AP En g l i s h : Li t e r a t u r e a n d Co m p o s i t i o n
Nam e s _____________________________________
Ma jor W or k s Da t a S h e e t
Bio graph ic al in fo rm at io n abo u t t h e au t h o r:
Tit le : _________Th eir Ey es W ere W a tch in g God _______
Au t h o r: ____________Zor a Nea le Hu r s t on ___________
Dat e o f Pu blic at io n : ___________1 9 3 7 ______________
Ge n re : ___________n ovel___________________________
____________________________________________________
His t o ric al in fo rm at io n abo u t t h e pe rio d o f
pu blic at io n :
The decade of the "roaring twenties," a pivotal and turbulent one
in American history, was also a period of unprecedented
flowering of Black culture, encompassing literature, the visual
and plastic arts, as well as the performing arts. Harlem, an area
in upper Manhattan where the Black community had been
residing since the beginning of the century, became the epicenter
of Black cultural life. Life a magnet, Harlem's fame also drew
aspiring Black writers from all over the United States and the
West Indies into its precincts. For almost two decades (19171935), they supplied art to the world. Many southern rural Black
Americans came to Harlem in search of economic opportunity
and a haven from racial oppression. They brought with them the
wealth of oral tradition, regional speech patterns, and rhythms,
including the blues and jazz. Black magazines Opportunity and
Crisis provided the stimulus for literary competitions.
Bu t t h e gr ea t es t s t im u lu s wa s t h e ext r a or d in a r y
wea lt h of t a len t com p r es s ed in t o a s m a ll s ect ion of
t h e b ig cit y. S ou rce:
w w w .d a rth eth erin gton .com / Ha rlem Ren a is s a n ce.h tm l
Hurston was born in Eatonville, Florida, to John Hurston,
a carpenter and Baptist preacher, and Lucy Ann Potts
Hurston, a former country school teacher. In 1918 she
graduated from Morgan Academy and entered Howard
University. Hurston's first short story was published in
Stylus, Howard University's literary magazine. She was an
active participant in the Harlem Renaissance, associating
with such writers as W. E. B. DuBois, Langston Hughes,
Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay. She received a
scholarship to Barnard College where she majored in
anthropology. From 1927 to 1931 with the financial
assistance of Charlotte Osgood Mason, Hurston traveled
throughout the South collecting African American
folklore. In 1934 her first novel Jonah's Gourd Vine, was
published. In 1936 and 1938 Hurston received
Guggenheim Fellow-ships to collect folklore. Throughout
her writing career she held a variety of jobs: teaching,
writing for a newspaper, and housekeeping. In 1960
Hurston died in poverty and was buried in a segregated
cemetery in Fort Pierce, Florida. In 1973, Alice Walker
had a tombstone erected on her grave. Source:
www.smeadowsishandsome.org/aZoraBorealis
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Ch arac t e ris t ic s o f t h e ge n re :
Fiction
Plo t S u m m ary :
Their Eyes Were Watching God is the story of Janie Crawford, a black woman in Florida, as she searches for love and
contentment. The novel is a frame-tale; Janie tells her friend Pheoby what has happened to her and tells Pheoby to pass the story on
to others in Eatonville, Florida, where Janie is living.
Janie was raised by her grandmother Nanny after Leafy, her mother (and Nanny's daughter by her slaveowner) was raped by the
schoolteacher and left town. They live with a white family, the Washburns, and help care for the family and the house. When Janie
is sixteen, Nanny sees her kissing Johnny Taylor and decides that it is time for Janie to marry. She arranges it with Logan Killicks, a
thirty-year-old man in town, who owns property, a mule, and an organ. A former slave, Nanny does not want Janie to live a life of
poverty. Logan, however, treats Janie like a servant.
Janie meets Joe (also called Jody) one day near the house and decides to leave Logan and go with Joe. Joe and Janie marry and
travel to Eatonville, a new black town, and there Joe buys land and builds the town's general store. For all his promises for the
future, Joe treats Janie like a servant as well, assigning her to work in the store and not allowing her to participate in the
conversations that take place on the porch. He also tells her to cover her hair so that other men will not have the chance to admire it.
Joe wants Janie to behave as "the mayor's wife" and be above the daily comings and goings in the town. The marriage becomes a
shell, and Janie learns to keep important feelings and thoughts inside. After twenty years of marriage, Joe dies.
