| Who wrote this novel? | Zora Neale Hurston |
| What would an anthropologist study? | humans, their origins, physical characteristics, institutions, religious beliefs, social relationships, etc |
| What was the era of unprecedented achievement in literature and art in the 1920’s and early 1930’s? | The Harlem Renaissance |
| This novel is a story within a story, which means that is is a… | frame story |
| What is the first incorporated African American town in America? | Eatonville, FL |
| Who is the protagonist? | Janie |
| Who is Janie’s best friend? | Phoeby |
| What is the oldest human longing? | self-revelation |
| Which dynamic group of people forget what they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget? | women |
| Which static group of people sees their dreams on the horizon, but only watch them as Time mocks? | men |
| What are two examples of archetypal images that represent Janie’s journey? | road and gate |
| What is the general reaction of the people of Eatonville upon Janie’s return in the first chapter? | Gossip and jealousy |
| Who is the Mouth-Almighty? | the porch-sitters |
| What is the “muck? | The Everglades |
| What does Janie have a special connection with? | nature |
| How are Janie and Phoeby’s roles as Storyteller and Listener important? | Janie has had self-revelation, but want to fully understand it by telling someone her story of getting it. And Phoeby wants to “leave the porch” by sharing in Janie’s revelation. |
| Who is the mule of society, according to Nanny? | African American women |
| Characterization told explicitly is… | direct |
| Characterization through assumptions is… | indirect |
| Characterization that does not change throughout is… | static |
| Characterization that changes throughout is… | dynamic |
| Characterization that is multi-dimensional is… | round |
| Characterization that is one-dimensional is… | flat |
| In what year was this novel published? | 1937 |
| Where was the author born and raised? | Eatonville, FL |
| Where did the author study anthropology? | Barnard College and Columbia University |
| What is it called when two groups speak the same language but with marked differences in pronunciation (phonological) or in the words (lexical) used for common objects? | dialect |
| Who raised Janie? | Nanny |
| Which white family did Janie grow up with? | The Washburns |
| At what age did Janie learn she was African American? How did this revelation occur? | 6; when she saw herself in a photo |
| What was Janie’s nickname as a child? Why this name? | “Alphabet”; because she had so many names |
| Janie has a sort of sexual awakening at age 16 when she sees what occur? | A bee pollinating a pear tree blossom |
| Who does Janie share her first kiss with? | Johnny Taylor |
| Who asks for Janie’s hand in marriage? | Logan Killicks |
| Who is Janie’s mother? | Leafy |
| What made “Janie’s kiss across the gatepost seem like a manure pile after the rain”? | Nanny’s words |
| What does Nanny do after Janie refuses to marry Logan? | She slaps her granddaughter |
| As far as Nanny knows, who is the ruler of everything? | white men |
| Why does Nanny want Janie to be married to Logan? | There is protection, plus he is well-off with sixty acres of land |
| Who is a “cracked plate”? | Nanny |
| Who wanted to speak for women like herself, but had no pulpit to preach on? | Nanny |
| What was the giveaway that Leafy was the white landowner’s child? | She had grey eyes and yellow hair |
| What event occurred while Nanny was running away with her baby? | The end of the Civil War and the freeing of the slaves |
| What happened to Leafy? | She was raped by a schoolteacher, and after Janie was born, she began drinking and going out. Soon she didn’t return. |
| Was Leafy dead when Janie heard the story about her? | It is not certain, because Nanny would know it by her feelings |
| What is Logan’s house referred to? | a stump |
| What does Janie want out of her marriage with Logan? | love |
| Why does Nanny die? | She had done all she could for Janie |
| Who is Janie’s second husband? | Joe Starks |
| What is the symbol of Janie’s sexuality? | her hair |
| What does Logan do after Janie refuses to help him move a manure pile? | He threatens to kill her with an axe |
| After Janie leaves Logan, what does the morning air feel like to her? | a new dress |
| Where to Joe and Janie go? | Eatonville, FL |
| What honor is Joe given for helping build up the town? | mayor |
| What can’t the town fathom about Joe at first? | How much money he has |
| What town commodity is built for Eatonville? | a streetlight |
| “You can’t git her wid no ____” | fish sandwich |
| How did Joe see his wife and the other women? | Janie is the bell-cow, and the others are the gang |
| What does Joe say Janie doesn’t know how to do in front of everyone? | speech-making |
| What happens when Joe catches Henry Pitts with a wagon of his ribbon cane? | Henry’s cane is taken away and he is kicked out |
| What is Joe’s solution to the men looking at and touching Janie’s hair? | He makes her tie it up in a rag |
