Novel Synopsis

          Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about a woman's life in a time when race was an underlying issue in the southern part of the country. Janie Crawford, a mixed race young girl had many thoughts of her own on racism, but many that stemmed from her grandmother, Nanny. While growing up, Nanny became the caretaker of Janie, explaining to her the ways of life, and arranging Janie's first marriage to a farmer named Logan. "Cause you told me Ah wuz gointer love him, and, and Ah don't. Maybe if somebody was to tell me how, Ah could do it." This marriage was obviously not what Janie wanted.

          Throughout the story, there are many times in Janie's life that she traveled around Florida from city to city to begin a new life for herself. In the beginning, Janie started out in western Florida and made her way to Eatonville with Jody Starks, her second husband. Finally, after moving on to her third husband, Tea Cake, Janie and him make their way to the Everglades.

          Hurston uses a beginning to end pattern of arrangement which is revealed by the main character, Janie. The exposition of this story was written in a way to express the author's specific feelings about discrimination. When Janie returns home, without Tea Cake, the town easily criticizes her because they do not know what really happened to her.

          The biggest conflict rissen in this story is Janie's inability to find and accept love. She continually struggled to stay with the men she married. Another conflict that occurs, is Janie's struggle with God, during the storm as her eyes were watching him. The rising actions occurs as Tea Cake comes into Janie's life. When she begins to fall in love with him and what their relationship had become, Janie marries her third husband.

          Due to the hurricane, a climax arises when the storm threatens their lives together and how they react to it. When Tea Cake thought he knew what to do by waiting out the storm, it ended up being too dangerous for them. During this time, he got bit by a rabid dog which ended up causing the two to make a very hard decision, that ended with Janie having to shoot him. The resolution occurs when Janie returned home and explained to Pheoby what happened, she learned from what happened.  

By Madeline Lutz