  The most respected black writer of the Harlem Renaissance, Richard Wright, said of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, “[it] carries no theme, no message, no thought,” and after reading the novel for myself I came to the conclusion that Mr. Wright’s perspective and preformed filters limited his ability to perceive the delicate and emotional subtleties of the story. Their Eyes Were Watching God records one woman’s pursuit of love, a venture which is beautifully complex and unexpectedly educational. Unlike a majority of black writers in the 1930s who created serious, in-your-face literature, Hurston chose to write a novel that extended beyond the black protest tradition and connected with readers on a level unaffected by race or gender.
Hurston does not blatantly broadcast an image of black struggle as her early critics would have preferred; instead, she unfurls a story, revealing intricacies of love and emotion that many men are never privy to. Although writers such as Richard Wright believe love to be trivial in comparison to the awareness of black oppression, Hurston’s novel should be commended for discussing unique and unexplored topics.
Their Eyes challenges the notion that riches and status alone can attract a woman to a man, and reinforces the message that a man must respect a woman for her mind for a relationship to be truly fulfilling. The emotional journey of Janie Crawford, the female protagonist, encouraged me to believe that true love is attainable through perseverance, and that the tragedy of loss is outweighed by the memories of time spent with a soul mate. By: Ryan E PS - It's a shame this book was out of print for 30 years 
