Woman's Voice and Identity in "their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston With Reference To Race, Class and Gender

Abstract

In this study we will focus on the race, class and gender effects on thedevelopment of voice and identity. The identity of women is an importantconcept and shapes the lives of women in their own conditions. There is not justone stereotype of woman rather there are women coming from very different lifeconditions, groups and classes. For this reason identity is a concept that ischanging with regards to many conditions. In this study identity concept isanalyzed in general and adapted to the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.After the analysis of identity, African American writer Zora NealeHurston?s Their Eyes Were Watching God is surveyed. In doing the analysis thecharacters within the book are decomposed and then the events that take placein the novel are looked over. The important theme Janie?s struggle to find hervoice and identity in terms of race class and gender is analyzed. The theme ofvoice, gaining one?s own voice is important to gain an identity and has beengiven special emphasis.Bu çalışmada ırk, cinsiyet ve sınıf farkının kadın kimliği ve buna bağlı olarak ta kadın sesi oluşumundaki etkileri incelenmiştir. Kadın kimliği oluşumunda içinde bulunulan sosyal, sınıfsal ve ırksal koşullar direkt olarak etkilidir. Ayrıca bu çalışmada kimlik kavramı genel olarak ele alınmış ve gerçekçi bir roman ve romanın kadın karakteri referans verilerek ele alınmıştır.Afrika asıllı yazar Zora Neale Hurston'ın "Their Eyes Were Watching God", "Tanrıya Bakıyorlardı" adlı 1937 basımlı romanındaki kadın karakteri Janie'nin kadın kimliği ve sesi oluşumundaki süreci, sebepleri ve sonuçları yaşamı incelenerek irdelenmiştir.