Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston

She was born January 7, 1891 in Eatonville, Florida. She was raised by her father and mother until her mother passed. Her father remarried and sent her away to boarding school in Jacksonville, Florida. She was eventually kicked out due to failure to pay tuition. She later attended Howard University and later left after winning a scholarship at Barnard College. Later in life she taught at North Carolina Central University, and she traveled all around the world. She is known for being a famous writer during the Harlem Renaissance. She died of hypertensive heart disease in January 28, 1960.

Zora Neale Hurston

In The Beginning… The book opens with Janie and her Nanny. Nanny is grandmother. They live together. Janie is at a point in life where she is extremely interest in boys. She gets caught kissing one of the local boys and her grandmother sends her off to marry an old man, Logan. Janie is very unhappy with Logan and ends up running off with another man-Joe Starks.

Later on… Janie runs off with Joe. He sells her this dream of becoming a mayor and starting a town for black people. Janie is in love with his ambition and his cleverness. She also loves how he adores her. Janie feels like herself around Joe until he catches another man rubbing her hair. They get into a horrible argument. Janie is forced to hide her hair, her beauty, and her womanhood. She lives a very unhappy life until Joe dies.

In the end… After Joe dies, Janie meets a man named Teacake. They play chess, he makes her laugh, and he is a breath of fresh air for Janie. With Teacake, she can finally be the woman she wants to be. The town warns her about him because he is young, but she doesn’t listen nor care. Janie later leaves town with Teacake. Once they leave, they work together. Teacake ends up getting rabies from a dog and Janie kills him to save him from himself. Janie goes back home to the house she and Joe Starks built. Even though she is alone, she find happiness within herself.

Key Players Janie – Woman the reader sees grow. She desires to be loved for who she is. Nanny – Janie’s grandmother who wants the best for her Logan – Janie’s first husband that was much older than her. He wanted to make Janie an old woman before her time.

Key Players Joe Starks – Janie’s second husband. He loved the idea of being a powerful black man. He was also over- possessive of his wife. Teacake – Janie’s third husband. He was 12 years younger than her. He was also very much in love with Janie. He loved to gamble. Pheoby – Janie’s best friend. She is there for Janie when she returns.

Lessons to Learn… Never settle for anything but your best. Life and people are never what you expect them to be, but never be afraid to experience things. It isn’t wise to listen to everyone else. What is good for them may not be good for you.

Messages & Insight The role of men and women is one of several themes in the novel. Women were to depend on their men and not speak out. Women were to only do housework, but Janie wanted to be different. She wanted to speak her mind and work. Another theme in the novel deals with romantic love. Janie is in search of love. She could have given up and settled for Logan or Joe Starks, but she kept going. Even though things ended in a sour manner between Janie and Teacake, she was happy because for the first time she found love.

Quotes to Live By… An envious heart makes a treacherous ear. Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape form de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore. 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.

Imagine That… Throughout the text, Zora Neale Hurston uses very detailed vivid imagery. I enjoyed this book because there were times when I could actually see some of things she was writing. For example, when says, “She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her.” I can imagine Janie under a tree and I can see the golden rays of the sun beaming down on her.

Their Eyes Were Watching God In the beginning the title seems irrelevant to the book, but once I finished the book, I realized the connection. Janie spends a lot of her time outside with nature. It is a place where she can reflect on the things she is going through. She stares up at the sky for answer as if to say she is waiting on God to send her the right answer for life.

My Critique Out of five stars, this book receives five. I absolutely love this book! It is a great book about a girl blossoming into womanhood through love and life. The book uses vivid imagery. As a reader you can find a way to relate to the Janie and the things she goes through as she searches for her womanhood.

Citations Zora Neale Hurston

The End… D. Patterson April 25, nd period