What does journeying the horizon mean in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Answer 1

In "Their Eyes Were Watching God," journeying the horizon symbolizes Janie's quest for self-discovery and independence. It represents her desire to break free from societal expectations and find her own voice and purpose in life. Janie's journey towards the horizon reflects her ongoing search for happiness and fulfillment.

Answer 2

"Journeying the horizon" - means living your life, reaching your dreams, and experiencing the world around you. Man Dreams of his ships on the horizons and the adventures they experience. In the first paragraph of chapter 1 - Hurston writes: Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away n resignation, his dreams mocked to death by time. The ships hold the dreams of men (and women). Some are lucky enough to have their ship come in - to be happy at home, where they are, but for many they must go and reach their dreams. The horizon is far off and no one really knows what is out there, but for Janie she had to go out past her childhood, past the gate and into new towns to expereince what the world had in store for her. She was a strong character - one could compare her to a man (or the hero) of the novel. When one takes his eyes off of the ship - off of the horizon - he gives up on the dreams. Time is the enemy and if we just continue to sit and watch and not go out into the world then our dreams along with us will eventually die. In the end of the book Janie tells Phoeby "yoy got tuh go there tuh know there. Yo papa and yo Mama and nobody else can't tell yuh and show yuh. Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got to go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin fuh themselves." This is exactly what Janie did - she journeyed on the horizon.