GrantTEWWG

Grant

Before Reading: I think the quote "//Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board"// mean that once you get away from all things holding you back in life and start fresh, you will accomplish many things. To me, the "ships at a distance" part mean the little bit in which you are picked up and swooped away from obstacles. The "every man's wish on board" can be seen as the American Dream, for instance. It means that enlightenment of one's life where you have achieved all that can be achieved for one person and they've gotten everything they've ever wanted.

After Reading: After reading the first chapter, I find that the quote "//Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board"// means that you start out far in life, but those who work and reach for their dreams really do. The "ships at a distance" actually stands for women, or black women, perhaps. This book is written by a black women, so it probably stands for the fact that they have less privileges and less rights so they are more "at a distance" from their dreams than men are. Since this book is also about feminism, I think it's trying to explain that the fact that women are women, doesn't mean that they are useless. I think Zora Neale Hurston is trying to prove to people that women are just as willing and determined to reach their goals in life as much as men. The "every man's wish on board" part is trying to show the fact that Zora Neale Hurston and Janie Starks both have dreams, and if they work hard for them, they can reach their dreams.