He goes outside and sees that a serious flood has begun. Character analysis janie in their eyes were watching god. Use the character evolution template to get started. Whereas logan treats her like a farm animal and jody silences her, tea cake converses and plays with her. Born into slavery, nanny tells janie her life story when the girl is sixteen. Her struggle with who she wants to be versus who others expect her to be is a central conflict throughout the novel. Their eyes were watching god makes rabies look about as much fun as medieval torture. In zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, janie mae crawfords character development in evident as one sees her at the beginning of the novel as a codependent. A consummate politician and businessman, he becomes the postmaster, mayor, storekeeper, and biggest landlord in eatonville. Jody, as janie calls him, travels from georgia to eatonville to satisfy his ambition and hunger for power. Her carefree, blissful days are illustrated by the fact that she sees no difference between herself and the white children she plays with. Having set the novel in early twentieth century southern united states, hurston is able to use janie as a vehicle to portray the feminine roles bounded by the society of that time. A life of disappointed romances has made janie cautious when it comes to love and marriage, but she still has a hint of the romantic 16yearold she once was.
He remains with tea cake and janie at their home during the hurricane, and the three of them eventually attempt to escape the rising waters of the hurricane together. Get everything you need to know about nanny crawford in their eyes were watching god. Tea cake was janie s third husband whom she had loved sincerely. Zora neale hurstons novel, their eyes were watching god, is a third person narrative based around the life of a female protagonist, janie crawford. Logan killicks in their eyes were watching god shmoop. Need help on characters in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god. Jody is obsessed with notions of power, and janie remains unfulfilled by their relationship because these notions require her to be a mute, static object and prevent her from growing. Janie crawford character analysis in their eyes were. The product of her mothers rape by a white man, janie was raised by her demanding grandmother, whose idea of a good life involves more money than love. Janie crawford in their eyes were watching god shmoop.
In the fictional novel, their eyes were watching god, written by zora neale hurston, love is exactly what janie, the main character, wants. Janie crawford is the novels black female narrator and protagonist. Through janie s unhappy comments, we learn that logan killicks is an old, unattractive man. Sassy janie starks looks unlike to get anywhere in pregreat war easton, florida, but lands the best colored catch, lively shopkeeper joe. Pheoby stood up for janie as she was talked about among many of the townspeople. But behind janies beauty is where her true character lies. How does janie change in their eyes were watching god. Janie didnt love logan but she had great hope that the longer they were married the stronger her affection for him would grow. Tea cake doesnt try to tame or stifle janie s nature. Nevertheless, he does play a crucial role in her development. In the beginning, janie is swept up in his charismatic and exhilarating nature, but is later dragged. Before his arrival, janie has already begun to find her own voice, as is demonstrated when she finally stands up to jody. In their eyes were watching god, the upper classes are fraught with pretension and jealousy, and they also have unsatisfying lives. Turner, sam watson, leafy crawford, amos hicks, motor boat, hezekiah potts, dr.
Janies development it must have been the way joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything one way or another that took the bloom off of things. Logan killicks is willing to share his 60 acres of land and his house with janie. It is considered a classic of the harlem renaissance of the 1920s, and it is likely hurstons best known work. Although its almost all negative, hes a very interesting character to try to understand.
When janie meets joe, she is still married to logan killicks, the man whom. Get an answer for what characteristics do janie s three husbands share. However, starks is a bit overzealous in his ambition. Vergible tea cake woods in their eyes were watching god. In their eyes were watching god, jody joe starks is janies second husband. Nanny crawford character analysis in their eyes were watching god litcharts. Their eyes were watching god character analysis course hero. We are making a character map to characterize a character from their eyes were watching god he is portrayed as an old, ugly man. In tea cake she finds a creative and vivacious personality who enjoys probing the world around him and respects janie s need to develop. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Janie is better able to understand her own motives and character ultimately. A big reason why janie didnt immediately like joe was because of his looks. As janie and her best friend phoebe sit on the porch in. In her adolescence, she is shown to be a happy, innocent child.
Moreover, no young girl should have a coffeeandcream complexion and a long braid of dark hair that hangs below her waist. Analysis of zora neale hurstons book, their eyes were watching. In their eyes were watching god, zora neale hurston utilizes the symbols of janie s hair, the wind, the pear tree, the horizon, and the gun to present various important themes in janie s life as well as themes related to the harlem renaissance. Janie crawford, the main character of zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and, in my opinion, she succeeds even though it takes her over thirty years to do it. Janie s primary characteristics are her ability to dream and her ability to act on her instincts to find happiness. Planting and harvesting are seasonal, and when the season ends, the migrants leave. Break the story down into exposition, conflictrising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Of all the characters in the novel, janie has the most social mobility as a result of her attractive looks. A hardworking farmer with 60 acres of land and a comfortable house, logan does not have a major part in janie s story, and yet he is a. Janie crawford character analysis in their eyes were watching god. Her marriage with logan killicks consisted of dull, daily routines.
