[1] However, Seraph on the Suwanee has never been well received by African-American critics and scholars, who have often treated the novel as a "contrivance in Hurston's canon".

Unlike her other novels Zora Neale Hurston's Seraph on the Suwanee deviates from the characteristic depiction of African American life by featuring a predominately White cast of characters.

Although the years the stories take place in are never explicitly stated, it is implied that the first half of the novel occurs during prohibition.

Arvay is described as a timid, helpless girl who "turned from the world" soon after her sister, Lorraine, married Reverend Carl Middleton, whom she secretly admired.

Soon after Arvay gives birth to their first son, Earl, the small family moves to South Florida, settling in Citrabelle.

At the same time, Arvay feels a wedge between them as a result of Jim's coldness towards Earl versus his affection towards Angeline.

The Meserve family live comfortably; then Joe, his wife, and their children soon arrive and are employed by Jim to take care of the estate.

Despite ongoing strife between him and Arvay and Joe's departure from the estate, Jim continues to work hard to support his family, getting involved in shrimping.

Upon returning to Citrabelle, Arvay and Jeff, one of Joe's sons, head up to meet with Jim at a shipping dock.

She grew up alone in poverty in the barren town of Sawley in West Florida, before being wedded to Jim Meserve and moving to the clandestine Citrabelle.

Although she is initially hesitant to marry Jim, and the marriage does indeed turn out to be turbulent, through its trials she eventually discovers her value as a woman and wife.

Arvay is an unorthodox feminist, and although believing that she deserves to be on equal terms with her husband, she finds solace in staying with him despite his harsh treatment of her.

He appears in Sawley out of the blue one day having traveled throughout the South, and he makes it his mission to court the timid Arvay.

Despite his problematic behavior towards Arvay, he manages to become wildly successful and demonstrates a knack for hard work and resilience.

Lillie Howard, a scholar of African American literature, suggests that Zora Neal Hurston's depiction of misogyny in her final novel is unparalleled to her previous works.

Arvay's subservience to Jim and her epiphany that her purpose is to be a mother and wife, could suggest that Hurston implies that women should have the option to chose what kind of life they want.

In her foreword for the 1991 Harper Perennial edition of Seraph, Hazel V. Carby remarks on how blatant and explicit Hurston's depiction of sexuality is, especially from the perspective of Arvay.

Indeed, Carby suggests that it was Hurston's intention to create an unconventional female protagonist whose sexual desires were front and center.

This is most sorely felt as Earl is constantly mistreated and shunned by Jim and the remainder of his family, while Arvay feels it her duty to take his side.

Arvay destroys the one thing that anchors her down to Sawley; it is a grandiose statement that depicts her growth from a girl to a woman.

Furthermore, by the end of the novel the people of Sawley have become more respectful towards her, a start contrast to the rumors and teasing she had endured as a young woman.

The fact that Seraph on the Suwanee focuses on White characters differentiates it from the remainder of Hurston's novels.

Having grown up in a small White town, she speaks of "heathens" of other nations that must be introduced to Christ; likewise, her opinion of African American characters is also clouded with racist prejudice (73).

I Arvay is insecure about her femininity, relationship with Jim, and her Whiteness, which becomes plainly obvious as she denounces the Corragios while also commenting on the attractiveness of their daughter.

Literary scholar Laura Dubek argues that Arvay's benefits from Black labor; Jim's association with the Colored Town is how he manages to gain his wealth.

On October 31, 1948, Frank G. Slaughter remarked positively in the New York Times newspaper on Hurston's portrayal of Arvay as a "Florida cracker of the swamps," noting that her writing was a "mixture of excellent background drawing.

At the time of its publication, she was coping with false accusations regarding the assault of two young boys, and the sexual themes in the novel were used as evidence against her.

Wall criticize Hurston's dry portrayal of Arvay compared to her other female characters in previous novels.

[9] Following the publication of Seraph on the Suwanee, Zora Neale Hurston was falsely accused of sexually abusing two young boys.

[7] Purportedly, Seraph "advocated for sexual aggressiveness in women" and scenes were taken out of context in order to further accuse Hurston.