Moses, Man of the Mountain by Zora Neale Hurston

Today's Story Musing entry is guest written by Maryalice Little of the Southeast Steuben County Library.

 

Moses, Man of the Mountain

by Zora Neale Hurston

After being introduced to Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, I wanted to enjoy more of this author’s rich use of descriptive language.  I read her next work, Moses, Man of the Mountain, and I became even more impressed by the writings of Hurston (1891 - 1960).

In Moses, Man of the Mountain, Hurston retells the story of Moses, who, though born of humble lineage, is raised as royalty.  After rejecting his privileged position, he spends years in another land then he returns to lead his people away from their hard, but familiar, lives of bondage in Egypt to a life of self-government in a new land.  

Hurston’s writing style breathes humanity into familiar characters with insightful descriptions of their thoughts and actions.  Her writing style integrates the Biblical story of Moses with the legendary tales of Moses from Africa and the West Indies; it encourages the reader to appreciate the humanity that surrounds Moses’ power--because his power “does not flow from the Ten Commandments.  It is his rod of power, the terror he showed before all Israel and to Pharaoh, and THAT MIGHTY HAND.”   ---from the author’s introduction to Moses, Man of the Mountain

In this version, Moses is described as being a very curious child, and it was “the gardeners and the grooms who caught his attention....There was one old man who tended the horses.  He had answers in the form of stories for nearly every question that Moses asked and he told stories unasked because they just came to him to tell.”  So Moses gained a foundation of knowledge and wisdom about the ways of the world.  

As Moses grew into manhood, he was relegated to learning the ways of the military, as his elder brother would someday become the reigning Pharaoh.  His aging mentor advised him to learn to fight on horseback, not in chariots, as his elder brother did.  Moses learned strategy by listening to the men of war and by experimenting with maneuvers.  “There was something about him, outside of being the grandson of Pharaoh, that made men listen to him with respect.  There was something about him that assured them he was a companion to be relied on in times of danger.  They wanted to follow him into any escapade he thought up.  He was the young men’s choice for a leader.”  And so they came to beat the Pharaoh’s “finest chariot force in the world” at the bi-annual military maneuvers.  

These experiences and qualities served Moses well when he struggled to lead his people to a new way of thinking and a new homeland.  Negotiating with Pharaoh to let his people go required strategy, inspiration, patience, understanding, and perseverance.  The forty years that they would spend in the wilderness were not just about traveling a geographical distance, but also about learning a new way to think. Moses understood this.  In their first battle along their journey, Moses answers, when his young assistant, Joshua, questions whether the men will follow his lead, “Young or old men will follow you if you got that something to make ‘em willing.  You are going to be one of the great men at arms, watch my word.  This will be good practice for you and it will be good for the people.  Once they win a battle, it will tend to lift up their heads.  Now they are scared of everything and they think nothing is scared of them.  They need to win something.”  And they did.  

Again and again, the people say that they want freedom but act in ways that indicate that they are reluctant to let go of their past dependencies.  And, again and again, Moses consults with his God of Sinai and leads the people onward to their new life in a new land.

Zora Neale Hurston tells this ancient story in a rich language that brings compassionate insight to the timeless journey of humanity.

Maryalice K. Little