Racism as a Cultural Construct in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God

Abstract

The African-American literature began during eighteenth and nineteenth century. The focus of the writings is mainly on the themes of racism, religion, slavery, freedom and equality. A race is a group of people that come from a common background. That group is generally is determined based on skin color. The term racism is actually used in many ways. Some refer to racism as white supremacies; other defines racism a discrimination against a particular race’s culture beliefs or traditions. Racism might refer to the idea that a single race can be a way to determine behavior and performance. Henson is not at all similar to intrepid African-American heroine, Janie Crawford, in Their Eyes Were Watching God. A terrible hurricane bursts into the Everglades two years after Janie and Tea Cake’s marriage. Nanny points out an even more victimized group-block woman. By virtue of being both a racial minority and the weaker sex, black women had it worst of all and were essentially the bottom of the totem pole.