About The Novel

Author Biography

by Caroline Lunger

Zora Neale Hurston is the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God. She was born on January 7, 189. Zora's father was a Baptist preacher, farmer, and carpenter. Though, her mother was the one who drove ambition into the family. Sadly, her mother died when Zora was 9 years old. This tragedy quickly changed her from being a carefree child to a strong independent girl. In her free time she was one to roughhouse and climb. Zora also describes herself as being a loner as a child. When she was 3 years old, her family moved to Eatonville Florida. There her father became mayor. At that time it was the first Black community in America. Zora graduated from Morgan Academy high school in 1918 and then went to Howard University. After that she went to Columbia University to receive her B.A. in anthropology. She was a novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist whose works flourished during the Harlem renaissance. Zora was an African American writer who focused on the black culture. She wrote short stories “John Redding Goes to Sea” and “Spunk”. Then she wrote her first novel Jonah’s Gourd Vine in 1934. In 1935 her book Mules and Men was published. In 1937 it was Their Eyes Were Watching God, 1938: Tell My Horse, 1939: Moses, Man of the Mountain, 1942: Dust Tracks on a Road, and 1948: Seraph the Suwanee. Her works received mixed reviews in her days and because of changing themes, Hurston’s literary influence faded. Despite her accomplishments, she died quietly in poverty on January 28 1960 in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Historical Context

by Alexandra Hadley

Historical Context:
Their Eyes were watching God was written in 1937, and was based in the early 1900's. The early 1900's for African Americans was not easy. This was a time that African Americans had just recently received there freedom from slavery. Unfortunately this new freedom brought hardship and segregation for many years. Whites still thought lowly of them based on the color of there skin and most of the time treated them unfairly. Women during this time had it extremely hard,who they were to marry was not always an option for them. Many times they were forced to marry not based on love but security. Security during that time, could be hard to find  with jobs that demanded strenuous labor, and most of the time terrible working conditions, and even after all of their hard work those jobs didn't pay very much. Most of the time it paid just enough to barely get by. Sometimes even women would have to work these exhausting jobs as well. Generally though, women during this time were in the home cooking, taking care of kids, chores, and everything else that needed to be accomplished for the day.

They were able to find enjoyment in the simple things. Dancing after a hard day of work was relaxing, and allowed them to take part in their culture. Singing while working also helped pass the time, and kept their spirits up. They would take advantage of these new freedoms that were not allowed so much during slavery. Just because slavery ended for African Americans during that time, it didn't mean that life for them was any easier. They still had to deal with much oppression from the whites who had the same feeling of superiority over them. Many kept African Americans on there land and would provide housing and a small wage for them in return, which was basically what they received when they were in slavery. They just received a small wage for it now that wasn't enough to even live on. African Americans endured a lot, but do to their perseverance life turned around for them and they received more and more opportunities to be successful.

Cast of Characters

by Charity Masica

Primary Characters: (In order of appearance)

Janie: Main character

Phoeby: Janie’s best friend

Nanny: Janie’s Grandmother

Logan Killicks: Janie’s first husband.

Joe Starks: Janie’s second husband

Tea Cake Woods: Janie’s third husband

Prominent residents of Eatonville: (In order of appearance)

Lee Coker
Amos Hicks
Tony Taylor
Lige Moss
Sam Watson
Matt Bonner
Walter Thomas
Hezekiah Potts

Prominent residents of “The Muck”: (In order of appearance)

Ed Dockery
Bootyny
Sop-De-Bottom
Nunkie
Mrs. Turner
Mr. Turner
Coodemay
Stew Beef
Sterrett
Moter Boat
Doctor Simmons

Plot Summary

by Emily Friedman

Janie Crawford has just returned to town after being gone for years. The townspeople sit on their porches and gossip about her as she passes by. Pheoby, Janie’s friend, defends Janie and goes to check up on her. Janie tells Pheoby about her Nanny’s (grandma) past and how Nanny married her to a man named Logan so Janie could have status and security. Janie is completely miserable being married to Logan because he treats her so poorly. Janie meets Joe (Jody) who she ends up running away with and marrying. Jody decides to move Janie and himself to an all black town (Eatonville) where he soon becomes the mayor and runs his own store. Jody tries to make Janie surrender to him and become his idea of a “perfect wife” but it only cause’s huge fights between them. Janie gets sick of how Jody treats her so she yells at him in front of a bunch of people and so he beats her to try and show dominance over her.

Jody becomes very sick so Janie goes to visit him and yells at him one last time before he dies. Janie goes to Jody’s funeral and then morns for 6 months. Janie then meets Tea Cake, and after flirting a while, they get married and Janie sells the store and moves to Jacksonville. Tea Cake steals Janie’s money and then leaves for an entire night making Janie worry but he comes back and apologizes. Janie and Tea Cake move to the Everglades and soon every one is coming over for parties and to hang out. A hurricane hits the Everglades and every one has to leave the town because the water is rising. Tea Cake gets bit by a rabid dog and so Janie takes care of him but then he attacks Janie and she ends up having to shot and kill Tea Cake. She is then put on trial for killing him and is found innocent so Janie throws a funeral for Tea cake and then returns home.