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ZoraNealeHurstonprovestobeastudyincontrastsablackwriterreachingawhiteaudienceawomanstrugglinginaman'sprofessionanindependentthinkerlivinginaconformist(墨守成规的)era.Nowalmost50 yearssinceherdeathherhardworkandgreatnovelsstillhavemuchtoteachthemodemaudience.Sheovercamethechallengesshefacedandshowedthatdeterminationmakesanythingpossible.
HurstonthoughtmuchofherdeeplyindividualisticpersonalitywasdevelopedbecauseoftheexperienceofgrowingupinEatonvilleFlorida.Thetownwasuniqueinthatitwasparticularlyhotinthesummerbutmildatothertimesoftheyear.Hurstonalwayssaidgrowingupinacommunitytotallyseparatefromthelargerwhitesocietyallowedherfreedomandindependencenotavailabletoeveryoneinthesouth.
HurstonbeganherundergraduatestudiesatHowardUniversitybutherobviousintelligenceandtalentsoonearnedherascholarshiptoBarnardCollegeinNewYorkCity.Movingnorthinthe1920shelpedhergettoknowtheHarlemRenaissanceablackculturalmovementthatproducedexceptionalachievementsinliteratureartandmusic.CommunicatingwiththelikesofLangstonHughesW.E.B.DuBoisBillieHolidayandDukeEllingtonHurstondevelopedherskillsasawriterandpublishedlotsofshortstoriesandpoems.
Hermostinfluentialworkgrewoutofherattempttorecordtheblackexperience.ThatnovelcalledTheirEyesWereWatchingGodwasaboutthreegenerationsofafamilylivinginEatonville.HerinterestingrepresentationofthesoutherndialectcausedherHarlemRenaissancecontemporariestolookdownupontheworkforwhattheysawasitsspreadofinaccuratepatterns.Hurstonhoweverremainedtruetoherprojectbelievingthattheaccuracyofherrepresentationwouldfinallywinoverthepoliticalpressuresherpeersforcedhertoaccept.
HistoryhasshownthatHurstonwasright.Modemcriticsadmireherauthentic(真实的)andskillfulrepresentationofthelanguageaswellasherrealisticdescriptionofdailylifeintheearlytwentiethcentury.SheisuniversallyconsideredasoneofthebestwritersofhereraandrankedwithToniMorrisonMayaAngelouandAliceWalkerasoneofthemostimportantAfrican-