A man named Vergible (Tea Cake) Woods arrives in town one day. Younger than Janie by more than ten years, Tea Cake's
playful and irreverent attitude appeals to Janie. He teaches her to play checkers, fish, and shoot. She decides to leave Eatonville and
go with him to the Florida Everglades where they will work on the muck, planting and picking beans. They spend two happy years
there.
A hurricane passes through the Everglades, and Janie and Tea Cake try to outrun it. In trying to protect Janie during their escape,
Tea Cake is bitten by a rabid dog and develops rabies. The illness makes him mean and irrational. He tries to shoot her, and she
kills him in self-defense. She is tried for murder and acquitted. She decides to return to Eatonville and tell her story to Pheoby. She
does.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. 1937. New York: Quality Paperback Books, 1990.
Majo r Wo rk s Dat a S h e e t
Memorable Quotation
Page 2
Significance
"She was a rut in the road. Plenty of life beneath
the surface but it was kept beaten down by the
wheels" (72).
This quotation (from the narrator) explains Janie’s
nature in her first marriage. She is symbolized as,
literally, being in a rut.
"To my thinkin' mourning oughtn't tuh last no
longer'n grief" (89).
Here, Janie reflects on her lack of sadness about the
death of Mr. Starks, who was her dead husband, but
not someone she mourned. She stops acting sad
because she does not feel it.
"Janie looked down on him and felt a selfcrushing love. So her soul crawled out from its
hiding place" (122).
This explanation of Janie’s feelings for Tea Cake
show that she is willing to risk herself for him –
growth for her and a new sensation to her (that she
can feel such utter devotion).
"They sat in company with the others in other
shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls
and their souls asking if He meant to measure
their puny might against His. They seemed to be
staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching
God" (151).
This quotation explains the title of the book. While
the quotation itself is from the hurricane (when Janie
and Tea Cake and the others are watching it blow), it
also reflects the theme of the book – individuals are
more than just people staring into the dark. When
they find love and are truly themselves, they can see
God.
"Love ain't somethin' lak uh grindstone dat's de
Here, Janie explains what she thinks love is. She
same thing everywhere and do de same thing
thinks it is unique each time it is felt.
tuh everything it touch. Love is lak de sea. It's uh
movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape
from de shore it meets, and it's different with
every shore" (182).
"It's uh known fact, Pheoby, you got tuh go there
tuh know there..Two things everybody's got tuh
do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and
they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves"
(183).
In this quotation, Janie explains the steps individuals
must take to become self-actualized – to find God and
to live life a bit and get some experience as
individuals.
“She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net.
Pulled it from around the waist of the world and
draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its
meshes! She called in her soul to come and see”
(184).
The final quotation shows Janie at peace. She “calls
in her soul” to come and reflect on her life, full like a
net, as she begins her new life after Tea Cake. We
know as readers that she will be okay.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. 1937. New York: Quality Paperback Books, 1990.
Majo r Wo rk s Dat a S h e e t
Page 3
Characters
Nam e
Ro le in t h e s t o ry
S ign ific an c e
Adje c t iv e s
Sh e p r oves th a t goa ls a r e ob ta in a b le, if
you p u t you r m in d to a ch ievin g th a t
goa l; J a n ie tea ch es u s th a t on e ca n n ot
b e con tr olled b y oth er s ; on e m u s t
con tr ol th eir own a ction s a n d b e fr ee of
r es tr iction b y oth er s to b e h a p p y. Sh e
tea ch es u s th a t life is a s tr u ggle a n d on e
m u s t lea r n fr om it a ll. Sh e is s ign ifica n t
b eca u s e s h e r ep r es en ts on ly h er s elf:
s h e ca n n ot b e a s ym b ol for ever y b la ck
wom a n .
