To what extent is a text a product of culture or tradition?

How do texts and literary works express

the values and beliefs of a society? To what extent can texts shape cultural values? To
understand a text is to understand the time and place in which it was written and read

Their eyes were watching god.

Culture is all around us, it may be found in the way we speak, act, and the beliefs we hold.
Within the course of IB English the core concept of culture speaks on the culture surrounding
the creation of the work and the ways in which this culture is expressed within the novel. The
values and beliefs of a society as well as how the text itself shapes cultural values are essential
to understanding the core concept of culture. Cambridge.org says that to understand a text you
must understand the time and place in which the text was written and intended to be read.
Their eyes were watching god by Zora Neale Hurston is a work that is heavily reliant on the
culture surrounding its creation. Written in 1937 the novel writes of the black experience in
America, however the approach Hurtston takes differs from her peers writing. The novel is
unapologetic, it tells a story of black people without putting an emphasis on the struggles
specific to African americans. Understanding that this was not the standard for works of
American American authors at its time of creation allows the reader to deepen their appreciation
for the novel itself.
Their eyes were watching god express its unique stance on African American literature by
staying silent on the topic. Instead focusing on matters such as gender, self fulfillment, and love.
Although Hurston did not gain a large following during her life, understanding the culture
surrounding her novel allowed for readers years later to appreciate her work.