Their Eyes Were Watching God

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1937

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Before You Read

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-13

Chapters 14-17

Chapters 18-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

Compare Janie’s three marriages. How does each relationship shape her understanding of herself? How does each advance her quest for the love she envisioned beneath the pear tree?

Discuss the different types of discourse in the novel. How do these versions of English add to characterization and play off each other?

Consider the novel’s structure. Why does Hurston relate Janie’s story in an embedded narrative? What does the narrative frame add to the reader’s experience of the novel?