Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part M (2025)

Zora Neale Hurston in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God explores how Nature is not just the background scenery rather an active reflection of Janie’s desires and emotional growth. The natural world acts as a mirror and catalyst for the transformation in the life of Janie. The whole novel is a series of events that ultimately draws full circle of her life. Her life seems a corollary with the natural world. Just as nature moves through different seasons of growth, flourishing, decay and renewal, Janie’s journey reflects stages of struggle and awakening. This paper is an effort to trace how fate and external forces shape Janie’s journey with nature as reflector. Her pursuit of true love leads her through three marriages, each defining her growth and self-discovery. The novel suggests that life’s journey is guided by the interplay between human determination and the uncontrollable forces of nature, ultimately leading to self-actualization. Different natural elements drive the plot and reflect Janie’s trajectory. Their Eyes Were Watching God also presents nature as nurturer that also provides solace to the characters. The novelist has beautifully drawn an all environment capsule in the novel.