| Where do Joe and Janie work during the day? | Joe works in the Post Office, and Janie works in the store |
| What animal becomes a center of conversation in Eatonville? | Matt Bonner’s yellow mule |
| Was Janie allowed to go to the mule-dragging? | No |
| What do the carcass, Parson, and other buzzards represent? | Carcass is Janie, Parson is Joe, and Buzzards are townspeople |
| What killed the mule? | bare fat |
| Who is the lovely lady in town that gets the appreciation Janie wants? | Daisy Blunt |
| In Janie’s mind, what did she drape her dreams over? | Joe Starks |
| Who is constantly coming to the store to beg for food? | Mrs. Tony |
| How many years had Janie and Joe been married before Joe dies? | 20 years |
| What is Janie’s pet name for Joe? | Jody |
| What Joe do to Janie throughout their marriage that Nanny wanted, but Janie did not? | put on the stool of do-nothing |
| What mistake brings Joe and Janie’s insults to a boiling point? | Janie cut a piece of tobacco in the wrong place |
| What insult does Janie give to Joe that causes great embarrassment to Joe? | “When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life!” |
| Why does Joe start having Old Lady Davis cook his meals for him? | He suspects Janie of poisoning him |
| Does Joe get legitimate medical help for his illness? | No, he gets quack doctors |
| What is the cause of Joe’s deteriorating health? | Both of his kidneys failed |
| What is ironic about Joe’s death? | He didn’t know he was dying until right before it happened |
| What does Janie do after Joe dies? | She lets down her hair |
| What was the world to Janie? | “a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether” |
| What contrasts within Janie during Joe’s funeral? | On the outside, she is in mourning, but inside, she loves her freedom |
| What was Janie and Nanny after in life? | Janie was after people, and Nanny was after things |
| What is the biggest thing God ever made? | the horizon |
| Who works in the store and mimics Joe’s mannerisms? | Hezekiah |
| “To my thinkin’ ____ oughtn’t tuh last no longer’n ____.” | mourning; grief |
| While Eatonville is at a game at Winter parks, who comes to the store? | Tea Cake |
| What is Tea Cake’s real name? | Vergible Woods |
| What is the first thing Tea Cake teaches Janie to do? | play checkers |
| Who is a glance from God? | Tea Cake |
| How much older is Janie than Tea Cake? | 12 years |
| How are Joe’s and Tea Cake’s life choices different? | Joe lives to work, and Tea Cake works to live |
| What does Janie repeatedly call Tea Cake? | “You crazy thing!” |
| When Janie wakes up from sleeping, what does she catch Tea Cake doing? | combing her hair |
| What is a jook? | a dive or bar |
| Who is the fiend from hell sent specially to lovers? | doubt |
| Why does the town look so negatively upon Janie and Tea Cake’s relationship? | Tea Cake is younger than her, and liable to steal her money. Also, Janie should be in mourning for Joe |
| Who does Phoeby refer to (who was in a similar situation) when trying to talk Janie out of marrying Tea Cake? | Annie Tyler |
| Where is the first place Janie and Tea Cake go to after leaving Eatonville? | Jacksonville |
| How much money did Janie pin to the inside of her shirt? | $200 |
| How much money does Janie initially have in the bank? | $1200 |
| What did Tea Cake spend the $200 dollars on? Why? | A mac and cheese and chicken dinner for everyone; he wants to see what it’s like to be rich |
| Why doesn’t Tea Cake bring Janie to the party he funded? | The people there aren’t high class |
| What does Tea Cake do to win back Janie’s money, as well as play throughout the novel? | dice |
| What is a flivver? | an old car |
| What becomes the center of activity in the Everglades? | Tea Cake and Janie’s house |
| Describe the social structure of this time period | 1. Rich white 2. Rich black (Joe) 3. Porch-Sitters 4. Mucks (In the Everglades; spiritual) |
| Which body of water to Janie and Tea Cake settle near? | Lake Okechobee |
| What does Tea Cake teach Janie to do in the muck? | to shoot |
| What are the two reasons for teaching Janie to shoot? | Hunting and Protection |
| Who flirts with Tea Cake, and is said to not be good for anything but sit in the kitchen corner and break wood over her head? | Nunkie |
| Who are the Saws? | Bahaman workers |
| Who is, ironically, racist against African Americans? | Mrs. Turner |
| What is Mrs. Turner’s cause of racism? | irritation |
| What does Mrs. Turner “worship”? | white features, especially Janie’s |
| What do Janie and Tea Cake live off of, according to Janie? | happiness |
| Who does Mrs. Turner want to set up Janie with? | her brother, a carpender |
| When Tea Cake meets Janie for the first time, where was he working? | Orlando |
| What does Tea Cake do to show ownership over Janie? | he whips her |
| Where do Mr. and Mrs. Turner go after the ruckus in the cafe? | Palm Beach |
| What kind of man is Mr. Turner? | submissive, weak |
| Who starts a fight in Mrs. Turner’s cafe? | Tea Cake and his friends |
