Studying the Harlem Renaissance

This course overall has been very interesting. Although some things we've read for the class has been a challenged I'm still walking away from this course understanding things we've read. I also have a better understand of poetry, which has always been a week area for me.

I believe it's still worth while to study the Harlem Renaissance in the 21st century because it's part of American history. This was a period of great achievement for many African Americans and their writing was very creative. I feel it shapes a lot of the writing today. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of diversity. As a future teacher it's important for me to be aware of diversity, but it's also important for me to teach diversity to my students. Having knowledge of diversity makes individuals better people. It makes an individual a well rounding person, and there prejudice around today that we need to try to get rid of. By studying the Harlem Renaissance we may start to get rid of prejudice views and will make the world a better place.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Overall I've really enjoyed reading Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Hurston. While reading it I really got into the character of Janie and I really wanted to keep reading to find out how her life was going to turn out. Throughout the novel there were many times when I felt bad for Janie. I felt bad for her that she had two marriages that weren't good at all. In fact they were really bad. Then when she final does have a good marriage she ends up having to shoot her husband because of his illness. I understand that Janie had to shoot her husband for protection, but the novel seems to make it sound like Janie gets bit by Tea Cake before he dies. Does this mean that Janie is going to get sick the way Tea Cake was. On page 184 it says "Tea Cake crumpled as his bullet buried itself in the joist over Janie's head. Janie save the look on his face and leaped forward as he crashed forward in her arms. She was trying to hover him as he closed his teeth in the flesh of her forearm. They came down heavily like that. Janie struggled to a sitting position and pried the dead Tea Cake's teeth from her arm". This makes me wonder what is going to happen to Janie. I guess since she knows what her husbands illness was she will be able to take the medication and she won't have to worry about being the way Tea Cake was when he was sick.

Overall Hurston is a very interesting writer and I enjoyed this novel.