Hurston knew her subject matter inside and out, whether it be the poor african american communities of florida or harlem during the renaissance. In her early career, hurston conducted anthropological and ethnographic research while attending barnard college. It is the story of a confident man who steals a weaker mans wife, and how the husband gets his revenge after death. Gender plays a significant role in both of these stories for both the male and female characters. On may 1, 1925, at a literary awards dinner sponsored by opportunity magazine, the earthy harlem newcomer turned heads and raised eyebrows as she claimed four awards. Her father, john hurston was a carpenter and baptist preacher. About this collection zora neale hurston plays at the. They have to list the major and minor characters, i put the list on the board. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Dive deep into zora neale hurstons spunk with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. This story of a fatal love triangle, contrasted against the story sweat, exemplifies the observable lovehate relationship hurston seemed to have with the ideas of love and marriage. Analysis of zora neale hurstons spunk free essay example.
Analysis of zora neale hurstons spunk essay 880 words. The beauty of it is the way we really only get the story from the point of view of the town gossip. Mystery, tension, and the supernatural in zora neale. Pdf the aim of this paper is to analyze the representation of spunk courage in zora neale hurstons short story entitled spunk. Valerie boyd, a protofeminist postcard from haiti, the official zora neale hurston website, zoranealehurston. It is one of the tragedies of life that one cannot have all. Eatonville was the first all black town to be incorporated in the u. Zora neale hurston january 7, 1891 january 28, 1960 was an american author, anthropologist, and filmmaker.
Zora neale hurstons spunk 1925 is a story of lust, killing, and supernatural revenge set in rural florida. Spunk is zora neale hurstons third published short story and helped launch her career. Spunk was only the third short story zora neale hurston published, and it was immediately successful. Zora neale hurston, spunk, short story, opportunity. Two classic narratives about revenge and redemption. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of spunk by zora neale hurston. They have only eyes and ears, we see with the skin. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The first outside scholar to see the scripts was carla kaplan of the university of southern california, who visited the library of congress in 1997 to look for letters for her 2002 edition of hurstons correspondence zora neale hurston.
Her mother lucy potts hurston, a former school teacher, died when zora was a child. Spunk isis muttsey sweat the gilded sixbits cock robin beale street book of harlem story in harlem slang glossary of. Her mother was lucy ann potts hurston, who had taught school before marrying, and after marriage, had eight children with her husband, the reverend john hurston, a. As the archive develops, we hope to also display fulltext images and excerpts from hurstons letters, autobiography, and various novels, short stories, and related writings.
She grew up in eatonville, in the first incorporated allblack town in the united states. Zora hurstons pieces spunk and sweat both feature antagonists who are strong and meanspirited men who eventually face their downfall due to their karma. Zora neale hurston uses symbolism to introduce the reader to the world of voodoo. Spunk by zora neale hurston a giant of a brownskinned man sauntered up the one street of the village and out into the palmetto thickets with a small pretty woman clinging lovingly to his arm. For instance, if a white person were halted on the streets of orlando and told. The role of guilt in spunk by zora neale hurston in spunk by zora neale hurston, the main character joe kantys death is the tool used to shape the characters in her story. A giant of a brownskinned man sauntered up the one street of the.
She also wrote more than 50 short stories, plays, and essays. The short stories contained in this book reflect the manifold talents of zora neale hurston as a fiction writer. Race and gender in the work of zora neale hurston, 1999 deborah g. They have to fill choose the character they can prove is jumping at the. Analysis of zora neale hurstons spunk essay 880 words cram. Abstract the aim of this paper is to analyze the representation of spunk courage in zora neale hurstons short story entitled spunk. On the one hand she found strong men electrifying but was equally wary of weakness in a man masquerading as strength. Guilt in spunk by zora neale hurston essay 1220 words. Zora neale hurston, novelist, dramatist, folklorist, and anthropologist was born in, eatonville florida, on the day of the 7th, she heard tell, of january in 1903. Spunk banks this character is a giant of a brownskinned man and a sawmill worker with flashy clothes, a guitar, and a way with women joe kanty this character is a small, roundshouldered man with illfitting clothes and a nervous disposition.
Zora neale hurston january 7, 1891 january 28, 1960 was an american folklorist and author during the time of the harlem renaissance, best known for the 1937 novel their eyes were watching god. It was dammed up in me, and i wrote it under internal pressure in seven weeks. Zora neale hurston moved with her family to eatonville, florida, while she was very young. After a few share their thoughts, i tell them that we are going to watch a short video on the life of zora neale hurston. Mystery, tension, and the supernatural in zora neale hurston. Zora neale hurston s short story opens by giving us a physical description of spunk, the storys main character. Zora neale hurston s spunk 1925 is a story of lust, killing, and supernatural revenge set in rural florida. In spunk the antagonist is a man who is intimidating in size, and gives. Zora neale hurstons 18911960 brief tale spunk originally appeared in the magazine opportunity. A giant of a brownskinned man sauntered up the one street of the village and out into the palmetto thickets with a small pretty woman clinging lovingly to his arm. Folklorist, anthropologist, novelist, short story writer, playwright, and renaissance woman zora neale hurston was born on january 7,1891 in notasulga, alabama. Zora neale hurston 18911960 all of her books appeared in the i neale was lindonbt a prodct of the harlem renaissanc. Hurston had visited haiti and jamaica in the 1930s and had become very interested in the practice of voodoo.
