Author Biography

Lydia Fleck


Words: 398


Zora Neale Hurston


Zora Neale Hurston lived a cultivated life throughout her childhood and later years. Consequently, it impacted her book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by the scenarios and characters used. To begin, Hurston's childhood was difficult, but she managed to make the most of her circumstances. She was born on January 7, 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama to two former slaves, John and Lucy Hurston. At the time, John was a Baptist pastor, but after they moved to Eatonville, Florida, which was “the first incorporated black community in America” (Women in History, lkwdpl.org), in 1894, he became the mayor. Hurston had an older sister, Sarah, and younger brother, John. In 1904, they all had to endure their mother's death and father's remarriage. This caused her relationship with her father to all but disintegrate. However, Hurston utilized these circumstances in Their Eyes Were Watching God. For instance, Hurston moved to Eatonville and her father became mayor. Likewise, the main character of the book, Janie, moved to Eatonville, Florida, and her husband became the town's mayor.
Towards the 1920s, Hurston supported herself doing odd jobs to get an education. After Howard University granted her with an associate degree, Hurston went to the Harlem Renaissance in New York. This is where her interest in writing was established, and Opportunity magazine published some of her short stories. Hurston made her way to Barnard College to study anthropology and eventually integrate it with literature to write works such as "John Redding Goes to Sea,” Jonah's Gourd Vine, and Mules and Men. Before she wrote one of her best known books, Their Eyes Were Watching God, in 1937, Huston's relationship with a younger man ended. This relates to Janie's last love, Tea Cake, who was also a younger man. Additionally, the impact of a black community and the Harlem Renaissance affected this same work by the different characters incorporated in it, and the racism in snippets of the story indicates this.
Lastly, “Hurston struggled financially and personally during her final decade” (Zora Neale Hurston, biography.com). After writing many stories, Hurston died in Fort Pierce, Florida on January 28, 1960. She was a successful author who incorporated her life experiences into pieces of literature. Specifically in her book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston added little details of her life into Janie's circumstances. Overall, Hurston's sixty-nine years of life created an unforgettable woman and author.
Bibliography
Women in History. Zora Neale Hurston biography. Last Updated: 5/1/2013. Lakewood Public Library.
Date accessed 5/1/2013 . <http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/hurs-zor.htm>.

“Zora Neale Hurston.” 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 01 2013, 10:40

Reuben, Paul P. “Chapter 9: Zora Neale Hurston” PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A
Research and Reference Guide. WWW URL:
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