In the first novel The House of Mirth we read this semester, Edith Wharton considers the nature of freedom—
particularly as it pertains to Lily Bart, who longs for the freedom that money represents and yet
seems unwilling to pay the price to attain it. Their Eyes Were Watching God also features a
female character in search of freedom. After Joe Starks dies, Janie discovers that she enjoys being
alone: “This freedom feeling was fine” (ch. 9, p. 90). In a novel about the granddaughter of a
formerly enslaved person, the word “freedom” is heavy with historical significance. What are the
meanings of “freedom” in the novel? Where and how is it found? What does freedom look or feel
like? Where do we encounter limits or constraints on freedom? A successful essay will choose
key passages in which the idea of freedom is explored. Above all, it will avoid chronological plot
summary of Janie’s three marriages; it’s obvious that Janie is happier with Tea Cake than with
Joe, so there is no need to dwell on that point. The more interesting challenge is to look closely at
moments in which Janie feels more or less free, and to think about the specific language that
Hurston uses to convey the idea of freedom.
Their Eyes Were Watching God