Dear Teachers,
Welcome! When teaching a novel to a class, evaluating the work through the lens of a particular literary criticism can help broaden students' understanding of the material while also expanding their critical thinking skills. This site is dedicated to providing guidelines for the application of the Feminist Literary Criticism to Zora Neal Hurston's work Their Eyes Were Watching God. Aside from having a profound impact on societal customs, gender roles have influenced both the content of literary works and how they are examined by readers today. Simply put, the main purpose of this theory is to highlight the distinct differences between the portrayals of male and female characters in a piece and how women in literature assert desires that conflict with the views society establishes for them. Women who are the subject of this theory are often searching for a way to break free of a submissive state and live the duration of their lives for themselves.
Here, we hope to give teachers a resource for both learning what the application of feminism to literature entails and its incorporation in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The "Background Information" and "Feminist Literary Criticism Defined" pages are excellent sources for learning about the history of and critics associated with this theory and the major aspects that distinguish feminism from the other schools of criticism. We have also complied a list of essential questions and their responses that apply to the distinct portrayals and writing style of women in literature. The "Connection to Novel" and "Annotated Passages" pages take the theory being evaluated and apply it directly to the thoughts and experiences of Janie Crawford and the men she encounters on her journey to self-realization. Included in these sections are a dissection of two passages that highlight the influence of patriarchy on Janie during the novel and an in-depth analysis of the infusion of feminist ideas to certain aspects of the book. Also, our site includes an indispensable lesson plan that will give students first-hand experience with applying the Feminist Literary Criticism to the novel through a mixture of reading the text, writing a thoughtful analysis, and engaging in class discussion.
Using the Feminist Literary Criticism in reference to Their Eyes Were Watching God will challenge students to consider different perspectives outside of their own when reading. We hope that this site provides enlightenment on the true value of women's roles in writing--both within the text and behind the pen. We also believe that knowledge of other schools of literary criticism hold value, so be sure to consider their application to Hurston's work as well. But here, our eyes are only watching the Feminist Literary Criticism.
--Amy, Barbora, Halie, Jimmy, and Kristina
Welcome! When teaching a novel to a class, evaluating the work through the lens of a particular literary criticism can help broaden students' understanding of the material while also expanding their critical thinking skills. This site is dedicated to providing guidelines for the application of the Feminist Literary Criticism to Zora Neal Hurston's work Their Eyes Were Watching God. Aside from having a profound impact on societal customs, gender roles have influenced both the content of literary works and how they are examined by readers today. Simply put, the main purpose of this theory is to highlight the distinct differences between the portrayals of male and female characters in a piece and how women in literature assert desires that conflict with the views society establishes for them. Women who are the subject of this theory are often searching for a way to break free of a submissive state and live the duration of their lives for themselves.
Here, we hope to give teachers a resource for both learning what the application of feminism to literature entails and its incorporation in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The "Background Information" and "Feminist Literary Criticism Defined" pages are excellent sources for learning about the history of and critics associated with this theory and the major aspects that distinguish feminism from the other schools of criticism. We have also complied a list of essential questions and their responses that apply to the distinct portrayals and writing style of women in literature. The "Connection to Novel" and "Annotated Passages" pages take the theory being evaluated and apply it directly to the thoughts and experiences of Janie Crawford and the men she encounters on her journey to self-realization. Included in these sections are a dissection of two passages that highlight the influence of patriarchy on Janie during the novel and an in-depth analysis of the infusion of feminist ideas to certain aspects of the book. Also, our site includes an indispensable lesson plan that will give students first-hand experience with applying the Feminist Literary Criticism to the novel through a mixture of reading the text, writing a thoughtful analysis, and engaging in class discussion.
Using the Feminist Literary Criticism in reference to Their Eyes Were Watching God will challenge students to consider different perspectives outside of their own when reading. We hope that this site provides enlightenment on the true value of women's roles in writing--both within the text and behind the pen. We also believe that knowledge of other schools of literary criticism hold value, so be sure to consider their application to Hurston's work as well. But here, our eyes are only watching the Feminist Literary Criticism.
--Amy, Barbora, Halie, Jimmy, and Kristina