| Chapter 1 | Chapter 1 |
| 1. When was Their Eyes Were Watching God published? | 1937 |
| 2. What was significant about this time? | Harlem Renaissance influenced her, Racism |
| 3. Zora uses the small black town where she was born as the setting for her novels. Where is the town located? | Eatonville, Florida |
| 4. Who arranges Janie’s marriage to whom and why? | her grandmother, she wants protection for Janie |
| 5. Does Janie love Logan Killicks? | NO! |
| 6. When the people in town talked negatively of Janie, what did she do? | ignored them, walked right passed them |
| 7. Who is Phoeby Watson? | Janie’s best friend |
| 8. What metaphor does Janie use to describe the experience of being out in the world? | “A great tree in with things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone” (pg. 8) |
| 9.When the story opens is Tea-Cake still around? | No, he died |
| Chapter 2 | Chapter 2 |
| 1. Who raised Janie? | her grandmother |
| 2. Why was Janie called alphabet? | people called her by many different names |
| 3. Why did Nanny slap Janie? | She was pouting because she didn’t want to marry Logan |
| 4. What did Nanny say about Negro women? | they are the mule of the world |
| 5. Whom did Nanny want Janie to marry? | Logan Killicks |
| 6. What did Nanny do with her baby? | Ran away because it was a white baby. She raised it with the help of her mom . At age 17, Leafy was raped by her school teacher. Leafy ran off leaving Nanny to raise Janie. |
| Chapter 3 & 4 | Chapter 3 & 4 |
| 1. Describe the marriage dinner of Janie and Logan Killicks. | they have a lavish dinner with all kinds of food, cakes |
| 2. When Janie wants to wonder and think about love, where does she go? | the pear tree |
| 3. Describe the way Janie criticized Logan Killicks. | how ugly he is, he doesn’t speak beautifully to her, she feels no connection, dirty feet, big belly, not meant to be loved |
| 4. What happened to Nanny? | she dies a month later |
| 5. What metaphor did Janie use to describe the world? | a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether |
| 6. Describe Joe Starks when Janie first saw him. | citified, stylish; he’s black but acts white; he seems sophisticated; he works hard; handsome |
| 7. What did Joe Starks speak for? | change and chance |
| 8. What does Janie do when she becomes fed up with Logan Killicks? | she runs away to be with Joe Starks |
| Chapter 5 | Chapter 5 |
| 1. What does Joe Starks plan to do in Eatonville? | put up a post office and store |
| 2. What does Hicks think about Joe Starks building a post-office and a store? | it irritated him, but he realized it was a good idea, and Joe quickly earns back all the money invested by people to build the store |
| 3. What was one of the first conflicts Janie had with Joe? | told people that her place was in the home |
| 4. What took the bloom off of Janie and Joe’s marriage? | he spoke for her and didn’t give her a chance to say anything |
| 5. What did the townsfolks do at the barbecue? | first lamp lighting, told stories, sang songs |
| 6. What were the folks celebrating? | first lamp lighting |
| 7. Why didn’t Janie like being Mrs. Mayor? | they were apart a lot and were losing intimacy |
| 8. What did Joe Starks become in town? | the mayor of Eatonville (west Maitland) = like their ruler = no one disobeyed or disagreed with him |
| 9. What did Joe Starks do to Henry Pitts and why? | kicked him out of town because he stole a wagon load of ribbon cane |
| Chapter 6 | Chapter 6 |
| 1. What was the main topic of conversation on the porch of the store? | Matt Bonner’s mule, it was skinny, the men were giving him a hard time about it |
| 2. Why didn’t Joe want Janie to talk with the people? | they were trashy and she was above that |
| 3. Why didn’t Janie enjoy working in the store? | she didn’t like work or responsibility |
| 4. Do you think Mayor Starks should have pressured Matt into selling the mule for $5.00? | Sure, it was finally respected and taken care of |
| 5. Describe Mrs. Bogle. | classy; had an air about her; was married twice; able to move men |
| 6. What happened to the spirit of Joe Starks and Janie’s marriage? | left the bedroom the more that Joe tried to get her to be submissive |
| 7. Why did Joe slap Janie? | she prepared a bad meal |
| Chapter 7 | Chapter 7 |
| 1. Why is Janie feeling so stultified and unfulfilled at the opening of the chapter? | she was in a rut; she felt beat down; she lost her individuality |
| 2. What changes have overtaken Joe? | Janie realizes he has become old, and has become more abusive than ever |
| 3. Is Janie sympathetic to Joe’s feelings? Explain. | not really she keeps quiet biding her time for him to die |
| 4. Where does the omniscient narrator come in and what does it explain? | Joe gets sicker; Janie defended herself but it hurt Joe’s manhood and no one would ever look at him the same (pg. 78-80) |
| 5. Why did Joe Starks strike Janie? | Janie spoke back to him |
| Chapter 8 | Chapter 8 |
| 1. What did Jody do after he felt that Janie had insulted him? | moved his things and slept downstairs |
| 2. Do you think Jody was justified in being angry with Janie? | a little but he did the same to her |
| 3. What was one of the symptoms of Jody’s illness? | he didn’t eat his meals |
| 4. What is the cause of Joe’s illness? | kidney failure |
| 5. How does Janie describe death? | “Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the west. The great ore who lived in the straight house like a platform without sides to it.” |
| 6. Why was Janie disturbed with living with Jody? | he wouldn’t allow her to be the she wanted to be |
| 7. What happened to Jody? | he died |
| 8. How did Janie feel about Jody and what did she say after he died? | sad, pity and she thinks about all the time that passed since she met him; that sitting on his “ruling chair” had been hard on him |
| Chapter 9 | Chapter 9 |
| 1. Describe Joe’s funeral. | very fine, fancy cars, important people, and a band played at the church |
| 2. Explain the following expression: “She sent her face to Joe’s funeral, and herself went rollicking with the springtime across the world.” | outwardly she appeared mournful; inside she rejoices, she gained her independence, she if finally free of the heavily restricted life that Joe forced her into, she burned her head rags |
| 3. What did Janie say she felt about her grandmother? | Janie hated her; her grandmother crushed her spirit |
| 4. What does the following expression mean: “Some people could look at a mud puddle and see an ocean with ships.” | the sky has no limit |
| 5. Why didn’t Janie enjoy working in the store and collecting rents after Joe died? | … |
| Chapter 10 | Chapter 10 |
| 1. After many people go to Winter Park to see the game, who visits Janie in the store? | … |
| 2. What was your first impression of Tea Cake? | tries to flatter her, seems to an ulterior motive |
| Chapter 11 | Chapter 11 |
| 1. Describe the way Tea Cake came to visit Janie the second time. | he was pretending to play the guitar, played checkers and went fishing |
| 2. Why didn’t Hezekiah want Janie going around with Tea Cake? | … |
| 3. How did Janie describe Tea Cake? | a glance from God |
| 4. How did Tea Cake visit Janie of the fourth day after not seeing her for three days? | ea |
| 5. How does Tea Cake feel about Janie? | No one can hold a candle to you. You got the keys to the kingdom, he said. |
Their Eyes Were Watching God Study Questions
June 17, 2020