Janie’s Awakening in Afro－ American Folklore in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God

錢秋月

Zora Neale Hurston，an outstanding black woman playwright and folklorist in America，is acclaimed as the rediscovered foremother of African A-merican writing.Their Eyes tells the story of Janie Crawford，an independent black woman，searching for her true self through three marriages.Alice walker，the most instrumental figure in the reestablishment of Hurston’s reputation，suggests that“no more important book for me than this one for Hurston’s informed and vigorous delineations of black southern folk culture”(92).Hurston is considered as“a champion of the primacy of black folk culture”(McKay，55).Black folklore，generally referred as black folktale and music，is reflected in almost every aspects of African American’s life and regarded as one of the most essential factor leading to cultural and racial identity for Afro－Americans.The paper examines Janie’s self－fulfillment and self－expression as an African America woman through her three marriages in an effort to display the power and charm of black folklore culture due to her awakening in Afro－American folklore.

Folktale constitutes the primary form of folklore，and the primary way of folktale is the storytelling，an oral narrative of folklore.Hurston actually completes the novel in the way of storytelling.The novel as a whole is the story of Janie who tells her story to Pheoby and demonstrates her self－fulfillment through black folklore.The storytelling happening on the front porch of Joe Clarke’s store by folk－men for self－expression is to transmit and inherit the folk culture of the community in black vernacular.The store porch in African American community is“the totem representing black cultural traditio”(Hemenway，23).Although becoming the appealing and envied wife of Mayor，Janie yearns for participating in the porch talk to experience herself because she is obsessed with the porch story and fascinated by the way that the folk－men insert laughter and humor in the poverty life.Joe Starks devocalizes her rights of voice because Starks is bent on integrating into the white culture by discarding the black culture.However，when Janie comes to Everglades，she achieves her freedom to express herself and enjoys the porch talk to her content.At the end of the novel，Janie tells her story to Pheoby still by maintaining the porch sitting.Pheoby responses that“Ah done growned ten feet higher from jus’listenin’tuh you”(192).Janie is the carrier and transmitter of the folkloric culture，and Pheoby，a psychologically changed woman awaken by Janie’s story，will become a teller to continue the transmission.Her achievement of verbal power may allow her to become a fully active agent both within the community and within her marriage(Awkward，18).Janie struggles for her self－expression to participate in the storytelling because she wants to the power of black folktale and achieve a sense of happiness in folk culture.

In order to search self－expression in the white－dominated society，Afro－Americans resort to communicate with Nature.Struggling against the cage of patriarchal society，Janie discovers her rights of being a black woman in a society where woman tends to be silent.Firstly，Janie holds a totally different idea of black female identity，which is revealed in the image of the peer tree.The tree gives Janie a sense of life’ s pleasure and fulfillment.Janie desires of a bee－man to be her husband to find her true self in the happy marriage.Logan treats her more as his slave following his orders obediently than his equal partner.Therefore，Janie is disillusioned that the marriage without love is not equivalent to what she imagines under the blossoming pear tree.Janie finally leaves Logan and marries Joe Starks to continue her pursuit of her true self in a real folk culture.However，Starks take a totally assimilative attitudes towards the white culture and deprives Janie of right for self－expression in the black community by regarding her as a doll.Apparently，Starks is not her bee－man and she cannot find egalitarianism in the marriage.Only Tea Cake considers Janie as a partner.He is the concrete embodiment of black cultural values and egalitarianism compared with Janie’s first two husbands who severely embrace materialism and male chauvinism.Janie follows Tea Cake to Everglades，a promise land，which is separated from the influence of white culture and close to the nature.The agricultural folk community in Everglades defies many of the limited boundaries of the dominant society.Considering the folk culture as the source of regaining the dignity and identity for Afro－ Americans，she is extremely satisfied in the evergladesinging，dancing，drinking and even working.She enjoys everything Nature endows in everglade where she can participate in the talking，and where she truly finds her right of self－ expression.Janie is a typically rebellious black woman in the pursuit of her self－expression in marriage with love even if it costs her youth to choose a true husband.Most importantly，she finally endows herself with the right of self－expression in the matrimonial life with Tea Cake under the influence of black folk culture.

After going through two unfortunate marriages，Janie cats off the tradition of silent black women and the docile mule image in the male－dominated society，and finally reshapes herself as a black woman with rights of self－expression and continues the free life in her own domination in the environment of folk culture.Janie’s unhappy matrimonial life with her first two husbands indicates her rejection of white cultural values，whereas her vivacious and free life with Tea Cake indicates her obsession and appreciation with folk culture which places spiritual comforts above material well－being.Janie’s story is a good example of Hurston’s rejection of black selfloathing and other pernicious behaviors associated with the monolithic white internalization and a negative black racial identity.Hurston proves the charm of black folk culture through Janie who enhances the pride of Afro－Americans and reinforces the sense of community for Afro－Americans by celebrating the unique and kaleidoscopic black folk culture.

［1］ Awkward，Michael，“New Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God”，Beijing，Beijing University Press，2007.

［2］ Hemenway，Robert E.Zora Neale Hurston，“A Literary Biography”，Urbana，University of Illinoise Press，1980.

［3］ McKay，Nellie，“Crayon Enlargement of Life:Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God as Autobiography”，New Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God.Ed.Michael Awkward.Cambridge University Press，1990.

［4］ Walker，Alice.“Zora Neale Hurston.A Cautionary Tale and a Partisan View.”In Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston:the Common Bond.Ed.Lillie P.Howard.Westport: Greenwood Press，1993.