An Emotional Life

In what ways could this novel specifically develop empathy and emotional intelligence, as well as contribute to the self-awareness of the reader?

In Hurston's novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" there is a certain degree of emotional intelligence of which the audience could acquire from reading it as it tackles a culture of people that the world has not always necessarily given a detailed spotlight of. The definition of emotional intelligence is, "the capacity to be aware of, control and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically." If we pick apart this definition, one will notice that they use the word "empathy" which means the ability to share the same feelings as another person. When reading a novel, many readers note that the words authors use allow them to tap into the emotional state of the character, and therefore engage more intensely with the plot. This can be said for Hurston's novel, as she had used a likable character (Janie) as the lens to demonstrate the social context of the 1930s for African Americans, but more specifically, African American women. Janie's perception of her first two husbands and the mistreatment by both of them allowed for the audience not just to sympathize with her harsh situation, but also to share that feeling as almost every human being has experienced cruelty in their life. By doing this, the commonality between the protagonist and the reader allows the reader to be more aware of their own surroundings. How? Wallace had made a reference in his essay about how we don't know how the people around us are experiencing life; what their reality is compared to ours. If I had walked in Joe's store and saw Janie, I'd assume that because she was the mayor's life that life must be great due to the attitude of chivalry and joyfulness that Joe presents to the public. To be honest, I'd assume that since I had less money than Janie that my life was far worse than hers as I was thinking in my "default-setting" where I am the center of the universe and everyone's problems are not as significant as mine. However, this ignorance of mine limits my ability to be emotionally intelligent. The same could be applied to the readers' perception of racism in post-slavery America. White Americans during this time would perceive the African American race as subaltern to them–marginalizing them with polluted perceptions like stereotypes. It's fair to say that most white people in the 1930s had an air of superiority, wearing narcissistic attitudes day-in-day-out. Therefore, when the two white men saw Tea Cake after the hurricane, they assumed that their grief and the needs that came with that were far more important than his and demanded his absolute service; presenting emotional stupidity through the judgment that others besides them don't have an existence. Relating it to Janie's journey of self-discovery, I'd have to refer to Wallace's line where he says, "learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think....aware to choose what you pay attention to and choose how you construct meaning from experience" as this can be linked to when Janie evaluates her whole life at the end of the novel. Yes, her husband had died, but she views her life from a grander sense instead of focusing in on the downfalls. By doing this, she garners a greater appreciation for her journey "tuh de horizon and back" and therefore is satisfied with how her life turned out. As, Janie's journey through two husbands pales in comparison to her fantastic short time with Tea Cake, of which in her eyes, is a far more emotionally satisfying and joyous memory to focus on than the negative majority of her life. To summarize, Hurston encourages readers to be more self-aware as it demands for a world where people are more perceptive and empathetic of others and learn how not to let the small bumps put a damper on a sunny day.