"Hardship and Love"

The movie "Their Eyes Were Watching God", is a film produced by Oprah Winfrey Zora Neale Hurston's novel. Zora Neale Hurston was a well known African American author during the Harlem Renaissance. The movie shows the division between African Americans in an all black community in Eatonville, Florida. Halle Berry character Janie Crawford is a strong young lady who marries the mayor of Eatonville and becomes submissive to his every wish. She makes his food and helps run the family store. She eventually becomes depress after she realizes that her husband does not love her the way she loves him. She does not have the ability to socialize with other women in the community because her husband forces her to abide by his will. Janie is deprived of her life and goals until her husband Joe Sparks dies in vain. After he passes away she is independent and free, she expresses to her friend how she is not grieving the death of her husband. Janie does find love again with a grambler by the name of Tea Cake and moves to Everglades for work. She is criticized by women in the community who believes that Tea Cake will use her for her money and run off. Tea Cake does have his flaws but he truly loves Janie and makes her feel like a lady. He becomes sick after he is bitten by a dog with rabids saving Janie's life during a hurricane. During his sickness he begins to become jealous and losses his mind. He pulls a gun on Janie after he thinks she is cheating which leds to Janie killing him with a rifle. Janie returns home and tells her story to her best friend Pheoby. This novel embodies the race and gender roles in early African American communities. It also shows the social tension that men and women of the same race endured during the 20th century.