Transcendence Vs Transformation: Comparing the Pursuit of Knowledge in Marlowe and Hurston

Abstract

The word “dissatisfaction” is often associated with negative concepts, such as those of ingratitude and unease, because it suggests that one does not appreciate what they currently possess. However, dissatisfaction is not simply discontentment, but instead a recognition that something is missing. Therefore, it is a powerful force because it compels people to question their current state and act on it to reshape their lives by taking matters into their own hands. Literature explores this topic, revealing that dissatisfaction has the power to transform or ruin an individual. Christopher Marlowe and Zora Neale Hurston do just this through their works: The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus and Their Eyes Were Watching God. In Marlowe’s work, Faustus sells his soul to Lucifer to gain the servitude of the demon Mephostophilis for 24 years in order to pursue unlimited knowledge and power because he is dissatisfied with his current level of knowledge. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie’s dissatisfaction stems from her three marriages and her search for genuine love, both from men and from herself. These texts acknowledge that dissatisfaction itself is not inherently destructive; it is instead how one confronts, engages with, and learns from dissatisfaction that is necessary to improve the human condition. Both Faustus and Janie undergo this process by recognizing their individual dissatisfactions, confronting uncertainty, and facing consequences to pursue what they want in life.