Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapter 13 Summary

Chapter 13 Janie leaves Eatonville and meets Tea Cake in Jacksonville, where they get married. Still worried about being ripped off, Janie doesn’t tell Tea Cake about the $200 that she has pinned inside her shirt. A week later, Tea Cake leaves early, saying that he is just running to get fish for breakfast. He doesn’t come back, and Janie discovers that her money is missing. She spends the day thinking about Ms. Tyler, the widow in Eatonville who had been ripped off by a charming rascal named Who Flung.

Chapter 13 But Tea Cake returns later that night to a still-upset Janie. He explains that a wave of excitement came over him when he saw the money; he spent it all on a big chicken and macaroni dinner for his fellow railroad workers. It turned into a wild party, full of music and fighting. Janie is insulted that Tea Cake didn’t invite her, but Tea Cake further explains that he was worried that Janie might think that his crowd was too low class. Janie says that from now on, she wants to enjoy everything that he does.

Chapter 13 Tea Cake then promises to reimburse Janie. He claims to be a great gambler and goes off Saturday night to play dice and cards. Again, he disappears for a while and Janie worries. Around daybreak he returns. He got hurt the previous night, cut with a razor by an angry loser, but he won $320. Janie, who now trusts Tea Cake, tells him about the $1,200 that she has in the bank. Tea Cake announces that she will never have to touch it, that he will provide for her, and that they will leave for “the muck” (the Everglades), where he will find a job.