Zora neale hurstons short story opens by giving us a physical description of spunk, the storys main character. When zora was just a toddler, her parents moved their family to eatonville, florida. As the characters develop a guilty conscience, they realize just that. She portrayed racial struggles in the early1900s american south and published research on hoodoo. A video of the 2008 zora neale hurston festival in eatonville, florida. Zora neale hurstonnovelist, folklorist, and anthropologistwas known during the harlem renaissance for her wit, irreverence, and folk writing style. Eatonville would become the setting for many of her stories and is now the site of the zora. The following sites are major repositories of hurston s writings and describe a range of archival materials. Pdf file you will need software on your computer that allows you to read and. He is a materialist with little care for overtones. When elijah first spots spunk and lena sauntering off to be alone, he cries out for all to hear. Telling almost the entire story through the viewpoint of the town general store gossip spunk is a great ghost story set in hurstons beloved eatonville, florida.
Spunk by zora neale hurston short story magic tricks. Zora neale hurston simple english wikipedia, the free. Meisenhelder, hitting a straight lick with a crooked stick. Following joes murder, the characters experience different forms of guilt, representing hurston s belief that everyone in our world has a conscience. Zora neale hurston best known for her book their eyes are watching god 1937, was born in an all black town of eatonville, florida on january 7, 1891. Following joes murder, the characters experience different forms of guilt, representing hurstons belief that everyone in our world has a conscience. Any other night, delia jones would have been in bed for two hours by this time. Spunk banks this character is a giant of a brownskinned man and a sawmill worker with flashy clothes, a guitar, and a way with women. Critics have praised its mythic quality achieved by her use of material from folklore and voodoo perry 123, ikonne 18485. Zora neale hurston, american contrarian the new yorker.
Howard, zora neale hurston, 1980 john lowe, jump at the sun. Born in 1891 in notasulga, alabama, zora neale hurston was one of eight children born to john hurston and lucy potts hurston. She immediately confirmed that a scholarly treasure had been uncovered. Community and the folk, in community, the making of. But she was a washwoman, and monday morning meant a great deal to her. Jan 31, 2018 zora neale hurston moved with her family to eatonville, florida, while she was very young. The following sites are major repositories of hurstons writings and describe a range of archival materials. Video of the writer alice walker talking about her idol zora neale hurston. The story takes place in a rural, allblack southern town, much like eatonville, florida, where hurston grew up. Community and the folk, in community, the making of african. Once everyone is seated, i ask them what they thought of the short story spunk by zora neale hurston. May 08, 2006 the role of guilt in spunk by zora neale hurston in spunk by zora neale hurston, the main character joe kantys death is the tool used to shape the characters in her story. After joe leaves in search of lena and spunk, walter and elijah reflect on. Alice walker is a pulitzer prizewinning novelist and essayist.
Publication date 1986 topics hurston, zora neale, hurston, zora neale, women and literature, african americans in literature, folklore in literature. She left home at the age of 17, finished high school in baltimore, and went on to study at howard university, barnard college, and columbia university before becoming one of. Analysis of zora neale hurstons spunk essay 881 words. Heath anthology of american literaturezora neale hurston. She grew up in eatonville, florida, which was one of the first allblack towns in americathe local government was run by africanamericans as were all of the businesses. Zora neale hurston january 7, 1891 january 28, 1960 was an american folklorist and author during the time of the harlem renaissance, best known for the 1937 novel their. The philosophy and politics of zora neale hurston, 1995. About the author 1997 zora neale hurston was born in 1901 in eatonville, fla. The beauty of it is the way we really only get the story from the point of.
So she collected the soiled clothes on saturday when she returned the clean things. It is fairly certain that she was the fifth child born in a total of eight to her parents. This set of lesson plans consists of approximately 74 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials. They are more confident on how is spunks death foreshadowed. Spunk zora neale hurston was born on january 7, 1891 in nostagula, florida. Hurston, zora neale, hurston, zora neale, women and literature, african. Read spunk, a short story by zora neale hurston biblioklept. Zora neale hurston 18911960 was a novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist whose fictional and factual accounts of black heritage remain unparalleled. The most popular of her four novels is their eyes were watching god, published in 1937.
The next question asks them to make a connection between zora neale hurston and the characters. Hurston traveled extensively, documenting the expressions of southern black folk, and her works reflect a lifelong fascination with the black folk communitymost notably her own eatonville, florida, birthplace. A short video on hurston prepared for the neas big read of their eyes were watching god. Zora neale hurston has created two characters who have different kinds of courage, so deciding on their relative degree will depend on the readers perspective. Hurston was born in notasulga, alabama, and moved to eatonville, florida, with her family in 1894. She won second prize in the 1925 literary contest of the urban leagues journal, opportunity, for her short story spunk, which also appeared in the new negro.