ABSTRACT
For over a decade, scholars have been rereading and reconsidering the elements and nuances of Africana culture as reflected in the works of Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston’s most popular and most highly acclaimed novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, has inspired tremendous interest. For mainstream feminists, racism is not a priority, as they are more concerned with the empowerment of women. They attempt to place the woman in total control of her life, oftentimes without participation on the part of her family (males included) in this endeavor. There are several main components of the Africana womanist characterized by Janie’s quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Among them is the protagonist’s desire to name and define herself; which is demonstrated throughout the work. The Africana woman’s desire for positive male companionship is also described in Hurston’s novel through Janie’s unyielding quest to find it.
