Through her Jump at the Sun Movie, Zora Neale Hurston, a female African American, exhibits her fierce originality as she celebrates Black culture, depicting black customs as being rich and progressive. The film biography uses Hurston as an illustration to the effect that African Americans can attain success despite the presence of insurmountable odds. In effect, Hurston’s Jump at the Sun Movie encourages African Americans to pursue their ambitions besides showing that African American culture is rich and progressive and equal to White culture.
For example, the movie traces Hurston’s Eatonville, Florida roots, showing that Hurston grew up amid proud, self-governing, self-sufficient, and autonomous African Americans. Moreover, Hurston’s compatriots are portrayed as being deeply engrossed in Black folk customs. This aspect shows that African American customs are essentially a self-reliant people who have a rich and satisfying culture. Hurston thus pays due homage to her African American heritage, showing it to be just as prosperous as its White counterpart. The prevailing stereotypes that Whites are superior to African Americans are thus quashed.
In addition, Hurston’s movie documents her relationship with her father – a clergy man in the Baptist faith, indicating that the father always reminded his daughter that African Americans could become renowned poets. The movie also includes the remark that Hurston’s mother inculcated into her daughter the concept that she (Hurston) should not allow her femininity to prevent her from achieving her dreams.
The movies’ title is thus derived from Hurston’s mother’s constant reminder that her daughter should ‘jump at de’ sun’. This element, coupled with the fact that Hurston was among the pioneer African American women to venture into literary work, effectively dissolves any myths that African Americans do not have literary abilities. Moreover, through Hurston’s father’s encouragement to his daughter, African Americans are shown to have a progressive culture that is future-oriented.
In conclusion, Hurston’s biographical movie recounts the events in Hurston’s life, thus encouraging Blacks to pursue their aspirations. By describing the relationship that Hurston had with her parents, the movie also demonstrates that African Americans have a rich and progressive culture. Myths that African Americans are retrogressive and inferior to Whites are thus invalidated.
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