full self with Tea Cake.

20.  “Ground so rich that everything went wild.” The soil in the muck is rich and the plants are able to grow.

21.  “The rich black earth clinging to bodies and biting the skin like ants.” All of the workers would come to Janie and Tea Cakes for parties. It was as if no gave a care in the world when they had fun. Page 131

22.  “You’se something tuh make uh man forgit old and forgit tuh die.” Tea Cake is telling Janie that he is so in love with that man would forget things. Page 138

23.  “Beyond her faith was a fanaticism to defend the alters of her god.” Janie tries to defend her rights as a woman and a member of her race. Page 145

24.  “And the lake got madder and madder with only its dikes between them and him.” The hurricane was slowing stirring which meant danger was coming. Page 159

25.  “…He saw that the wind and water had given him life to lots of things that folks think of as dead and given death to so much that had been living things.” The wind was so strong that everything was flying all over the place. Page 160

26.  “He stood once more and again in his high flat house without sides to it and without a roof with his soulless sword standing upright in his hand.” The destruction of nature pushed people to their limits. Page 168

27.  “Tea Cake was the son of Evening Sun, and nothing was too good.” Tea Cake was finally at rest. Page 189

28.  The seeds reminded Janie of Tea Cake more than anything else because he was always planting things.” Tea Cake was a hard worker and Janie thought the seeds were a aprt of him. Page 191

29.  “She called her soul to come and see.” Janie’s life was finally fulfilled and she found the happiness she was longing for. Page 193

My favorite piece of imagery was “she called her soul to come and see” because the words are telling the reader that Janie finally had a fulfilled life and she was at peace with herself.              

Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbolism

• Trees/roots- African people without any roots
• Pear Tree- Janie's budding womanhood

• Mule- black women get the worst treatment; the black woman's experience. She does the worst jobs for white people and black men. She gets "walked on." Logan buys Janie a mule to represent hoe he is tired of treating Janie like a princess or white woman, and now he wants her to do the heavy labor jobs around the farm

• Gate and the Road- another opportunity; related to the metaphor at the beginning. The Gate is the shore and the Road represents that waves as Janie look down the road to find a new dream.

• The New Horizon- Janie is constantly looking over the gatepost, down the road, to a new horizon (a dreamer or new start.)

• The Eatonville general store- represents the center of this all-black town.

• The illumination of the lamp post represents the start of a new all-black town. It also shows that Joe Starks is all-powerful and likes others to bow down to him, including Janie.

• Joe and Janie's two-story house- Seems to represent his similarity to a plantation owner, while the hard working townspeople live in small shack-style homes like servants' quarters.

• Tobacco spittoon- represents again how wealthy Joe is.

• Head rag- Joe makes Janie wear a head rag while she works the store.  It is a symbol of ownership and protection so the men know Janie is his.

• Guitar- playful side of people.

• Muck- place in Florida where plants are grown; every culture blends

• Overalls- working side

• Janie's long braid- freedom, love to Tea Cake

• Packet of seeds- new life, birth; remembrance; call in her horizon at the end

• Fish- sharing relationship
• Checkers- Janie's equality
• Booker T/Mrs. Turner- racism within a race 

• Hurricane- God's almighty power

• Rabid dog- sign of changing life

• Color blue- Tea Cake and Janie's proof of love

• Tea Cake/ Janie's house- magnet of the community, place of pleasure 

Criticism for Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston's most famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was a story that was praised or looked down upon.  The novel was reviewed by people in the black community and shot down by many of them.  Richard Wright was especially harsh during his review and thought the book was a bad reflection on the black community.  He stated in his review that  ". . . The sensory sweep of her novel carries no theme, no message, no thought. In the main, her novel is not addressed to the Negro, but to a white audience whose chauvinistic tastes she knows how to satisfy. She exploits that phase of Negro life which is "quaint," the phase which evokes a piteous smile on the lips of the "superior" race." ("Between Laughter and Tears," 1937) His review sent Zora Neale Hurston into seclusion and gave her writings a bad name.  