Tea cake character timeline in their eyes were watching god the timeline below shows where the character tea cake appears in their eyes were watching god. Their eyes were watching god is a bildungsroman that follows janie s formative years, beginning in her youth. Joe starks, janie s second husband in zora neale hurstons novel their eyes were watching god, had most of the common characteristics of a white individual during the late nineteen century. Twentyfour years and three marriages later, janie has experienced both love and personal growth. These characteristics soon become oppressive to janie. Simmons, johnny taylor, annie tyler and who flung, mr. At this time janie is young and logan is an older man. Mar 03, 2012 10 words that describe janie crawford and why 10 points their eyes are watching god.
In this lesson, we will learn about janie s growth through. The three of them wait out the storm in the shanty with their eyes. Like many people, she begins her journey not knowing what love is. A analysis of janies quest in her eyes were watching god by zora. Get an answer for what was janie s most noticeable physical characteristic. Provides a character analysis of janie, from their eyes were watching god, by african american author zora neale hurston. The secret to janie and tea cakes marriage is their communication with. Their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston is the story of janie s loves and life from her teenage years through middle age. Her experiences make her sadly aware of what can happen to an attractive woman.
Janie crawford click the character infographic to download. He is cruel, conceited, and uninterested in janie as a person. Character analysis janie crawford killicks starks woods an unwritten law in the little community in which janie crawford grew up stated that no girl would appear in school better dressed than the other girls, even those wearing secondhand clothes. Character analysis of joe jody starks their eyes were. Tea cake and janie stay on, and she becomes friendly with mrs.
It is interesting that hurston starts off her novel by calling into question a womans ability to accurately look at her past because their eyes were watching god is largely one woman telling her life story. A list of all the characters in their eyes were watching god. Nanny hopes that janies life will be better than her own and leafys. The characterization of janie in their eyes were watching. Instead of stifling her personality, he encourages it, introducing her to new experiences and skills. In zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, the main character, janie crawford, is on a quest to find true love.
Janie sixteenyearold janie crawford dreams of love and wonders whether love will come with marriage. In their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston, the. Exploration of the character janie in their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston. She finds herself in three marriages, one she escapes from, and the other two end tragically. Just ask janie, the main character of zora neale hurstons novel their eyes were watching god. Janie has just told jody that his constant work in establishing their new town and his business bothers her because it keeps the two of them apart, both physically and emotionally. Joe starks, often called jody, is janie s second husband and a born entrepreneur with a few good qualities. But he treats janie as an object rather than a person, and their marriage deteriorates. And while she can survive on her own, janie would really like to have someone else to share her life with. Based on this description, which literary archetype does joe starks most closely. Figurative language in their eyes were watching god.
Joe starks click the character infographic to download. Does this imply that we arent supposed to trust janie. The their eyes were watching god quotes below are all either spoken by janie crawford or refer to janie crawford. Feminist heroine their eyes were watching god english. Copy of characterization in their eyes were watching god. By ariane redding in the novel their eyes were watching god, by zora neale hurston, joe starks shows a lot of character development. Tea cake says that he bets janie wishes that she had stayed in her big house in eatonville, but she replies that she doesnt care what happens as long as they remain together. Nanny born into slavery on a plantation near savannah, she bears leafy, her white masters child.
In their eyes were watching god, janie s learning to shoot even better than tea cake foreshadows her having to shoot him at the end of the novel. Janies growth in their eyes were watching god by zora. Characters, themes and imagery in their eyes were watching god. Hes old and uglyin sharp contrast to janies youthful beauty. Nanny might be strict and seemingly cold, but janie knows she wants the best for her granddaughter. In their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston, the character joe starks finds satisfaction only when he exercises control over people and things. Nanny arranges janies marriage to logan because he has money and he knows how to love a woman. Analysis of their eyes were watching god 1477 words 6 pages. In their eyes were watching god, janie goes through an epic metamorphisis due to her marriages no matter how they met, how rough the relationship was, or how tradgic it may have ended. She is simply nanny to janie because that is what the white children that she takes care of call her. Teacake was much different that janie s two previous husbands, logan and jody, in the since of respect. The main character of their eyes were watching god, janie crawford is a woman on a mission to find love.
In this way, women ensure that they see themselves as living out their dreams. He treated janie like his equal, whereas logan and jody treated her as an object, like a trophy. This article was most recently revised and updated by kathleen kuiper, senior editor. Janie crawford, the main character in zora neale hurstons novel their eyes were watching god introduced herself to the girls in my high school women in literature class three years ago as we began with chapter one, and each year students have heard about her before the reading begins. Their eyes were watching god is hurstons bestknown work, a novel that centers around janie, a poor black girl raised in florida by her grandmother, who is always searching for something more. Character analysis janie, the main character in their eyes were. Create a storyboard that shows the evolution of janie throughout the course of their eyes were watching god. Janie crawford quotes in their eyes were watching god. The book, their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston is about janie crawford and her quest for selfindependence and real love. Analysis of major and minor characters their eyes were.
