Journal #6

Death Passage Techniques

#1. Death is always above humans. Birds fly above humans. "in his high house". Gives the impression of Death's over arcing power over humans.


#2. People gathered naturally. Rumor, described as the 'wingless bird' seems like a parallel that operates in tandem with Death. This explains the idea of a more supernatural feeling.

#3. Makes human seem superior to God. "These medical doctors wuz all right with the Godly sick, but they didn't know a thing about a case like his." a) Makes human seem arrogant or simply confident/skilled. b) Implies that Death is greater than God too, as the God based sicknesses can be averted but not the specific ones from Death.

#4. Death seems omniscient. "Stands watchful and motionless all day", "his high house that overlooks the world". This makes Death seem like an active observer, but passive actor.

#5. Death is masculine. All pronouns are male references. Perhaps this continues to indicate the male superiority complex that Hurston has developed through the book?

#6. The use of square-toed refers the reader to nameless-ness. I.e. Death become even more ephemeral and unidentifiable. As a result, the reader and characters can't effectively label death and simply are forced to wait.