lets th e r ea d er ga in J a n ie's p er s p ective
a n d fea r s a b ou t h er d ecis ion -m a k in g
p r oces s ; s h e ca u tion s a n d wa r n s J a n ie;
s h e d em on s tr a tes s ociety's id ea lized
wom a n --ca r in g ob ed ien tly for h er
fa m ily-Sh e u n wittin gly s p oils J a n ie's h op es for
h a p p in es s wh en s h e a r r a n ges h er
m a r r ia ge to Loga n
J a n ie's fir s t feelin gs of lu s t; Na n n y's cu e
th a t it is tim e for J a n ie to m a r r y; s er ves
a s a ca t a lys t for J a n ie's em er gin g
s exu a lity
h elp s J a n ie d is cer n lu xu r y fr om lon gin g
in d ep en d en t, s elfcon fid en t,
a ggr es s ive,
extr over t, p r ou d ,
h a r d wor k in g,
a d m ir a b le,
d ejected , s tr on g,
wis e, u n iqu e,
in s a tia b le,
J a n ie Ma e
Cr a wfor d
Killick s Sta r k s
Wood s
th e p r ota gon is t --th is n ovel is th e s tor y
of h er life a n d h er loves ; th e s tor yteller
of h er life;
Ph oeb y Wils on
J a n ie's fr ien d a n d con fid a n te in
E a ton ville
Na n n y
Cr a wfor d
J a n ie's gr a n d m oth er wh o r a is es J a n ie.
J oh n n y Ta ylor
k is s ed you n g J a n ie over th e fen ce
Loga n Killick s
J a n ie's fir s t h u s b a n d ; r ich ; u n a ttr a ctive
Lea fy
J a n ie's m oth er wh o a b a n d on ed J a n ie
wh en J a n ie wa s you n g. Sh e wa s r a p ed
b y th e s ch ooltea ch er .
Lea fy's s tor y m a d e J a n ie ta k e a d va n ta ge
of life, a n d n ot th r ow it a wa y on a lcoh ol
a n d m en . Rep r es en ts wh a t Na n n y is
tr yin g to s a ve J a n ie fr om a n d wh a t
J a n ie s tr ives to a void .
J oe Sta r k s
J a n ie's s econ d h u s b a n d wh os e
a s p ir a tion s a r e in s p ir a tion a l en ou gh to
J a n ie for h er to lea ve h er fir s t h u s b a n d ;
b ecom es th e m a yor of E a ton ville, th e
town h e h elp ed to b u ild
Ver gib le (Tea
Ca k e) Wood s
la s t a n d m os t b eloved of J a n ie's
h u sban ds
Nu n k ie
a flir ta tiou s fr ien d of Tea Ca k e's in th e
E ver gla d es
Mr s . Tu r n er
A la d y th a t b efr ien d s J a n ie in th e m u ck ;
wa n ts J a n ie to m eet h er b r oth er . Sh e
own s a r es ta u r a n t on th e fla t; s ou r ce of
con flict; foil to J a n ie a n d Tea Ca k e
Ma k es J a n ie s en s itive to th e tr ick e r y of
h er own m in d ; r es tr icts J a n ie's p h ys ica l
a n d m en ta l b ea u ty b y r ea s on s of
jea lou s y a n d "d u ty"; lea ves J a n ie
yea r n in g for u n fetter ed , tr u e
exp er ien ce; a fa ls e p r op h et of tr u e love;
By lovin g a n d b ein g loved b y Tea Ca k e,
J a n ie lea r n s wh a t h a p p in es s is ; a n d b y
h is d ea th s h e lea r n s tor tu ou s p a in , yet
even tu a l tr iu m p h . J a n ie's s ou l m a te.
Th e on e s ociety d is a p p r oves , b u t th e
on e with wh om s h e fin d s h a p p in es s .
h elp s J a n ie r ea lize h er d is cover y th a t
s h e h a s fou n d love th r ou gh h er
jea lou s y, a n d th a t th r ou gh h er love s h e
h a s fou n d th a t s h e is fu lfilled
Rep r es en ts r a cia l p r eju d ice with in a
r a ce. Sh e fa vor s ligh t -s k in n ed b la ck s .
An exa m p le of wh a t h a p p en s to a
p er s on 's m in d s et wh en on e's r a ce is
h eld to b e in fer ior to a n oth er .
fr ien d ly, op en m in d ed
ca r in g, s tr on gwilled , b a tter ed
"s h iftles s "; you th ;
in n ocen ce
(exp er ien ced ?)
over b ea r in g,
u n a ttr a ctive,
lovin g
d ep r es s ed ,
a b u s ed , lon ely,
u n for tu n a te,
n a ive, u s ed
d r ea m in g,
u n fu lfilled , s ca r ed
wa n d er er , lovin g,
in n ocen t, wa r m ,
u n d er s ta n d in g,
m es m er izin g
flir ta tiou s ,
s ch em in g
p r ou d , r u d e,
m is led , wh ite
a ctin g.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. 1937. New York: Quality Paperback Books, 1990.
