Question
Read the excerpt from Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Mrs. Turner, like all other believers had built an altar to the unattainable-Caucasian characteristics for all. Her
god would smite her, would hurl her from pinnacles and lose her in deserts, but she would not forsake his altars.
Behind her crude words was a belief that somehow she and others through worship could attain her paradise-
a heaven of straighthaired, thin-lipped, high-nose boned white seraphs.
How does Zora Neale Hurston use Mrs. Turner to present a cultural criticism?
She mocks Mrs. Turner’s strict religious practices.
She critiques Mrs. Turner’s obsession with material wealth.
She mocks Mrs. Turner’s belief that everyone should look alike.
She critiques Mrs. Turner’s use of profane language.
Mrs. Turner, like all other believers had built an altar to the unattainable-Caucasian characteristics for all. Her
god would smite her, would hurl her from pinnacles and lose her in deserts, but she would not forsake his altars.
Behind her crude words was a belief that somehow she and others through worship could attain her paradise-
a heaven of straighthaired, thin-lipped, high-nose boned white seraphs.
How does Zora Neale Hurston use Mrs. Turner to present a cultural criticism?
She mocks Mrs. Turner’s strict religious practices.
She critiques Mrs. Turner’s obsession with material wealth.
She mocks Mrs. Turner’s belief that everyone should look alike.
She critiques Mrs. Turner’s use of profane language.
Ask by Crawford Valdez. in the United States
Mar 27,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
Hurston uses Mrs. Turner to mock the idea that everyone should look the same.
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Mind Expander
Zora Neale Hurston uses Mrs. Turner as a vehicle for cultural criticism by highlighting the absurdity and tragedy of her worship of unattainable Caucasian ideals. Through Mrs. Turner’s character, Hurston reveals how some individuals can become entrapped in self-denial, striving for an identity that denies their own cultural heritage, which she illustrates as both misguided and damaging. This serves as a striking commentary on the broader impact of societal beauty standards.
Furthermore, Mrs. Turner’s obsession with the qualities associated with whiteness exposes the internalized racism present in the community. Hurston effectively critiques this phenomenon by showcasing how it perpetuates a divisive hierarchy, leading individuals away from self-acceptance and cultural pride, thereby emphasizing the importance of embracing one’s authentic identity in the face of societal pressures.
