Chapter 19 Structure

The way Hurston chose to structure the novel with the story starting in the present and going back into the past and finally returning to the present in the end, can be a risky decision because the reader knows the overall solution of the plot but it works in the case of Their Eyes Were Watching God because in the beginning the reader knows very little about Janie and the set up of her returning to town sparks the readers interest into what led up to this. As the story winds through the past, missing pieces are revealed and more are presented which keeps the reader interested.

The chapter structure affects the overall story though. The chapters often begin and end with a narration that not only sets the scene for each individual chapter but adds depth to the story and helps the reader visualize the scene and understand the story better.

Chapters 16, 17 and 18

How does Mrs. Turner's relationship with her husband affect her character? Discuss their roles in marriage, and compare them to other couples in the chapters.

Mrs.Turner is a strongly opinionated, self reliant women. She's proud and "strong headed". Mr.Turner knows this and let's her do what she pleases without interfering. This makes Mrs.Turner feel more in control. Because of this she has control of the relationship, this is true with many of the other couples in the book, the women controls the relationship. These relationships act as a foil to Janie and Tea Cake's relationship because in their relationship Tea Cake has control. In Janie and Tea Cake's relationship each of them are happy and they make each other happy, which can't be said for the Turners. Janie and Tea Cake have a healthy relationship, they are loyal to each other and they complement each other. The Turners on the other hand are separate of each other and Mrs. Turner only looks to her husband to function as a healthy couple when she is in need or loses control, like when she is pushed to the floor in the bar fight and scolds Mr.Turner for not coming to her aid.





What is the significance of the title? What does Hurston suggest about the relationship between the characters and God

The Title "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is significant because it represents a theme in the book. Janie, Tea Cake and all the rest of the characters believe that everything that happens to them is God's will. Hurston suggests throughout the story that God controls what happens to the characters and controls how they live their lives. This is illustrated in Chapter 18 during the hurricane, the characters eyes were "watching god" to see what he would do, would he spare them from the storm would he subject them to it.

3 literary techniques chapters 13-15

Page 116- Personification "The train beat on itself and danced on the shiny steel rails mile after mile."

Zora Neale Hurston's use of personification to describe the train that Janie takes to Jacksonville, not only gives the train an upbeat personality but builds an image in the readers mind of what the train looks like. This allows the reader to hear and see what Janie is experiencing and in turn allows the reader to connect with Janie more and to understand how janie is feeling, she's looking forward to the trip and the train ride is a happy one.

Page 118 - Simile "The room inside looked like the mouth of an alligator - gaped wide open to swallow something down."

This simile effectively portrays how Janie is feeling, upon discovering that her $200 is gone.
Tea cake has been gone for a while and Janie is starting to get worried, she's afraid that Tea Cake has run off with the money. Janie fears that Tea Cake has done the same thing that Who Flung did to Annie Tyler, robbed her and left her. The Alligator mouth, in the simile, represents this fear. Part of her believes the money may be lost in the room and the imagery of the alligator's mouth shows how hard the money is to find.


Page 122 - Hyperbole "When the fellow began to pick to pick the box the people began to come from east, west, north and Australia."

Hurston uses this exagerration to emphasize that people were coming from all over the place to attend Tea Cake's party of sorts. People weren't actually coming from Australia but the use of it as an example illustrates how widespread the people attending were. It gives the reader a better understanding of the scene and the setting.

#5 Motivation and changes

Janie's motivation to run off with Tea Cake and get married is that Tea Cake is a fresh breath of air, he lives a different lifestyle than what shes used to and he shares it with her and she realizes it's the lifestyle she's always wanted. She wants to experience new things that she wouldn't have been able to experience when she was with Jody. This is very similar to her motivation for running off with Jody in the first place but hopefully it will end differently for her this time.

Janie experiences a change in values and personality in Chapters 11 and 12. She realizes she wants to stop living like her grandma wanted her to live and to start living how she wants to live. She also no longer cares what the community thinks of her or her actions, this gives Janie a more carefree personality that allows her to go off with Tea Cake and experience new things and to find herself.

Journal 4: Hope

And Mark was filled with hope. Hope, that quiet flower with hefty pedals that flourishes in the rain. The great illusion that walks through crowds of disheartened men like a spreading disease, infecting them as it passes. What need does hope have for a crowd when he can thrive off the pain of one man? He leans on the podium that overlooks the dispirited crowd. Leans in waiting with his infectious hands ready to engulf any new subjects who beckon him with their troubles. Been leaning there since before the sun first rose over the hills. Mark was bound to catch a glimpse of his dark shadow at any moment. He was anxious and terrified. Poor John! He should not have to view the dark effigy alone. Mark sent Alex in to shield his eyes but John said no. These blindfolds were meant to hide one's vision, but had no effect when faced with such a beast. He'd be spared as long as he focused on the light. He wasn't going to quiver in the wake of such power. That was what he believed. But Alex had told him differently, so he understood. And if he still had doubt, he was bound to find out soon, for people began looking to the sky. People who had never turned their gaze from the stage. Stared at the sky in silence. Reality, that bright cure, had shined over the crowd

chapter 4 - 5 literary terms

Page 31-Personification
"The sun from ambush was threatening the world with red daggers, but the shadows were gray and solid-looking around the barn."

This passage sets the setting of the scene, it illustrates that it was beginning to get hot outside but that the barn was still in the shade and that's where she was going. Almost a metaphor for her current situation, the sun being Logan and the shade around the barn being Joe.


Page 31 - Simile/Imagery
"Logan with his shovel looked like a black bear doing some clumsy dance on his hind legs"

This passage gives the reader a visual of what Logan looked like doing the work. The comparison has a humorous element to it which lightens the mood a little bit and makes Logan seem less threatening.

Page 32- Motivation
"Logan was accusing her of her mamma, her grandmama, and her feelings, and she couldn't do a thing about any of it."

This passage effectively illustrates Janie's motivation for leaving Logan for Joe. It shows that Logan does not respect her or her family and it show that she is fed up and is ready for change. This sets up her epiphany that she should run away with Joe.


Page 32 - Epiphany
"A feeling of sudden newness and change came over her"

This passages illustrates a change in Janie. She realizes that she isn't happy with Logan and should take a chance on Joe, someone she could really love. It offers a change in the story and leaves the audience curious to find out what will happen with her and Joe.

Page 33 - Personification and/or Symbol
"They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged"

This passage wraps up the chapter well, as the sun sets on Janie's old life. In the passage, Logan can represent the sun, as he leaves the moon emerges, the moon represents Joe, this is a way that Zora Neale Hurston shows that Janie's new life has begun.

Their eyes watching god journals 1& 2

Journal 1: The narration differs from the dialect in several ways. The most prominent one is the different language used in each one. The dialect in the novel is written how African Americans talked in the early 1900s while the narration is in more proper English, the use of the early 1900's African American dialogue as the dialect adds to the setting and the readers understanding of the story. It makes the reader pay attention to what the characters are saying and gives the reader a better understanding of the setting and the book itself. The narration being in proper English captures the readers attention because it stands out from the dialect, this makes the messages conveyed in the narration have a stronger meaning and adds emphasis to the narration.

Journal 2: The setting affects the text drastically specifically in the dialect since the book is set in the early 1900's and is written from the perspective of an African American the dialect is that of African Americans at that time, this adds to the story and gives the reader a better understanding of the novel. The setting also affects the atmosphere of the text, it is set in post civil war, pre-civil rights movement America. During this time period African Americans were no longer slaves but were discriminated against so as a reader we know this means the characters are dealing with this which helps the reader understand the characters and story better.