Domestic Violence in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Feminist Reading

Parmis Tasharofi

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.3n.4p.120

Abstract

Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the acclaimed boldly feminist novels of the 20 th century. In general, this article draws on feminism and what looms large in feminism which is called sexism. In particular it focuses on domestic violence as a major sexist oppression. Domestic violence aroused by jealousy, anger, coercion, humiliation, threatening is manifest in verbal and physical abusing of women. Hurston skillfully depicts her heroine's undergoing of domestic violence by her husbands, each in different ways. This article aims to show that how the black heroine's battling with this violence purports to feminism and self-discovery of women.

Highlights

1.1 Feminism, Sexism, Domestic ViolenceAs Bressler states, one of the most significant developments in literary studies in the second half of the twentieth century, feminist criticism advocates equal rights for all women in all areas of life: socially, politically, professionally, personally, economically, aesthetically, and psychologically
Bell hooks claims that sexist oppression is the foundation of patriarchal culture and that it should be the main regard of progressive feminism
Domestic violence is a prevalent form of sexism in domestic households (2014)

Summary

Introduction

1.1 Feminism, Sexism, Domestic ViolenceAs Bressler states, one of the most significant developments in literary studies in the second half of the twentieth century, feminist criticism advocates equal rights for all women in all areas of life: socially, politically, professionally, personally, economically, aesthetically, and psychologically. The adherents of feminist criticism are women and some men who are struggling to discover who they are, how they arrived at their present situation, and where they are going. In their search, they value the individual person, validating the individual as opposed to the group. Bell hooks claims that sexist oppression is the foundation of patriarchal culture and that it should be the main regard of progressive feminism (as cited in Castle, 2007). Domestic violence is a prevalent form of sexism in domestic households (2014)

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion