Synopsis by Brittany Andrews

Contextual Element: Synopsis by Brittany Andrews

“Their Eyes Were Watching God” Synopsis

           Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” follows Janie Mae Crawford on her search for love and identity.  Set in 1920’s Florida, it explores the history and culture of the black community and its continuing struggle to find its place after slavery was abolished.
The story, arranged end to flashback, begins with Janie, somewhat of a social stigma, grieving over the loss of Tea Cake, a man completely unknown to readers.  Janie begins to tell a friend her story—Janie’s mother, the illegitimate child of a slave owner, had been raped and subsequently abandoned by Janie’s father.  Janie had been left in the care of her grandmother, Nanny. At sixteen, Janie’s dreams of love were squelched and she was essentially forced into marriage to one Logan Killicks, a local farmer.  Very soon Janie grows desperate in her loveless marriage and runs away with Joe “Jody” Starks, a very ambitious young man who promises her the moon.  They arrive in the town of Eatonville and their life together begins.

           Eatonville was an all- black town that was established after slavery was abolished.  When Jody and Janie arrive, Jody proceeds to become mayor and turns the sorry village of Eatonville into a bustling town.  Janie soon realizes that her marriage to Jody is just as loveless as her first one.  Twenty odd years later, Jody is on his death bed and soon Janie becomes a very wealthy widow, pursued by numerous men, all of whom Janie has absolutely no interest in.

Things changed the day she met Tea Cake, a drifter some fifteen years her junior.  After struggling to trust him, Janie finally agrees to marry Tea Cake and leave Eatonville.  Eventually they end up in the Everglades, sharecropping on “the muck”.  Their marriage is filled with problems, but more so with love.  The action begins to rise as a hurricane strikes their village.  Tea Cake is bitten by a dog who is wild with rabies.  Tea Cake grows sick with “mad dog”, and soon Janie fears, rightfully so, for her life.  The climax of the story occurs when Janie shoots Tea Cake in self- defense.  Some time later, the story resolves as Janie returns to Eatonville and the story picks up where it left off in the beginning.  Janie finally finds peace in knowing that she had loved and been loved, and no one could take that away.

Author Biography by Rebecca Przetycki

Contextual Element: Author Biography by Rebecca Przetycki

                                                  Author Biography – Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama on January 15, 1891. She then moved to Eatonville, Florida to a place she referred to as a “Negro Town”. “In Eatonville, Hurston was never indoctrinated in inferiority, and she could see the evidence of black achievement all around her.” Hurston’s Father was a minister and a mayor. Her Mother was a former school teacher and raised eight children. This society and culture was used as a basis for her novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” in which her characters are portrayed as resilient and accomplished.

Hurston lived a relatively privileged and happy life until her Mother died when she was thirteen.  Thereafter, she left home and found it challenging to make roots and find her place in society.  She referred to this time as her “haunted years”. Hurston graduated high school from Morgan Academy in 1918 and then entered Howard University. Here she joined a literary club where she publishes her first story, “John Redding Goes to Sea”. She eventually obtained her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College. Hurston’s first novel entitled, “Jonah’s Gourd Vine” was published in 1934. Hurston married several times during her life, not unlike the character Janie in her novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. Although she moved around quite a bit in her life she always considered Eatonville her home.

Hurston was described as a “bright and powerful presence” and charmed everyone she came into contact with.  Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance and is considered to be one of the most notable and successful black woman authors of the first half of the twentieth century. Hurston wrote four novels and more than 50 published short stories, plays, and essays. Her home was a spirited open house for artists.  “When Zora was there, she was the party”.  When her autobiography, “Dust Tracks on a Road” was published in 1942, she was profiled in “Who’s Who in America, Current Biography and Twentieth Century Author’s”. Unfortunately, she never received the financial rewards that she deserved. The highest royalty she received was $943.75, so when she died on January 28th, 1960 at 69 years old from a stroke, her neighbors had to take up a collection for her funeral. There was not enough money for a headstone so her grave was unmarked until 1973.

Alice Walker, a young writer who was inspired by Hurston took a trip to Fort Pierce to put a marker on Hurston’s grave. “Wading through waste high weeds, Alice Walker stumbled upon a sunken rectangular patch of ground that she determined to be Hurston’s grave”. The only headstone Walker could afford was a plain gray marker. “Borrowing from a Jean Toomer poem, she dressed the marker up with a fitting epitaph: “Zora Neale Hurston: A genius of the South”.

Cast of Characters by Haley Wiederhold

Contextual Element: Cast of Characters by Haley Wiederhold

•  Janie is a beautiful woman who is in search for her voice and where she belongs in the world.
•  Tea Cake (Vergible Woods) Janie’s third husband. Is 12 years younger than Janie but truly loved her. Made Janie happy.
•  Joe Starks Nickname Jody, given by Janie. Mayor of Eatonville, Janie’s second husband. He also owned a store, the post office and the most land. He wanted to be in control of everything and treated Janie more like an object.
• Pheoby Watson is Janie’s best friend in Eatonville; she stands up for Janie when the other women are gossiping about her. Married to Sam Watson
• Nanny Crawford Janie’s grandmother who raised her and wanted the best for her. Was a run away slave and had a tough life with her and her daughter getting raped. Arranged her marriage to Logan.
• Logan Killicks Janie’s first husband whom she never loved and never planned to love. He was able to support Janie financially and with respect but nothing more.
• Mrs. Turner worships white characteristics and frowned upon black ones. Janie looked whiter than herself and she worshipped Janie because of it. Tea Cake did not like her.
• Sam Watson Pheoby’s husband. Sat on Joe’s porch and full of humor along with great wisdom.
• Motor Boat lived on the muck with Tea Cake and Janie. Was with them when the storm came in and they ran together away from the storm.
• Dr. Simmons a white doctor who helped Tea Cake when he got very sick. Knew what was wrong with him and that Janie only killed Tea Cake out of self-defense.
• Hezekiah Potts worked as a delivery boy and shopkeeper in Joe’s store. After Joe dies, Hezekiah begins to act like Joe.
• Nunkie a younger woman who flirted very much with Tea Cake and made Janie not only jealous but quite insecure as well. Tea Cake reassures his wife that Nunkie means nothing to him.
• Annie Tyler a wealthy widow from Eatonville who married a young man who ran off with all her money. Janie feared Tea Cake would do the same.

Character Life Map by Haley Wiederhold

Interpretative Element: Character Life Map by Haley Widerhold