Final answer:
Zora Neale Hurston used symbolism and African American Vernacular English in Their Eyes Were Watching God to create a unique African American modernist literature, reflecting her Harlem Renaissance influence and focus on cultural identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, author Zora Neale Hurston utilizes symbolism and African American Vernacular English (AAVE) to craft a narrative that's distinctly African American and resonates with modernist themes. As an influential member of the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston's work, including her most acclaimed novel, conveys the struggles and triumphs of African American life in the early 20th century. By focusing on self-discovery and inner resilience, her characters embody the cultural pride and complexity of African American identity. Hurston's anthropological background, which focused on African American and Caribbean folklore, deeply informed her storytelling, helping her to create vibrant, authentic narratives that celebrated black cultural heritage without pandering to political expectations. Her depiction of African American life, free from the filters of European standards, set her apart during an era when authenticity in depicting African American experience in literature was still evolving.