Their Eyes Were Watching God

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God Nora Neale Hurston Compilation of: Miss Alexander’s Pre-AP English II Classes

2. Chapter 1 Key Plot Events • Janie returns • Townsfolk begin rumor mongering • Janie briefly converses with townsfolk • Janie informs Phoebe of Tea Cake’s death Quotes “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board…that is the life of men.” (Page 1) “Now, women forget all these things they want to remember…they act and do things accordingly,” (Page 1) Theme Endurance is key to survival in this life.

3. Chapter 2 • Quotes • “Ah ain’t never see mah papa. An ah didn’t know I’m if ah did. Mah mama neither.she was gone from around dere long before Ah waz big enough tuh know. Mah grandma raised me. Mah grandma and de white folks she worked wid.“ • “Yeah,Janie, youse got yo’ womanhood on yuh. So Ah mout ez well tell yuh whut Ah been savin’ up for uh spell.Ah wants to see you married right away.” • Theme • Do not settle for anything less than you deserve. • Key Plot Events • Janie realizes her image of love. • Nanny saw Johnny Taylor kissing Janie. • Nanny tells Janie that she needs to get married right away. • Nanny tells the story about her mother.

4. Chapter 3 • Key Plot Events • Janie and Logan got married( pg.21) • Janie talked to Nanny about not loving Logan(pg.22-24) • Nanny died(pg.24) • Janie “became a woman”(pg.25) • Significant Quotes • “Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman”(pg.25) • “Ah could throw ten acres of it over de fence every day and never look back to see where it fell. Ah feel de same way ‘bout Killicks too”(pg.23-24) • Theme • Idealized love

5. Chapter 4 Key Plot Events Significant Quotes • Logan stops expressing his love for Janie. (pg.26) • Logan wants Janie to do hard work. (pg. 26) • Janie meets Joe Starks for the first time. (pg.28) • Logan and Janie get in a fight, so Janie runs away with Joe Starks and gets married before the day is done. (pgs.30-33) • “If Ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh tote it inside.” (pg. 26) • “Janie, if you think Ah aims to tole you off and make a dog outa you. Youse wrong. Ah wants to make a wife outa you.” (pg.29) Theme-You should not mistreat somebody or else they may find something better.

6. Move to Eatonville • Buy land • Jody becomes mayor • Jody’s interruption Chapter 5 “…my wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-making…she’s uh woman…” (page 43) “…Ah aimed to be a big voice.” (page 46) Females’ subordinance

7. “Yellow” mule • Jody gets mule • Mule’s funeral • Jody slaps Janie Chapter 6 • “Jody, dat was a mighty fine thing fuh ya tuh do.” Pg. 58 5th paragraph. • “….he slapped her face in the kitchen.” pg. 71 last paragraph • Things aren’t always what they seem.

8. Janie reevaluates her life & Jody. • Jody ages and criticizes Janie • Janie confronts Jody • Jody loses his temper and dignity. Chapter 7 “She got nothing from Jody except what money could buy…”(pg. 76) “Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life.” (pg. 79) Even a tiny flame still burns.

9. Sleeping in different beds • Falling ill. • Trying to reconcile. • His death. Chapter 8 • “After that night Jody…” Pg 81 • “Come people! Jody is dead. Mah husband is gone from me” Pg 81 Hope

10. Chapter 9- Janie Finds Freedom *Janie attends Joe’s funeral *Janie gains freedom *Janie’s angry at her grandmother for always making her settle on things. *Many men come looking to pursue Janie but she does not accept them “Ah jus’ loves dis freedom.” page 93 “she had been whipped like a cur dog, and run off down a back road after things.” page 89 Janie’s newfound freedom allows her to true ambitions.

11. Chapter 10- Here’s to New Beginnings. * The town is empty for the day. * Tea Cake meets Janie at the store while she is alone. * Tea Cake suggests a game of chess. * On the walk home Janie thinks she is developing feelings for him. “Somebody thought it natural for her to play.” Page 96. “Look at how she’d been able to talk to him right off.” Page 99. Janie realizes she can have a better life. She sees her chance at a new beginning.

