Their Eyes Were Watching God Study Guide
A comprehensive analysis of Hurston's groundbreaking novel
Key Themes
Self-Discovery and Independence
Janie's journey from a sheltered young woman to an independent individual who defines her own identity and desires.
Love and Marriage
The novel explores different types of relationships through Janie's three marriages, from security to passion to true partnership.
Voice and Storytelling
The importance of finding one's voice and the power of narrative, both in Janie's personal growth and Hurston's literary technique.
Nature and Spirituality
The connection between natural imagery (pear tree, horizon, hurricane) and spiritual/emotional awakening.
Main Characters
Janie Crawford
The protagonist whose journey of self-discovery forms the heart of the novel. A strong-willed woman seeking love and independence.
Tea Cake (Vergible Woods)
Janie's third husband, younger than her, who treats her as an equal and introduces her to a life of adventure and genuine love.
Joe Starks (Jody)
Janie's second husband, an ambitious man who becomes mayor of Eatonville but suppresses Janie's voice and independence.
Logan Killicks
Janie's first husband, chosen by her grandmother for security rather than love, representing traditional expectations.
Nanny Crawford
Janie's grandmother, a former slave whose experiences shape her desire for Janie's security over happiness.
Key Symbols
The Pear Tree
Represents Janie's sexual awakening and her ideal of harmonious love, established in the novel's opening scenes.
The Horizon
Symbolizes dreams, possibilities, and the future. Janie's relationship with the horizon reflects her growth.
Hair
Janie's hair represents her identity, sexuality, and independence - controlled by Joe, freed with Tea Cake.
The Hurricane
Nature's power that tests human relationships and reveals true character, particularly in Janie and Tea Cake's love.
Historical Context
Published in 1937 during the Harlem Renaissance, Their Eyes Were Watching God was initially criticized by some African American intellectuals for its focus on rural Black culture and use of dialect. However, it has since been recognized as a groundbreaking work of feminist and African American literature.
Hurston drew from her anthropological background and her own experiences growing up in Eatonville, Florida, one of the first all-Black incorporated municipalities in the United States. The novel authentically captures the language, culture, and social dynamics of early 20th-century Black Southern communities.
The novel's exploration of a Black woman's autonomy and sexuality was revolutionary for its time, predating many themes that would become central to later feminist and civil rights movements.