Journal #8

Part 1:

I think that Hurston chose the title she did because the book is heavily centered around religion. There are many biblical references throughout the story and often times they may come across as cynical. I think Hurston's purpose in naming the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God  is because she wants possibly hint at the fact that while people believe in a certain religion, the "god" that they follow often times does not come through in their time of need. She highlights this just before the flood near the end of the novel. "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching god" (Hurston 213). Just after this line is said, the flood begins and everything goes down hill.

Part 2:

An alternative title I think Hurston could have used for her book is Sunset. It's a little simplistic but I think it really ties into the story well. Two out of three of Janie's husbands all end up in death, which is connected to the sun-down imagery throughout the story. It links to all parts of the novel, and since the book is also cynical of religion at times, I think sundown sums it up pretty well. The sun being gone is associated with a lack of a presence of God, which in a sense is critical of religion.

Part 3:

The title of my pastiche is Skyscrapers.  I think that this is the best possible title for my story because the imagery of skyscrapers comes up a large amount. It becomes a critical motif in the novel and helps to tie everything together. It also builds into the theme greatly and personally I think that most main ideas in a story would make a good title for that particular work. To me the motif of skyscrapers stood out the most and I felt that it would be a good way to incorporate the reader into the story right from the get-go.