The History of "Eric"

The name "Eric" is a Norwegian name that means "only ruler." It is the 69th most popular boys name in the United States. The official name day is on May 18 in Norway and Sweden. The different spellings are based on language. "Eric" is from France and "Erik" or "Erich" are both German. My parents were not going to name anything other than Eric, but if I was born a girl, my name would have been Haley. The name "Eric" has no special importance or significance behind it.

Symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God

1. Janie's Hair- Janie's hair represents her freedom. When her hair is down she is free but when her hair is up and not hanging free she is constricted and stuck where she is.

2. Pear Tree- The significance of the pear tree for Janie is that she has many life changing revelations under it. It is underneath it where she sets her standard for life fulfillment. She becomes a woman as spring begins to bloom.

3. Gate- The gate represents a new life for Janie. It is the barrier between what she has and what she wants.

4. Horizon- The horizon symbolizes a future life for Janie. When she looks into it she is dreaming about what she wants her life to be like and then tries to make it a reality.

5. Head rag- The head rag that represents the dominance that Joe Starks tries to have over Janie. When the head rag is being worn, her hair is tied up. She is not free to be herself because her hair is restrained by the rag.

6. Joe Stark's House- His house symbolizes his reign over the town of Eatonville. It is the only house in the town that is painted white, has two floors, and has balconies. All of the other houses resembled shacks. This made it seem like Joe Starks's house seem like he was a plantation owner and the rest of the people in the town were slaves. The fact that it was painted white also symbolized the race in the book.

7. Tobacco Spittoon- The tobacco spittoon symbolizes the wealth that Joe Starks has over the town. It was a gold vase that some people in the town would have liked as an ornament in their house.

8. Lamp-Lighting up town- The lamp lighting up the town symbolizes the new era that is unfolding with Joe Starks as the mayor. He industrializes the city and brings it up to contemporary times.

9. Overalls- The overalls symbolize a working man or woman that is poor. It represents this because typically, a woman would wear a sun dress. Janie was wearing the overalls instead of a sun dress.

10. Mule- The mule that pops up twice in the story represents a laborer or a slave.

Imagery in Their Eyes Were Watching God

1.”From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom.” (p. 10). This quotation is talking about the pear tree that Janie sits under.

2. “It was like a flute song forgotten in another existence…” (p. 10). This example is explaining the revelations that Janie has under the tree.

3. “…alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her.” (p. 11). Zora Neale Hurston is describing the environment surrounding the pear tree.

4. “…dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the exstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight.” (p. 11). This example is talking about a bee going into a pear blossom.

5. “They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.” (p. 33). This imagery talks about the day and the night come from the same place just like how certain events can be seen as either the start of something good or bad.

6. “She must look on herself as the bell-cow, the other women were the gang. So the put on one of her bought dresses and went up the new-cut road all dressed in wine-colored red. Her silken ruffles rustled and muttered about her. The other women had on percale and calico with here and there a headrag among the older ones.” (p. 41).

7. “Her voice began snagging on the prongs of her feelings.” (p. 13).

8. “He spoke of the joys of mule-heaven to which the dear brother had departed this valley of sorrow…” (p. 60).

9. “Things packed up and put away in parts of her heart where he could never find them.” (p. 72).

10. “incredulous laughter burst out of their eyes and leaked from the corners of their mouths…” (p. 37)