Eyes: Journal #8

Part 1: I think Zora Neale Hurston chose the title she did because the book refers to God a lot, and the different roles he plays to individual characters through out the book. God tends to represent a symbol of this overbearing power over humans to many of the characters, and with the character relations there are power stuggles. In the storm, the line "Their eyes were watching God", was said and Hurston said it because nature is this overpowering force that humans will never be able to control and it may or may not be caused by a God. I feel like when the title was said in the storm, it pulled everything together. It made it clear that this book really is about power and different relations people have with God or one another that all have to do with power.

Part 2: I think Hurston could have names the book, Under the Absence of the Sun. I think she could have titles it this because the sun also portrays this symbol of power and God. When the gossip happens, when death comes, when bad things happen there is this reoccurring absence of the sun or God. I think that had Hurston titled the book that, the book would probably have more themes directed towards the roles God plays in the novel, more so than the theme of power.

Part 3: My pastiche is titled, A Beach With No Waves. I chose this title because my pastiche focuses on the power struggle between an oppressing individual or society and the oppressed. I use the symbol of waves molding a beach to portray the lack of control my protagonist has in his current situation, just as is shown with Janie being controlled by her grandmother, her friends, and husbands. This is a strong title because in both Eyes and my pastiche the protagonists have a lack of control, like a shore line. Therefore, if there were a beach with no waves to impact that shore line it makes the reader wonder what the shore line would be like, or if there would even be one.