Essay Question
In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God language is utilized as a symbolic representation of power. Language is particularly used to represent superiority and dominance over a specific person or persons. Language is also the primary weapon of the former slaves because otherwise they have little or no power in the depicted society. These former slaves use language as a means to prove to each other that they possess power over individuals. This novels shows that there always is a structured system as to whom has power over whom. In this society language is the great divider and the means of the development of a social ladder.
The main purpose of using language as a sign of power is the mere fact that the main characters of this novel were former slaves and thus had no real means of expressing power in their society. With no opportunity to exert power on their former masters they strove to classify themselves among their peers. In this way Their Eyes Were Watching God allows the reader to relate and understand the problem being experienced buy the subjects if the book.
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