Zora Neale Hurston and Their Eyes Were Watching GodZora Neale Hurston, an early 20th century African-American feminist author, grew up in a predominantly black community which gave her a unique perspective about race relations, evident in her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston drew on her experiences as a feminist African-American woman to create a story about Janie's magical transformation from an insecure young girl to a thriving woman. Janie experiences many things that make her a compelling character who accompanies readers as her companions, on her journey to discover the mysteries and rewards that life has to offer. Zora Neale Hurston was, the daughter of a Baptist minister and an educated scholar who still believed in the genius contained in the common Southern black vernacular (Hook http://splavc.spjc.cc.fl.us/hooks/Zora.html). She was a woman who found her place, albeit unstable, in a typically male profession. Hurston was born on January 7, 1891 in Eatonville, Florida, the first fully incorporated black town in America. She found a special thing in this town, where she said, "... [I] grew like a pumpkin and screamed a bass like an alligator" (Gale, 1). When Hurston was thirteen she was removed from school and sent to care for her brother's children. She became a member of a traveling theater at the age of sixteen, and then found herself working as a maid for a white woman. This woman saw a spark waiting for fuel, so she arranged for Hurston to attend high school in Baltimore. He also attended Morgan Academy, now called Morgan State University, from which he graduated in June 1918. He then enrolled in Howard Prep School and later Howard University. In 1928 Hurston attended Barnard College where he studied anthropology with Franz Boas. After graduation, Zora returned to Eatonville to begin work on anthropology. Four years after earning his bachelor's degree from Barnard, Hurston enrolled at Columbia University to begin graduate work (Discovering Authors, 2-4). Hurston's life seemed to be going well, but he soon saw the other side of reality. Hurston never stayed in one job too long, constantly rejecting the advances of male employers, which showed part of her strong feminist nature. But Hurston was still searching for true love throughout her travels and education. At Howard University, Hurston met Herburt Sheen whom she married on May 19, 1927 in St...