Majo r Wo rk s Dat a S h e e t
Page 4
Setting
Th e n ovel s ta r ts with J a n ie's r etu r n to E a ton ville a fter Tea
Ca k e's d ea th . E a ton ville is s ign ifica n t b eca u s e it is a n a llb la ck town th a t J a n ie's s econ d h u s b a n d J oe Sta r k s wa s
th e m a yor of b efor e h is d ea th . In fla s h b a ck , th e n ovel tells
a b ou t J a n ie's ch ild h ood in Wes t Flor id a , wh er e s h e gr ew u p
with wh ite ch ild r en on th e Wa s h b u r n 's p la n ta tion . Th en
J a n ie a n d h er gr a n d m a m oved to th eir own h ou s e. After
J a n ie's fir s t m a r r ia ge to Loga n Killick s , s h e m oved to h is
s ixty-a cr e fa r m . J a n ie wa s n 't h a p p y d es p ite h er s ecu r ity,
s o s h e left Loga n for J oe Sta r k s , h er s econ d h u s b a n d .
J a n ie a n d J oe tr a veled fr om Wes t Flor id a to E a ton ville, a n
a ll-b la ck town wh er e J oe wa s elected m a yor , a n d J a n ie h a d
to wor k in th e gen er a l s tor e th a t J oe own ed . After J oe's
d ea th , J a n ie left E a t on ville with Tea Ca k e Wood s , a n d th ey
wer e m a r r ied in J a ck s on ville, Flor id a wh er e h e h a d a job
with a r a ilr oa d s h op . Th ey tr a veled togeth er d own to th e
Flor id a E ver gla d es , "d own on th e m u ck " u n til a h u r r ica n e
d r ove th em to Pa lm Bea ch tem p or a r ily. Th ey we n t b a ck to
th e E ver gla d es a fter th e s tor m h a d p a s s ed , a n d a fter Tea
Ca k e's d ea th fr om r a b ies , J a n ie r etu r n ed a lon e to
E a ton ville to live in th e h ou s e s h e h a d s h a r ed with J oe
Sta r k s .
Symbols
J a n ie's h a ir - J a n ie's exp r es s ion of fr eed om ; wh en h er h a ir
wa s d own , s h e wa s fr ee, b ea u tifu l, a n d r ela xed ; b u t wh en
J oe m a k es h er wea r it u p , it is a s ym b ol of h er
im p r is on m en t a n d op p r es s ion ; h er you th a n d h er h id d en
s en s u a lity
p ea r tr ee b los s om - s ym b olizes J a n ie's life a n d h er h op e
a n d fer tility, fr es h n es s , on en es s with n a tu r e; th e
p ollin a tion r ep r es en ts th e s en s u a l "m a r r ia ge" wh ich
con fu s es J a n ie; b ecom es J a n ie's tr ee of k n owled ge; J a n ie's
b los s om in g wom a n h ood a n d fer tility
s tr eetligh t - J oe's b elief th a t ever y p r ob lem h a s a s im p le fix
ga r d en s eed th a t Tea Ca k e lea ves b eh in d is th e on ly th in g
th a t J a n ie s a ves . Th e s eed s r ep r es en t th e fu tu r e of J a n ie
a n d Tea Ca k e's love.
la m p p os t - Bib lica l a llu s ion to "let th er e b e ligh t"; a n d J oe's
d es ir e to h a ve con tr ol a n d a h igh s ta n d in g a m on gs t th e
town s p eop le
Ma tt Bon n er 's m u le - Na n n y s u gges t th a t th e Bla ck wom a n
is th e m u le of th e wor ld ; Ma tt u s es it a s a b ea s t of b u r d en
a s Loga n h a d u s ed J a n ie. J oe b u ys th e m u le s im p ly s o h e
m a y look good in th e eyes of h is com m u n ity a n d s o th a t h e
m a y p os s es s it. He d id th e s a m e with J a n ie wh en h e
m a r r ied h er .
vu ltu r es - s ym b olize th e in h a b ita n ts of E a ton ville wh o ta k e
a p a r t J a n ie in a figu r a tive s in ce th e s a m e wa y th e vu ltu r es
liter a lly ta k e a p a r t th e m u le.
