Constance Renee` Bailey |
SCHOOL: Alcorn State University
MAJOR: English Literature MENTOR: Dr. Ethel Young-Minor EXPECTED GRADUATION DATE: May 2002 ORGANIZATIONS & HONORS:
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ABSTRACT
The Resounding Silence:
The Role of Voice and Interiority on the Assertiveness of Zora Neale
Hurston's Female Characters
The purpose of this research is to critically evaluate the role of voice and silence in Zora Neale Hurston's short story "Spunk" and her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Specifically, the intent is to examine how Hurston's female characters use both voice and silence to establish themselves as assertive entities. Personal experiences of Hurston that creatively stifled her are manifested in her female characters. Oftentimes, these women opt for silence because they wish to speak to effect change rather than to simply create verbal noise. Lena and Janie, the central figures in these works, exemplify how Hurston uses interior voice to describe a character's actions in certain situations. Ultimately, these characters arise as dynamic individuals because of their actions, their speech, and of course their silence. |