Journal #4: Examining Motifs

    Picking just three motifs is impossible. I really got into it after a while... It's sort of like a puzzle!

1. Flowers
• Flowers or words relating to them are the most obvious motif in this book, but I couldn't resist writing about them because they're so prevalent. The referencing really starts in chapter two on page 10 (I analyzed a passage from this page in my second journal; see this for examples). In chapters five and six an evident continuation of this motif can be seen beginning on the bottom of page 43.
• "It must have been the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything at all that took the bloom off things." (Hurston, pg 43)
• "Had it right in the parlor with little springs of flowers painted all around the sides." (Hurston, pg 47)
• "The three girls hold the center of the stage till Daisy Blunt comes walking down the street in the moonlight." (Hurston, pg 67)
• "The bed was no longer a daisy-field for her and Joe to play in." (Hurston, pg 71)
• "She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be." (Hurston, pg 72)
2. Trees
• Trees are used constantly in this book. Hurston often appears to compare them both to Janie and to life itself. In chapters five and six, trees make many more appearances when not even necessary to the plot line.
• "Two men who were sitting on their shoulder blades under a huge live oaktree almost sat upright at the tone of his voice." (Hurston, pg 35)
• "[...] and being piled under the big live oak tree." (Hurston, pg 40)
• "'Taint no use in scufflin' over all dese stumps and roots in the dark." (Hurston, pg 44)
• "Starks piled fodder under the big tree near the porch [...]" (Hurston, pg 58)
• "Lum found him under the big tree on his rawbony back with all four feet up in the air." (Hurston, pg 59)
• "[...] some of the nearby trees were already peopled with the stoop-shouldered forms." (Hurston, pg 61)
• "They wanted to begin, but the Parson wasn't there, so a messenger was sent to the ruler in a tree where he sat." (Hurston, pg 61)
• "The Parson sat motionless in a dead pine tree about two miles off." (Hurston, pg 61)
3. Dark & Light/ Black & White
• This is one of the most important themes in the book and is my personal favorite. I particularly like the fourth example (below). It seems to embody the theme of the novel and the idea of supposed 'white supremecy' during that time period. This is also seen in my first example, where it becomes quite clear that what is white is not powerful, but better. Is it weird that analyzing this book is so thrilling to me?
• "And look at the way they painted it- a gloaty, sparkly white." (Hurston, pg 47)
• "It was bad enough for white people, but when one of your own color could be so different it put you on a wonder." (Hurston, 48)
• "'Janie, I reckon you better go fetch me dem old black gaiters. Dese tan shoes sets mah feet on fire.'" (Hurston, pg 57)
• "The flock had to wait the white-headed leader, but it was hard." (Hurston, pg 61)
• "'Ah aims tuh keep yuh in de dark all de time.'" (Hurston, pg 64)
• "It's negro hair, but it's got a kind of white flavor." (Hurston, pg 67)
4. Dreams
• This motif does not appear as much as the others I have listed, but it is certainly just as important. On the very first page of the novel, Hurston discusses dreams, and compares those of women to those of men. She specifically states that for women, "The dream is the truth". (Hurston, pg 1) When Hurston returns to this idea, it has undergone some startling alterations through Janie's interpretation. After living in Eatonville for a while, Janie and Joe grow apart. After Joe slaps her, Janie is stunned. On page 72, Hurston describes Janie's revelation: "It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered. But looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed to drape her dreams over." This is an application of that first statement made by Hurston about the dreams of women. Sometimes, women only imagine that they are living their dreams, and the lie becomes so convincing that they no longer have any need to pretend.

     I also found several other motifs, including the capitalization of the word "Time", birds and wings, the wind, fish, and the sun. But I'm too tired to write about those tonight.