Significance of opening scene
Significance of ending/closing scene
Th e n ovel is a n a r r a tive of on e wom a n 's s elf-a ctu a lizin g
Th e op en in g ch a p ter em p h a s izes th e d iffer en ces b etween
jou r n ey, a n d th e s tr u ggles s h e en d u r ed for gin g (con s ciou s ly
th e "p or ch -s itter s " of E a ton ville, wh o ju s t s it a n d ta lk
a n d s u b con s ciou s ly) th is p ilgr im a ge. Th u s it s er ves b es t
with ou t a ccom p lis h in g a n yth in g a n d J a n ie, wh o h a s lived
for th e en d in g to cir cle b a ck to th e b egin n in g, to th e p oin t
h er life to th e fu ll. Th es e s itter s wa tch ed J a n ie fr o m a
wh er e a ll con flicts a r e s olved , a n d h ea lin g ca n b egin . As
d is ta n ce a n d ju d ged h er . Th ey cr u elly cu t h er d own b eh in d J a n ie clos es h er con ver s a tion with Ph oeb y, a n d th e r ea d er ,
h er b a ck . In s h a r p con tr a s t, J a n ie s p ea k s p lea s a n tly a n d
we a ll com e to ter m s with J a n ie's p a in a n d h er tr iu m p h .
with ou t m a lice. Sh e d oes n ot s top to wa s te tim e on th e
Th e th r ee wor d s "Her e wa s p ea ce," s u m s u p th e en tir e
p or ch , b u t goes to h er own h ou s e. Wh en Ph eob y s p ea k s to jou r n ey, a d d in g a wa r m , s in cer e fin a lity to th e n ovel.
J a n ie, th ey la u gh p lea s a n tly with ou t th e u n d er cu r r en t of
J a n ie fin is h es tellin g Ph oeb y h er jou r n ey a n d wa s h es h er
m a lice p r es en t with th e "s itter s ." Fr om th e op en in g ch a p ter feet--s ign ifyin g th e en d of a jou r n ey a fter lea r n in g a gr ea t
th e r ea d er lea r n s th a t J a n ie, d u r in g h er m ys ter iou s
d ea l. As s h e a s cen d s th e s ta ir s th e la m p s h e h old s is h er
jou r n ey, h a s ga in ed th e com p os u r e, h u m ility, a n d
own in ter n a l ligh t th a t s h in es b eca u s e s h e is fr ee fr om th e
k n owled ge th a t th e s itter s s till la ck . Th is s p a r k s ou r
th in gs th a t h a ve op p r es s ed h er a ll h er life. After
in ter es t to k n ow wh a t s h e h a s lea r n ed .
con clu d in g h er s tor y, h er loya l fr ien d Ph oeb y is en cou r a ged
a n d we s ee th e s t a r k con tr a s t b etween wh a t J a n ie u s ed to
b e (Ph oeb y) a n d J a n ie a fter h er life of m a n y exp er ien ces
a n d th e d is cover y of fr eed om .
Themes
Love is b lin d to s u ch ca r n a l qu a lities a s a ge, s ocia l s ta n d in gs , a n d econ om ic s ta tu r e.
Un cover in g d is illu s ion s in life p r ovid es m ea n s for gr owin g a n d u n d er s ta n d in g love a n d on e's s elf.
Kn owled ge of life ca n n ot b e ta u gh t; it m u s t b e lea r n ed fir s t h a n d th r ou gh exp er ien ce.
In d ivid u a ls m u s t d is cover wh o th ey a r e for th em s elves .
Society will in evita b ly tr y to m old in d ivid u a l clon es , b u t th e tr u es t a n d m os t com p lete life is th e on e th a t lea d s to s elfa ctu a liza tion .
Love is n ot n eces s a r ily a cqu ir ed th r ou gh m a r r ia ge. Love is a p u r e a n d h on es t feelin g th a t com es with tr u s t a n d equ a lity.
On e ca n p er s ever e a n d ga in a tr u e s en s e of s elf if on e u s es h is p a s t fa ilu r es to p la n for a m or e p os itive fu tu r e.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. 1937. New York: Quality Paperback Books, 1990.