Their Eyes were watching god (so far)

Narration/Voice Why does the author choose to write the story from this POV? The story is about Janie finding her own voice, so writing the novel from her own voice of a big flashback adds to the idea that Janie does find her voice and herself in the end. If written from another’s POV the reader would not get the small glimpses into Janie’s mind/thoughts

Women in the novel How are women portrayed so far? Women are not seen as strong or independent (yet) Janie has relied on others the entire story (Nanny, Logan, Joe) “[he] ain’t done took and beat mah baby already!” (page 22) key word: already  this show hitting women was not only okay, but inevitable ina marriage No mention of women having any sort of job other than in the home

Janie- Then vs. now How is Janie portrayed in chapter 1 compared to her in the flashback? At the beginning she is seen as strong, independent and different She came back into town alone, hair down, and wearing overalls In the flashback she is seen as young, naïve, hopeless, and reliant on others She leans on men, and lets them treat her poorly Young Janie never shows any hint of having dreams, wanting a job, or anything in life

Love/relationships vs. independence What does the book say about relationships vs. independence? So far the book shows that women cannot have love AND independence -Janie is not independent, or in love, but she is in relationships the entire book She follows men, not her own goals -Does she have goals?

Racism What racism have we seen in the book so far? Nanny was a slave, being treated viciously Multiple times it is mentioned that Janie was ’raised by the white folks’ Janie was picked on in school because of her skin color Terms such as ‘colored’ and use of the N-word

Religion What role has religion played so far? Nanny is the only religious character, and she died Janie does not appear to be religious at all, making it seem like Janie is not only lost emotionally, mentally and physically, but also spiritually.

symbols Janie’s hair Symbolizes her strength, independence and beauty Her hair is tied up most of the time while she is married, symbolizing that she is trapped and uptight; unable to be herself Her hair is let down and loose in chapter 1 when she walks back into town alone, and when she meets Joe for the first time. She makes her own decision to follow Joe, her hair falls down to show that in this instance she is being strong, and going after what she wants.

symbols The pear tree Symbolizes Janie’s sexual awakening The pear tree, in bloom, serves as a symbol to show how Janie is “blooming” herself. Mentioning on the ‘birds and the bees’ throughout this scene Mentioning of pollen, a golden haze etc. shows how Janie is seeing the world in a new way Page 11

Opening paragraphs What does the two first paragraphs of the book say about gender roles? Men live their lives chasing their far off dreams. Some attain them, some do not. Women must be realistic. Women must work hard, and have the strength to not think about meaningless or inconsequential things. Mentions the “horizon” which is repeated many times throughout the book, adding a tone of desperation to the novel, because things always seem out of reach

Graphic organizer Take 3 sheets of colored paper. Place them about an inch below each other, then fold them Label each tab Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapters 1-4 Setting Vocab Conflict Character Summaries