Janie

Zora Neale Hurston has written a very intriguing and poignant character in the form of the protagonist Janie. As the reader follows Janie's journey through life with triumphs and challenges developing in between, the author illustrates Janie as a realistic representation of resilience in the face of adversity. The theme of following one's dreams is prevalent even in the first opening lines of  Their Eyes Were Watching God , and in the first 12 chapters, the reader discovers Janie's endeavor to find true love. In doing this, she comes to a point where she painfully, yet gradually abandons the principles that her grandmother instilled in her: the necessity of finding an economic provider as a husband, and establishes her happiness as a primary objective in life. This leads to her being able to confront both Logan about not truly loving him and telling Jody on his deathbed about his repulsive, manipulative treatment of her. Janie's actions create a bold statement that supports independence for two disrespected groups of people, women and African-Americans, in an era, where that level of dissent against societal standards was not widely accepted. What is even more moving is Janie's ability to recover from the disappointment and fear of abusive individuals and continue her search to attain her dreams. All in all, Janie is a remarkable example of true perseverance.