Zora's Modernism

“There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought.” 
― Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora never traveled outside of the United States but she was still a major Modernist writer. Unlike other Black writers of the time, Zora didn't believe black people needed to be uplifted. She saw the beauty in her race without the need to hear or write about the beauty from anyone else. Because of this, Zora's characters range from good and bad, weak and strong. 

Zora experimented with language in her writing. She used Vernacular English that captured black culture at the time. Zora knew that to understand a culture, you had to understand the language of the culture. Zora also used vivid, drawn-out descriptions. Some called these descriptions "rambling," but the wordiness allows the reader to create an image in their heads.

Zora was optimistic about the future of black Americans. Although she traveled through the Deep South and interviewed many black people who told of unsurmountable obstacles, Zora still believed that the future of black people was bright.