I think that Zora Neale Hurston's writing style introduces people to the black dialect and culture.  Their Eyes Were Watching God gave people insight to the tough times black women went through because they are treated the most unfairly.  Her story so far has been a journey through a young woman life who is trying to find her true self while finding love.  Their Eyes Were Watching God is full imagery, symbolism, and African American oral tradition.  Zora Neale Hurston did not receive the credit she deserved during her lifetime.  After the harsh criticism, and she stopped writing and died poor.  Her story is read by people.  Hurston's book gives readers an insight on how hard a black woman's life was, just like Janie's.  Zora Neale Hurston is a well-respected author who should have been given more respect for her writings despite the tough criticism from other popular authors of the time.

Zora Neale Hurston 

Sources: 
"Hurston, Zora Neale." U*X*L Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2010. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.
"Hurston Home Page." n. pag. Web. 14 Apr 2011. <http://people.virginia.edu/~sfr/enam312/znhhp.html>.      

Facts About Zora Neale Hurston

• Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 and died in 1960. 
• After her death, Hurston's writings inspired several African American authors.
• She was attended Howard University, Barnard University, and Columbia University.
• Zora wrote fictional stories and many readers enjoyed her metaphorical language and interest in black culture.
• In 1937, Hurston released her most famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, which required her to do a lot of research and explore the past of a woman who went through three marriages.
• She also wrote a series of short stories, plays, and journal articles.
• Her books contain a use of the African American dialect and aspects of the culture and it made many of the people in the black community upset.
• Not many acknowledged Zora's death and her writings were lost.
• In the 1970s, Alice Walker and other writers re-discovered her writings.
• Two volumes of her work were republished in 1995.

Sources:

"Zora Neale Hurston." Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zora_Neale_Hurston

Into the Harlem Renaissance

• The Harlem Renaissance, or the New Negro movement, was an African American cultural movement between the 1920s and 1930s.Many new job opportunities were open in the northern part of the United States because of World War I.  African Americans moved form the south to the north.
• This was known as the "Great Movement" because of the migration of African Americans to the north.
• Many of the educated and "socially conscious" African Americans move to Harlem, New York.
• The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed by W. E. B. Du Bois to gain rights for black people.
• African American literature and arts started to develop at the turn of the century. A lot of singers and songwriters became every popular.
• Three works of literature were published and that ignited the start of the Harlem Renaissance.
• After that, more African Americans were being recognized for their contributions to society, especially in the arts.
• The Great Depression and other factors started the gradual downfall of the Harlem Renaissance.
• Active members of the black community left New York and some of the associations changed their interests and stopped promoting the Renaissance. 
• The famous writings influenced popular American writers later.

Langston Hughes

• Langston Hughes hit the height of his career during the 1920s, during the Harlem Renaissance 
• He was a famous poet, columnist, novelist, and playwright. 
• Hughes was born to mixed race parents in Joplin, Missouri and continued to grow up in tiny Midwestern towns. 
• In 1921 his famous poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" was published in The Crisis, an official magazine for the NAACP.
• Hughes died at the age of 65 after problems due to surgery.

Paul Laurence Dunbar         

Image: http://tinyurl.com/3pr7pzp

• Paul Laurence Dunbar was the son of two former slaves who escaped from a plantation in Kentucky.
• He started writing poems at the age of 6 and his works were first published by the Wright Brothers who knew Dunbar in high school.
• His first collection of poems, Oak and Ivy, was published in 1983 and his second book was Majors and Minors was released in 1985.
• During his career, Dunbar published a dozen poetry books, four short story books, five novels, and a play.
• His most famous work was written in African American dialect. It was published in 1986 called Lyrics of a Lowly Life.

Jean Toomer 

• Jean Toomer was born on December 26, 1894 in Washing D.C to mixed race parents.
• After he was finished with college, Jean Toomer went off and published a few short stories and continued to write during World War I.
• In 1921 he traveled down to Georgia to serve as a principal for a new industrial school for black children.
• After he returned to New York, his most well known novel, Cane, was released. 
• Small amounts of his fiction and essays were featured in Quakers Publications for an amount of time.

Sources: 

Microsoft Student with Encarta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laurence_Dunbar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes (Picture was found on Wikipedia page)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Toomer (Picture was found on Wikipedia page)