Their Eyes Were Watching God: Study Guide

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel by Zora Neale Hurston that was first published in 1937.

Summary

Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis.

Plot Overview
Key Questions and Answers
What Does the Ending Mean?

Summary & Analysis
Chapters 1–2
Chapters 3–4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapters 7–8
Chapters 9–10
Chapters 11–12
Chapters 13–14
Chapters 15–16
Chapters 17–18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in Their Eyes Were Watching God and in-depth analyses of Janie Mae Crawford, Tea Cake, Jody Starks, Nanny Crawford, and Mrs. Turner.

Character List
Janie Mae Crawford
Tea Cake
Jody Starks
Nanny Crawford
Mrs. Turner

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about the book as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to analysis of style, tone, point of view, and more.

Themes
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Allusions
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
Is Tea Cake a good or bad person?

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading these key quotes.

Important Quotations Explained

Quotes by Theme
Language
Marriage
Gender Inequality
Race

Quotes by Section
Chapters 1–2
Chapters 3–4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapters 7–8
Chapters 9–10
Chapters 11–12
Chapters 13–14
Chapters 15–16
Chapters 17–18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20

Quotes by Character
Janie Mae Crawford
Tea Cake
Jodie Starks
Nanny Crawford
Mrs. Turner

Quotes by Symbol
Hair
Pear Tree and Horizon
The Hurricane

Further Study

Test your knowledge of Their Eyes Were Watching God with our quizzes and study questions, or go further with essays on context, background, and movie adaptations, plus links to the best resources around the web.