Summary Of Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

Set in Eatonville Florida, the story of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, is told from a third person narrator who recounts Janie Mae Crawford’s life to her best friend Phoebe Watson. Although the narrator isn’t Janie, it seems as if the narrator is framed around her character. Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama to a teacher and a Baptist preacher. Hurston moved to Eatonville Florida where the story takes place at a young age. Eatonville was known as the first all black incorporated town. Hurston decided to take her talents to Howard University where she graduated with a degree in writing. She wrote this book during the Harlem renaissance and was criticized for not being a serious novel

She features Janie and her best friend Phoebe, Janie’s three husbands and Janie’s nanny. Janie’s first husband Logan Killicks was a financially stable man who was brought upon Janie by her Nanny however Janie leaves him for Jody because she feels used by him. Jody Starks, her second husband, was a business power and money greedy man who treats Janie as an object rather than a person. Because of this, Janie leaves Jody for Tea Cake who is Janie’s third husband. He cares for what she wants and supports her for what she believes in which finally provides for a healthy and loving

This is explained through nanny’s quote, “Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out. Maybe it’s some place way off in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don’t know nothin’ but what we see…Ah been prayin’ fuh it tuh be different wid you.”(pg.44). This eventually leads to the split of Janie and Jodie and leads to the rising action of the