In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, the relationship between Janie and Nanny is a big argument over whether it is healthy or not. The idea that the most influential person in Janie's life is also the one who sparked her struggles as she became a woman is sadly ironic. Nanny's true influence on Janie is highlighted through symbolic and decaying diction, biblical and Greek mythological allusions, and natural metaphors, describing Janie's journey toward womanhood, finding her own opinion, gaining a stable life with Nanny, her maturation, and what she gained by becoming a woman. Through the use of symbolic diction, decaying diction, and metaphors, Hurston illustrates Janie's inner struggle to accept Nanny's opinions as the correct ones. Inside Janie's conscious self, "there is a pool in [her] mind where words float over thought and thought over sound and sight..." where she can think freely with thoughts that are " …untouched by words” (24). It's a place where Janie can flourish by thinking about ideas without being inhibited by peer pressure. To truly understand the ideas formed in Janie's mind, it is necessary for Janie to get in touch with her body and with herself. However, through symbolic language, it is clear that Janie's impressionability causes her to not fully understand these thoughts; she has not reached the level of maturity necessary for this level of introspection. These qualities cause Janie to tend to mirror Nanny's opinions on issues, even if she internally disagrees with them. This tension is demonstrated when “Nanny entered again into that infinity of conscious pain on her old knees” (24). The "conscious pain" (24) that Janie speaks of...... middle of paper...... Nanny's ideals, values ​​and opinions. Every aspect of Nanny was drilled into Janie, and once Nanny died, Janie was finally a free woman. The reason Janie was able to truly become a woman is because she realized that she was capable of becoming a woman because when Nanny died, she freed her. During the journey Janie went through as she became a woman, she gained knowledge of herself and understood on a deeper level why Nanny did things. As Janie matured, it seemed at first glance that Nanny was hindering her advancement. However, Nanny's controlling actions were justified by her belief that she was doing the right thing and that God would take care of Janie. It is difficult to become a person without being hampered by what others think, it took Nanny's death for Janie to free herself from a significant influence and never return to that period of her life..