Those living in today's world are constantly bombarded with stereotypes and distorted images of a consumer society. As a result, they often face a loss of identity because the media attempts to dictate what they should want to be and do. Zora Neale Hurston addresses this age-old quest for self-discovery in her fictional story Their Eyes Were Watching God. Janie Crawford tells her best friend, Pheoby, about her search for her own voice, despite setbacks from her family, her two husbands, and entire towns that try to silence her. From a young age, Janie aspired to enlightenment; However, the roles that Nanny, Logan Killicks, and Joe Starks impose on her prevent her from achieving individuality until she meets and falls in love with Tea Cake, her equal. Recovering from an identity crisis that lasted most of her childhood, Janie realizes who she is. wants to be with the help of a handstand, but his grandmother disapproves of his different feelings and forces him to reject his horizon. Without parents to raise her, Janie loses her sense of identity. She spent her childhood in the care of her grandmother and the white people for whom Nanny worked, and as a result, she spent all her time playing with the Washburns' four children. Janie didn't realize she was different from them until she was six years old. When she first sees a photo of herself, she refuses to recognize her darker skin color. To make up for her lack of herself, she goes by the nickname "Alphabet" because she has so many different names. His ties to the Washburn family and his mixed ethnicity isolate him from both black and white communities. African-American children make fun of her because of her nice clothes; vulnerable and fragile, Jani...... middle of paper ...... behind Joe in his shadow, Janie suffers a loss of identity because, like Logan, her husband treats her like an object, this who is not smarter. than livestock which only serves to make the life of its owner easier. He orders her to tie her beautiful hair up in an old rag, showing that no matter how many times Janie tries to assert her opinion, Joe will always have power over her. Joe perpetuates his wife's submission until he becomes decrepit and sick. His death brings Janie's independence, and she lets her hair down to demonstrate her newfound liberation. No longer willing to “run off on a back road after things,” Janie, full of power, will be content only with her horizon (Hurston 89). Janie's oppressive marriages to Logan Killicks and Joe Starks take away her freedom of speech, but her unbridled voice returns after escaping these poisonous relationships..