| After all the racism against African Americans throughout the novel, which group of people is now ridiculed before the hurricane comes? | the Native Americans (Seminoles) |
| According to Tea Cake, what would have happened if Indians were right about things? | They’d still own the country |
| Who are “folks”, and who are “people”, regarding the hurricane’s wrath? | folks are workers, and people are owners |
| Who stays with Janie and Tea Cake to ride out the storm at first? | Motorboat |
| Who offers Tea Cake and Janie a ride out to avoid the hurricane? | Lias |
| The title of the novel refers to what event? | Janie, Tea Cake, and Motorboat watching God in the storm, they being helpless to do anything |
| Who walked the earth with a heavy heel? | the sea |
| What did Janie grab onto for support, and what was on top of it? | a cow; a rabid dog |
| Where did the rabid dog bite Tea Cake before he stabs it with his knife? | the cheekbone |
| What is the incubation period for rabies? | three weeks |
| What is Tea Cake made to do after the hurricane? | find bodies and bury them |
| Unfortunately, how are the bodies buried? | Caucasian people are put in pine boxes, and African American people are put in a ditch and sprinkled with quick-lime |
| What is the first sure sign that something is wrong with Tea Cake? | He chokes up water when he tries to drink it |
| What is the doctor’s verdict for Tea Cake? | He has rabies, and he is sure to die after some upsetting episodes |
| Who is Tea Cake’s doctor? | Dr. Simmons |
| How does Tea Cake’s illness parallel Jody’s? | For both men, help arrived too late |
| According to Janie, who is Tea Cake’s parent? | The Evening Sun |
| What did Janie believe killed Tea Cake? | her love |
| What does the doctor say will happen to Tea Cake in the hospital? | he will be tied down |
| According to Tea Cake, how did Janie spend her years? | She spent her old days with another man, and her young days with Tea Cake |
| What point of argument begins the climactic event between Janie and Tea Cake? | Janie isn’t sleeping with Tea Cake anymore |
| What does Janie find under Tea Cake’s pillow, and what does she do with it? | pistol; she takes three bullets out |
| How many times does Tea Cake fire the pistol? | 4 (three were empty, one had a bullet) |
| What did Janie kill Tea Cake with? | a rifle |
| What does Tea Cake do to Janie right before he dies? | he bites her |
| Who stands up for Janie in court? Who condemns her? | The Caucasian women and Dr. Simmons; the African American men |
| How long was Janie in jail? | barely a day |
| When was Janie put in jail? | the same day as Tea Cake’s death |
| What is Janie’s verdict? | not guilty |
| Where is Tea Cake buried? How? Why? | Palm Beach; like a pharaoh; Janie didn’t want the rains of the muck to wash him up |
| What does Janie wear to Tea Cake’s funeral? | overalls |
| How does Phoeby feel after hearing Janie’s story? | ten feet taller |
| Where does Janie go after Tea Cake’s funeral? Why? | Eatonville; there is nothing left for Janie in the Everglades |
| What “crazy” thing does Janie and Tea Cake do? | Go to the Everlgades |
| What are the two things everybody has to do for themselves? | Go to God and find out about living |
| What does Phoeby want to do with Sam after hearing Janie’s story? | go fishing |
| What is the thing that Janie does in the last pages of the novel that she has never really done? | think |
| The misfortunes in the Everglades towards the end of the novel are blamed on which individual? | Mrs. Turner’s brother |
| Who does Janie feel with her in spirit? | Tea Cake with the sun for a shawl |
| When the novel begins, Janie is… | Returning to Eatonville alone as an older woman |
| To whom does Janie tell her story? | Phoeby |
| Who was Janie’s grandfather? | A slave owner who raped Nanny |
| What is the main reason for Janie leaving Logan? | To marry Joe Starks and go to Eatonville |
| Where is the center of social life in Eatonville? | the store |
| What do the townspeople tease Matt Bonner about? | his yellow mule |
| What is Joe’s implied reason for buying the mule? | to make Janie happy |
| What does Joe say is the reason for Janie not going to the mule’s funeral? | the gathering is too common for a mayor’s wife |
| What do Sam and Lige argue over after the mule’s funeral? | Whether nature or caution keeps men from touching hot stoves |
| On the porch of the Eatonville store, why does Janie finally speak out? | To tell the men on the porch that they don’t know as much about woman as they think they do |
| Why does Joe undermine Janie’s appearance, at first? | To take away from his own worsening looks |
| What does Joe do to Janie after she insults him publicly? | He hits her hard. |
| What does Janie do to Joe on his deathbed? | She berates him for his past actions and tells him he will die |
| In their first week of marriage, how many times is Tea Cake gone for a long period of time, much to Janie’s distress? | two |
| What is the direct cause of Tea Cake’s death? | Janie shooting him with a rifle |
| Why does Janie reject so many suitors after Joe’s death? | She loves her freedom |
Their Eyes Were Watching God
June 15, 2020