Their Eyes Were Watching God emerged in 1937 as the definitive achievement of Zora Neale Hurston, a writer whose expansive career spanned anthropology, journalism, and folklore. Moving from Notasulga, Alabama, to the self-governed enclave of Eatonville, Florida, she cultivated a distinct perspective on the African-American experience that eventually defined her role within the Harlem Renaissance movement.
Academic Foundations and Research
Hurston’s intellectual trajectory began in earnest at Howard University, where she earned an associate degree in 1920. She subsequently became the first African-American student admitted to Barnard College, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in anthropology in 1928. Under the mentorship of Franz Boas at Columbia University, she refined her ethnographic methods. This training facilitated extensive fieldwork, during which she documented Hoodoo traditions and cultural practices across the Caribbean and the American South, later synthesized in works such as Mules and Men and Tell My Horse.
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Beyond her ethnographic studies, Hurston published four novels including Jonah's Gourd Vine, Moses, Man of the Mountain, and her most recognizable work, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Her literary output extended to over 50 short stories, plays, and numerous essays addressing contemporary societal issues. She participated in the Harlem Renaissance, contributing to pivotal anthologies like The New Negro and Fire!!. Her writing documented the nuances of racial division and regional identity, often utilizing the vernacular and folklore traditions of the communities she studied.
Later Years and Posthumous Recognition
Following a career marked by intellectual production, Hurston died in Fort Pierce, Florida, in 1960 and was buried at the Garden of Heavenly Rest Cemetery. While her literary influence faced a period of dormancy, it underwent a significant revival in 1975. Subsequent discoveries within the Smithsonian archives led to the publication of Every Tongue Got to Confess in 2001. Her final nonfiction work, Barracoon: The Story of the Last 'Black Cargo', documenting the life of Cudjoe Lewis, was published in 2018.
Fast facts
- Born: 1891, Notasulga
- Died: 1960, Fort Pierce
- Primary Field: Literature
- Movement: Harlem Renaissance
- Education: Howard University, Columbia University, Barnard College
- Notable Work: Their Eyes Were Watching God
- Key Award: Guggenheim Fellowship (1936, 1937)
- Burial Site: Garden of Heavenly Rest Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was Hurston's academic background?
She attended Howard University and later studied anthropology at Barnard College and Columbia University under Franz Boas.
Why is her work historically significant?
She pioneered early ethnographic research into African-American and Caribbean folklore and provided a critical lens on racial dynamics in the early-20th-century American South.
Achievements
- Notable work: Their Eyes Were Watching God
