I recently read the book, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. This is a classic in African American literature. The book is written as it is spoken. To is written as "tuh." I is spelled "Ah." I took a while to get used to this but I like it because it forces me to hear the words in a southern dialect. This book has plenty of drama. The main character is Janie, a wise and observant young woman. At one point in the story, a group of people is huddled in a hut in the Everglades during a hurricane. A few days earlier the Native Americans, animals and most of the other people had left the Everglades for safety but these people stayed. The storm howls outside and the wind blows against the door. The water is rising. The author reveals their fear when she writes about them staring at the door - their eyes were watching God. Later, as one of the main characters named Teacake saves his wife during the flood, he contracts rabies from a mad dog. I shouldn't say anymore because I don't want to give away the ending but I will say this, this book has a very dramatic ending. I liked it.
1 comment:
I read this book a few months ago and I really liked it too. The way the author incorporates the southern dialect into the text really pushes the reader into the story I think. :) I did feel bad for Janie at a number of points, especially when she was married to those two other guys before Teacake. Anyway, glad to see you enjoyed the story as well. :)
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