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. Whereas Grandma Potts urges Isis to do her chores and adhere to stereotypical gender roles, Isis wants to have freedom, choices, and autonomy. However, neither one of them communicates their thoughts to the other, leaving them in a state of constant friction. Isis’s fantasies and Grandma Potts’s realities do not overlap in the story, and they ultimately cannot find common ground and part ways, even if only temporarily. By having Isis begin the story on the gate post watching cars drive by on the road, Hurston foreshadows Isis’s departure from the family home at the end of the story.

Although gender plays a prominent role in the text, Isis’s brother and father—Joel and John Watts—do not appear very often. Rather, their father appears in references and maintains an absent presence unless the children are being threatened with punishment, such as when Isis steals his razor to shave Grandma Potts’s chin. Hurston makes it clear that men play a role in the lives of these characters, but in this story, their role accentuates where Isis belongs, which is in a domestic setting. Hurston’s most prominent characters are women, emphasizing both female relationships and how female characters adhere to or defy their gendered duties. For Grandma Potts, domestic chores are vital for women, especially young girls. The narrator claims that “being the only girl in the family, of course [Isis] must wash the dishes” (47). The phrasing of this line implies that this belief was taught to her by those parenting her, such as her grandmother and father. However, Isis would rather play with her puppy, ride on a horse with Jim Robinson, or run around outside. Her adventure outside her home, where she dances in public, deepens this contrast between Isis’s desires and gender roles. The tablecloth, transformed into her dance costume, symbolizes this subversion of feminine gender roles and represents a moment of Developing One’s Identity. Isis actively defies the expectations placed upon her, creating a tense, strained relationship with her grandmother.

Isis’s relationship with Helen juxtaposes the one she has with Grandma Potts. Helen accepts and encourages Isis to act without thought and simply be “Isie Watts, the joyful” without any responsibilities, making her a foil for Grandma Potts as well. Helen caters to the fairy tale daydreams Isis has throughout her day, telling Grandma Potts, “I want brightness and this Isis is joy itself, why she’s drenched in light!” (54). Here, Hurston applies the story’s title directly to Isis, illustrating the exuberance of her characterization. Isis exists in pure innocence without hesitation, and Helen seems to be enthralled with her behavior and entertained by her demeanor. Rather than enforcing strict rules, Helen allows Isis to act however she chooses. Despite their differences, Grandma Potts is acting with practicality in mind, wanting Isis to adhere to these rules so she can be fit for her future. Helen’s thoughts only go so far into the present moment, and she seems to be thinking exclusively about her own pleasure. Grandma Potts and Helen reside on opposite ends of the spectrum, and Isis is caught between them.

The characters speak in dialect, a common element of many of Hurston’s stories and novels as she found it important to record authentic speech patterns. It depicts how people realistically speak depending on where they live geographically, as dialects differ depending on regions. Additionally, the use of dialect separates characters like Grandma Potts from Helen to illustrate differences in class and social status. For example, Helen, who does not speak in a dialect, has a “conciliatory” tone when speaking to Grandma Potts. By having a tone meant to pacify the old woman, Helen establishes a power dynamic that situates them as unequal due to their economic statuses; Helen is able to buy Isis time away from her home by giving Grandma Potts five dollars for the ruined tablecloth, which appears to be exploitative. Helen seemingly has good intentions and will provide Isis with an opportunity to depart down her beloved white shell road, but she also seems to have selfish intentions. While she and her male companions treat Isis kindly, characterizations like Helen “hungrily” looking ahead remind the reader of the inherent power disparity between a single, poor Black girl and three wealthier white adults.

At the end of the story, Isis, being named after the Egyptian goddess of healing, comes into her power by having “adopted” Helen, a strange turn of phrase since one would expect her adult companions to “adopt” her. Despite being a child, Isis’s bright demeanor sparks joy in those around her. Isis is both at risk of being taken advantage of by Helen and has an opportunity to experience life outside of the bounds of her home. By giving her grandmother five dollars, the interaction appears as though Helen buys Isis for her own entertainment. At the same time, Isis can finally ride down the white shell road to discover a world that she believes will fit within her fairy tale daydreams. The end of the story leaves it ambiguous as to what Isis will discover on her adventure. Helen, who “looked hungrily ahead of her” (54), takes on a more mysterious role that leaves readers questioning her intentions.