Discipline and Anti-Discipline in Their Eyes Were Watching God
Abstract
Their Eyes Were Watching God is the masterpiece of Zola Neale Hurston, a famous African-American female writer. This essay is analyzed the novel according to Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power, it illustrates that this novel explores the arduous journey of the protagonist Janie’s construction of her own female subjective identification. Janie’s deconstruction of disciplinary male power shows that she is a heroine and pioneer, which reveals Hurston’s view on life and identification of African-American women.
Keywords: discipline, anti-discipline, identity construction, Foucault, Hurston
Contents
Introduction    2
Chapter 1 Faucault’s Discipline Theory    2
1.1 Brief Introduction of Discipline Theory    2
1.2 Discipline Theory and Their Eyes Were Watching God    2
Chapter 2 Discipline in Their Eyes Were Watching God    3
2.1 Grandma’s Discipline    3
2.1.1 Grandma’s Language Discipline    3
2.1.2 Social Background of Grandma’s Discipline    3
2.2 Logan Killicks’ Discipline    4
2.3 Joe Stark’s Discipline    5
Chapter 3 Anti-Discipline and Identity Construction    6
3.1 Anti-Discipline of Janie    6
3.1.1 Anti-Discipline to Grandma    6
3.1.2 Anti-Discipline to Logan Killicks    6
3.2 The Nascence of Self-Conscience    6
3.3 Process of Identity Construction    7
3.3.1 Janie’s Perspective of Human    7
3.3.2 Development of Self-construction    8
3.3.3 Realization of Self-construction    8
3.4 A Pioneer of African-American Women    8
Conclusion    9
Bibliography    10