. >> say to that, instead of amen, awoman, okay? everybody, awoman. [applause] >> their eyes was written to represent an oral tradition of story telling, of telling history, or as sonia would refer to it as her-story. goes on a journey of what life is and comes home to herself in peace. what is the significance of this female character in the american literary cannons? miss ruby dee. >> oh, i was a professor -- the mother of my friend here. but i love zora because she brought us to -- she brings us to essences, she brings us to beginnings. she defines in a sense a reason that we haven't considered why we had to come to this country. that we have a job to do. and we're still in the process of doing that job. that is to particularize the absolute stirling -- stirring nature of the human character, the human being, because we are -- she made me feel when -- no matter what religion you come from, and venally -- eventually i find out, oh, yes. zora described human beings and telling us something about ourselves. she was telling us that we are the god stuff