Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is set in Florida in the early 20th century. The novel centers on Janie Crawford, an African American woman in her forties, who recounts her journey from a young, voiceless girl to a self-assured woman in control of her destiny. Janie's life story, which she tells to her friend Phoeby, is one of sexual awakening and personal growth.
Janie's story begins in the all-Black town of Eatonville, where she is raised by her strict grandmother, Nanny. As a young girl, she experiences a revelation under a blossoming pear tree—a symbol of her desires and dreams. Her quest for love and identity leads her through three marriages, each shaping her in different ways. Chosen by Nanny, her first husband, Logan Killicks, is a much older, hard-working farmer. He represents security but lacks the emotional connection Janie seeks. To escape a loveless marriage, she runs off with the charismatic and ambitious Joe "Jody" Starks, who establishes himself as the mayor and a successful businessman. Her second marriage brings her wealth and status but confines her to the role of a trophy wife. Kept under Jody’s thumb, Janie is subjected to emotional and physical abuse. It is not until her third marriage–to Vergible "Tea Cake" Woods, a self-assured man some 12 years younger her junior–that Janie experiences true companionship and love. Despite their age difference and societal expectations, Tea Cake and Janie respect each other as equals and share a loving and passionate, if sometimes volatile, relationship.
Janie and Tea Cake move to the Everglades region to work as migrant farm laborers. When the area is hit by a powerful hurricane, Tea Cake saves Janie's life, but he is bitten by a rabid dog. His behavior becomes increasingly erratic, jealous and violent, ultimately forcing Janie to shoot him in self-defense. At her trial, she is acquitted with the support of white female spectators. Having experienced love and tragedy, Janie returns to Eatonville a self-assured woman.
The novel addresses the complex interplay between gender and autonomy, with Janie's relationships serving as a backdrop to her struggle for self-identity within the confines of societal and racial expectations. Her journey is underscored by a deep connection to African American culture and heritage, weaving folklore, the significance of community, and the search for a voice within the broader narrative of the Black experience in the American South in the 1920s and 1930s. Originally published in 1937 and out of print for many years, Their Eyes Were Watching God was reissued in 1975. Today, it is widely recognized as a seminal work in American fiction, celebrated for its rich portrayal of African American womanhood and its innovative use of dialect and narrative style.
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About the author
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was a seminal author, anthropologist, and filmmaker known for her contributions to African American literature, cultural studies, and the Harlem Renaissance. Her most celebrated work, Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937, remains a crucial part of the American literary canon.
Born in Notasulga, Alabama, in 1891, Hurston moved as a child to Eatonville, Florida, a progressive all-Black town, which she would consider her true home and return to as the setting for many of her stories. She joined a traveling theatrical company at 16, ending up in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance, then went back to high school, receiving her diploma in her mid-twenties. She went on to attend Howard University, where she co-founded the student newspaper, and, after winning a scholarship, completed her undergraduate studies at Barnard College. From there, she pursued graduate work in anthropology at Columbia University. Throughout her career, Hurston was dedicated to capturing the oral histories, songs, and folklore of African American and Caribbean cultures.
Despite her significant contributions to literature and anthropology, Hurston's work fell into obscurity after her death in 1960. Financial hardships plagued her latter years, leading to her burial in an unmarked grave in Fort Pierce, Florida. Writer Alice Walker and Hurston scholar Charlotte D. Hunt sought to rectify this, and in 1973, Hurston received a proper memorial. Walker's subsequent article, "In Search of Zora Neale Hurston," published in Ms. magazine in 1975, spurred a revival of interest in Hurston's work, ushering in a critical reevaluation of her contributions to American literature, culture, and feminism.
Today, Zora Neale Hurston is celebrated as a pioneering figure in African American literature. Her extensive anthropological research has also been recognized for its invaluable contribution to the study of African American folklore and spiritual practices. She is also the author of Barracoon: The Story of the Last ‘Black Cargo’, numerous short stories and essays, and an autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road.
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