Post #2: (Page 2)

The second page of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, provides some strong insight into future events in the story. Connecting details from later in the book to the beginning, Hurston once again brings a feeling of circularity to her writing. The method she used to accomplish this, through the comments and observations made bt the Watchers, proves to be brilliant, succeeding in hiding much of its meaning until the reader has completed reading that part of the book themselves.

The intense gossip about the passing woman that the Watchers exchange between each other reveals much about the direction of the plot. Using a heavily stylized representation of the African American dialect in the earlier part of the 20^th century, Hurston foreshadows a great deal of things that happen in the novel.  The technique could have proved invaluable when hooking the first-time readers, as the comments made by the Watchers keep just enough information away to keep them interested.

The imagery used to describe the passing women also give us a clue about her state among the community. Comparing certain parts of her body to fruit, Hurston creates a sense of desire from the Watchers. Not necessarily in a sexual manner, but in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, the once dignified lady have finally sunken down to the level of the common person.

The fact the they pass judgment on her as she walks through town continues the motif og watching and judging first started on the first page. Once again, this clues the reader in and helps point them in the right direction when the same motif pops up again later in the story.