Woman’s Search for Identity in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Thei

Woman’s Search for Identity in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watching God. The main female characters of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Seraph on the Suwanee, move from oppression to liberation throughout the course of the novel. Their journey to find their own â€Å"niche† in life occurs via their relationships with men. For Janie, her relationships with dominant male figures stifle her identity as well as her ability to achieve self-actualization. For Arvay Meserve, her personal background and relationship with her authoritarian husband cause miscommunication and thus prevent her from personal growth and awareness. In both cases, a hurricane is the mechanism through which both women find their identities and place in life. Janie’s previous husbands—Logan and Joe—and Arvay’s husband, Jim Meserve, â€Å"sometimes play more the role of substitute parent than that of a husband† (Roark 207). Clearly, this type of relationship impedes one’s self-actualization (including the recognition of one’s personal desires and aspirations). While a father figure is completely...