Drenched in Light

Hurston’s short story utilizes different anthropological and folkloric elements, which are seen through her use of mythology and fairy tales. Isis dreams of riding horses and wearing elegant clothing because she exists in a world of possibilities that extend past her own reality, whereas Grandma Potts maintains a practical stance on what their roles are in society. They act as foils for each other, and both characters not only behave according to their ages but how they view the world. Grandma Potts is older and has more life experience, so she understands the Racial and Class Distinctions in the American South, while Isis, a young child, has a limited perception; her world consists only of the landscape directly in front of her and her fantasies.

The story’s opening reflects their different viewpoints with Grandma Potts yelling, “You Isie Watts! Git ’own offend at gate post an’ rake up dis yahd!” (45). Immediately, Hurston positions Grandma Potts as far away from not only Isis but the possibility of a life outside their home, which is symbolized by Isis’s fixation with the white shell road. The grandmother and granddaughter duo resides in tension and misunderstand each other’s intentions.