The secret to janie and tea cakes marriage is their communication with each. Janies character evolution in their eyes were watching god. Janie mae crawford, tea cake, jody starks, logan killicks, pheoby watson, nanny crawford, mr. Throughout these relationships she learns how to be a woman and finally, be independent. Although their eyes were watching god revolves around janie s relationships with other people, it is first and foremost a story of janie s search for spiritual enlightenment and a strong sense of her own identity. Says mary helen washington in the foreword of their eyes were watching god, for most black women readers discovering their eyes for the first time, what was most compelling was the figure of janie crawford powerful, articulate, selfreliant, and radically different from any woman character they had ever before encountered in literature. Motor boat is a friend of tea cake and janies and fellow laborer in the muck. In fact, tea cakes rabiesfueled jealousy is what ends up killing him. A analysis of janies quest in her eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston. In the story, their eyes were watching god by zora neal hurston, there is a struggle between social status, class, race, gender, and wealth. Characters janie mae crawford although their eyes were watching god revolves around janie s relationships with other people, it is first and foremost a story of janie s search for spiritual enlightenment and a strong sense of her own identity. Janies three marriages in hurstons there eyes were. One of the primary symbols in their eyes were watching god is janie.
Their eyes are watching god character analysis 970 words. As we see at the end of the novel, after tea cakes death, janie remains strong and hopeful. And throughout her journey, she learns a lot about love, and herself. Janie and joe hurt each other in a lot of ways and do not understand each other. Their eyes were watching god character analysis of janie. Janie crawford character analysis in their eyes were watching.
As the novel opens, janie is returning alone from her latest love adventure. By david do the character i have decided to analyze was tea cake. Character profiles from the beginning of her story under the pear tree janie undergoes the process of selfdiscovery, as she evolves through her experiences with three distinctly different husbands. What was janies most noticeable physical characteristic. Their eyes were watching god study guide contains a biography of zora neale hurston, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He seeks power through domination and material possessions and views his wife janie as a static possession. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Joe starks characterization in their eyes were watching god logan killicks now its your turn. Their eyes were watching god characters gradesaver. Joe, nicknamed jody by janie, proudly displays his wardrobe, which replicated that of the wealthy white b. Character analysis of tea cake their eyes were watching god. Janie crawford from their eyes were watching god charactour.
Janie crawford character timeline in their eyes were watching god the timeline below shows where the character janie crawford appears in their eyes were watching god. Their eyes were watching god is a bildungsroman that follows janie s formative years, beginning in. Disappointed with this child, nanny, who has no given name, dotes on her granddaughter janie. The secret to janie and tea cakes marriage is their communication with each other. Tea cake character analysis in their eyes were watching. The lower classeslike the migrant workers in the evergladeson the other hand have fun, fulfilling lives. Character analysis janie crawford killicks starks woods likewise, no 16yearold should live in a neat little house with a yard on land owned by her grandmother.
Their eyes were watching god is a bildungsroman that follows janies formative years, beginning in her youth. What characteristics do janies three husbands share. Copy of characterization in their eyes were watching god by. Janie crawford maiden name killicksstarkswoods janie is the protagonist of the novel and the narrative traces her development from naive girl, to a selfsufficient and outspoken woman in her forties. Janies growth in their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston in the novel, their eyes were watching god, by zora neale hurston, janie has allowed us to better understand the restraints that women in society had to deal with in a male dominated society. Janies relationships and independence engl 433 blog. Since the author, zora neale hurston, is a female, it kind of presents the idea that the entirety of the story is to make the protagonist, janie, seem to be a feminist hero like character. In zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, the main character janie goes through three tumultuous relationships. However, when he achieves a position of power, joe takes it too far and, in janie s eyes, becomes nothing but the big voice. The character of joe starks in the novel their eyes were watching god written by zora neil hurston is janies second husband and an entrepreneur who is very charismatic and well off financially.
Bealer examines the connection between janie, the pear tree, and tea cake as a sexual desire, love, her marriage and etc. In this article, bealer focuses on hurstons representation of african american love. By teacake treating her right, janie loves being married to him and charishes their love. But anyway, she went down the road behind him that night feeling cold. She hopes that now that business is booming, their togetherness and closeness will resume.
After janie leaves, nanny prays that god will take care of her granddaughter. Janie hopes she can find love in her forced marriage. She is the audience for janies story because she usually listens to janie rather than talk or make a big impact. Janie is our heroine, narrator, tour guide, and allaround hero. Reviews the trials and tribulations faced by the character and examines how she is changed by them. Jan 07, 2014 character analysis of janie why is janie considered a powerful protagonist. Their eyes were watching god character analysis litcharts. Tea cake is actually 12 years younger than janie, but impresses her with his quick wit and his will of living. Their eyes were watching god is a 1937 novel by africanamerican writer zora neale hurston. Logan was known as an ugly or a very unattractive old man, whereas janie was a beautiful young lady. Turner, an unattractive, overbearing woman who, with her mousy husband, runs a restaurant. Janie emotionally grapples with this sudden awareness of her reality. The their eyes were watching god characters covered include. Nanny crawford character analysis in their eyes were.
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