Their Eyes Were Watching
God
Zora Neal Hurston
Quickwrites
Chapter One
“An envious heart makes a treacherous ear.”
What does Phoebe mean by this? Relate this
quote from chapter one to Janie, the porchsitters, and yourself.
Chapter Two
What is Nanny’s dream for Janie? How does
this conflict or agree with Janie’s dream for
herself?
Chapters Three & Four
Describe Janie’s marriage to Logan. How
does reality differ from her fantasy of
marriage?
Chapter Five
Draw a Venn diagram with details of Janie’s
marriage to Logan and Joe. Write up your
findings in paragraph form under the
diagram.
Chapter Six
Explain your understanding of the following
sentence: “Sometimes you have to love
someone despite his/her faults.” How does
this statement relate to Janie and Joe?
Chapters Seven & Eight
Explain how Janie’s attack on Joe’s manhood
is her emancipation but is Joe’s doom.
Chapter Nine
Explain Janie’s behavior after Joe’s death.
How long is her mourning period? Does she
change her habits? How does she handle the
suitors that come to “woo” her? What does
the burning of her head rags symbolize?
Chapter Ten
What is your first impression of Tea Cake?
What do you feel are his motives? Why?
Chapters Eleven & Twelve
Do you think that Janie has finally found a
man who truly loves her back? Explain. What
do you think will happen with Janie and Tea
Cake?
Chapter Thirteen
Girls: Imagine you are Janie. Express your
feelings and fears while you wait for Tea Cake
to return.
Boys: Imagine you are Tea Cake. Explain your
thoughts on Janie while you are gone. What
are your fears?
Chapters Fourteen & Fifteen
Why do you think Hurston chose the name
Tea Cake for Janie’s third husband? What
symbolic meaning could his name have?
Chapters Sixteen & Seventeen
Why do you think the author included Mrs.
Turner and her bigotry? Is Turner a caricature
(a description of a person in which certain
striking characteristics are exaggerated in
order to create a comic or grotesque effect)
or a fully credible character? Explain.
Chapter Eighteen
What does the title of the book mean? Why
does the author wait so long to introduce the
meaning of the title? How does it fit the
whole book?
Chapter 19 & 20
Discuss three examples of irony that happen
or culminate in chapter nineteen.
OR
What does Janie mean by, “Talking don’t
amount to much if its divorced from
experience.”