12. Chapter 11- Trusting love • Janie begins to think that Tea Cake is taking advantage of her wealth. • Hezekiah tells Janie Tea Cake is low for a women like her. • Janie crushes Tea Cake when she reveals that she only likes him as a good friend. • TTea Cake feels that his feelings are real for Janie. “ my likes and dislikes ought not tuh make no difference wid you, Tea Cake.” Pg. 104 “ You need tellin’ and showin’, and dat’s whut Ah’m doin.” pg. 107 ? In this chapter Janieis finding out Tea Cake’s real feelings for her. She thinks about Tea Cake and if his feelings are true or if he is taking advantage of her wealth.

13. Chapter 12- Following Janie’s Heart *Town begins to notice Janie and Tea Cake. *Pheoby’s husband tells Pheoby to talk to Janie about Tea Cake. *Pheoby talks to Janie about Tea Cake. *Janie tells Pheoby how she feels and her plans. “Git up on uh high chair” pg.114 “Dis is uh a love game”pg. 114 In this chapter, Janie is opening up and admitting to Pheoby that she loves Tea Cake and she is willing to give him a shot at marriage. Because now, she is marrying for love and herself, and for nothing else.

14. Finding Fish Reunited Again Tea Cake’s Specialty Blood Shed “Ah’ll tell yuh. You done married one de best …” Pg.125 “Put dat two hudred back with de rest, Janie. Mah dice…” Pg.128 Chapter 13 Deception

15. Chapter 14 Key Plots • Can’t lose between the beans and dice • Janie's getting better than the boys • New Neighbors • A completely new line of work Quotes • “Naw, naw, Janie. Ah know better’n dat… so Ah wont be losin’ time comin’ home. – Tea Cake (pg 133) • “Ah naw, honey. Ah laks it… we ain’t got nothin’ tuh do but do our work and come home and love.” -Janie (pg 133) • A new and different life, but still a likeable one.

16. Chapter 15 • “ Ah b’lieve you been messin’ …” (pg. 137) • “ You’se something tuh make…” (pg.138) • Janie spots Tea Cake… • Tea Cake plays back… • The Explanation… • Janie finally listens… Jealousy

17. Key Plots Janie gets to know Mrs. Turner. Janie and Mrs. Turner’s Brother. Mrs. Turner makes Tea Cake mad. Plans to get rid of Mrs. Turner Quotes Pg 140 – “These things set her a side from Negroes…” Pg 144 – “Tea Cake said, ‘Yo’ wife don’t seem tuh have nothin’ much tuh do…’” Theme Frustration Chapter 16

18. Tea Cake whips Janie. • Tea Cake boasts about Janie’s fortunes and his power over her. • A fight breaks out in Turner’s restaurant. • Mrs. Turner decides she is moving to Palm Beach. • “Janie is wherever Ah wants tuh be. Dat’s de kind uh wife she is and Ah love her for it.” page 148 • “What kinda man is you, Turner? You see dese no count niggers come in heah and break up mah place! How kin you set and see yo’ wife trompled on? You ain’t no kinda man at all.” page 152 • Theme: Possession

19. People gathered to have dances behind Tea Cakes house. • Janie notices several groups of Native Americans leaving. • Tea Cake gets bit on the face. • Tea Cake, Janie, and Motor Boat get a late start searching for higher ground. “The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time…They seemed to be staring in the dark , but their eyes were watching God.” p.160 Janie feeling sorry about Tea Cake getting bit, Tea Cake says, “He’d uh raised hell though if he had uh grabbed me un inch higher and bit me in mah eye. Yuh can’t buy eyes in de store, yuh know.” p.166 Theme: Faith is everything to a friendship.

20. The clean up of the hurricane. • Tea Cake gets sick when he bitten by a rabid dog. • Janie shoots and kills Tea Cake. • Janie goes to court. • “But something Sop had told him made his tongue lie cold and heavy like a dead lizard between his jaws.” page 179. • “The Fiend in him must kill and Janie was the only thing living he saw.” page 184. Theme: Forgiveness is everything.

21. Janie gives away everything except for a package of seeds. • Moves back to Eatonville. • There is hope for the future. • The memories of Tea Cake will never die. “ Love is lak the sea. ..it takes its shape from the shores it meets, and its different from every shore.” page 191 “ Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got to go tuh God…they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves.” page 192 Theme: Sometimes change is for the better.