From Mules and Men by Zora Neal Hurston

 4/5 

328

From Mules and Men by Zora Neal Hurston

The way the dialect is written in these escepts is similar to the passage from Motherwhit by Onnie Lee Logan. Both are intelligent black women with strong familial ties and thick southern accents. They were both born in Alabama, too. In comparison, Mules and Men is much more difficult to understand. The written tongue of Hurston and the people she talks about makes the reading more complex and the reader must be careful to understand all Hurston discusses. Although the accent of the people in this passage adds much complexity, it is important to remember that this adds to the depth to the meaning of the story itself. Hurston writes of the true experiences of a southern black woman. Not many writers in her time wrote the dialogue and experiences as they were, and for the reader to gain a deeper understanding of Hurston’s heritage and anthropological findings, they must open their minds to seeing Hurston’s experiences as they are. 

I found her experiences with Turner teaching her voodoo to be very interesting. “Once a woman, an excited, angry woman, wanted something done to keep her husband true. So she came and paid Turner gladly for his services” (419). I think of voodoo as a scary dark art, but in Hurston’s findings, voodoo is just another way to solve issues in the community. Like religion, it is a practice that brings comfort to those seeking answers to life’s hardest questions. Hurston sees the positive impact voodoo has in the New Orleans community. “He wanted me to stay with him to the end. It has been a great sorrow to me that I could not say yes” (421). I think Hurston could have been a person people in that community looked up to, just like Turner the voodoo doctor. She has passion for duty and is naturally very curious. Her life is so unique and interesting and I hope more people are able to see this despite the potential linguistic barrier.