Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston

 Born in Notasulga, Alabama, on Jan. 7, 1891 –5 th child of a farmer/carpenter/preacher & a school teacher  Attended Howard University & Barnard College (studied Anthropology) –Known for her research in American folklore as well as Haiti and the British Isles  Achieved fame & sparked controversy as a novelist, anthropologist, essayist, lecturer, & theatrical producer  TEWWG published during the Harlem Renaissance (1937) –Incorporates black folklife

Harlem Renaissance  “HR” - period from the end of WWI through the middle of the 1930s Depression  Talented African-American writers produce a sizable body of literature (poetry, fiction, drama, and essay)  “Two-ness” – divided awareness of one’s identity  Common themes – alienation, marginality, the use of folk material, the use of the blues tradition, the problems of writing for an elite audience  Racial consciousness; “back to Africa” movement (Marcus Garvey), racial integration; explosion of jazz, spirituals, and blues; painting; dramatic revues; etc.

Local Color  Culture (everything that humans do that isn’t motivated by natural instinct)  Tradition ( cultural behavior that exhibits continuity in time)  Narrative (stories—differing cultures have a differing “sense of story”)  Orality (anything that is spoken, changed, recited, sung, or read aloud)  Performance  Etiology (any explanation for the origin of something)  Folklore (cultural behaviors or traditions)

Setting  Eatonville, Florida: 1930s * The story is fictional, but Eatonville (a town created and governed by African Americans) is real.  West Florida, Jacksonville, The Everglades, West Palm Beach

Characters   Janie Crawford   Nanny   Logan Killicks   Joe Starks   Tea Cake   Pheoby Watson   Mrs. Washburn   Mr. Turner   Mrs. Turner   Hezekiah   Motor Boat

Literary Elements  Personification (death)  Frame narration  Symbols  Metaphor (mules/black women)  Irony  Characterization  Folklore  Legend  Local color (historical, cultural setting)  Dialect  Conflict  Character motivation

Symbols  Janie’s hair  Pear tree  The horizon  The hurricane  Head rags worn by Janie / removal of hair rags

Themes  Language  Power  Love  Independence  Community  Race & Racism  History  Religion / Spirituality

Themes (continued)  Paths to God / seeking personal happiness and love  People in power are often hated  Men don’t understand women’s feelings  Fate as a driving force in life

AP Questions – Open Response        2006

Reading Schedule  Chapters 1-5 Quiz: (Quest. 4/11)  Chapters 6-10 Quiz: (Quest. 4/14)  Chapters Quiz: (Quest. 4/19)  Chapters Quiz: (Quest. 4/25)