The Book Cover

The book cover was created by Taylor Roberts. 


Here is the link to the book cover: 

https://us1-broadcast.officeapps.live.com/m/Broadcast.aspx?Fi=44a25ea3f296d4fa%5Fac27a37f%2D1491%2D4804%2D8de7%2D37b927d97a6a%2Edocx

The Poetry Device Artwork

The Poetry Device Artwork was created by Ann Brennan. 



The three poetry devices I chose to create this piece were sensory imagery, personification, and simile. As I read the novel, I found that many of the deep, intense happenings were described using intricately worded devices such as the ones I have mentioned. 


The pear tree blossoms in the piece represent the sensory imagery. In the beginning of Hurston's novel, Janie is lying beneath a pear tree and describes the beautiful scene that surrounds her. I believe this passage is significant to the story because it signifies the peace and languid outlook of Janie's short-lived youth.

         "She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid." (11)

The dark on the right of Janie and the tears she sheds represent the personification of death. Throughout Janie's life, her spirit battles with the loss of her loves. While Janie thinks of death as a being, I used the black to represent the impact of he/she (death) on her life. I believe this passage is significant to the story because death played a devastating part in Janie's life; it took both Joe and Tea Cake from her. 

         "So Janie began to think of Death. Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the West. The great one who lived in the straight house like a platform without sides to it, and without a roof. What need has Death for a cover, and what winds can blow against him? He stands in his high house that overlooks the world. Stands watchful and motionless all day with his sword drawn back, waiting for the messenger to bid him come. Been standing there before there was a where or a when or a then. She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now. She was sad and afraid too." (84)

The seashore on the bottom of the piece represents the simile. As the novel comes to a close, Janie speaks of love and how it is like the sea. I believe this passage is significant because throughout her life, she had experienced different loves, happenings, and feelings. The use of simile shows her understanding of love and its many forms. 

          "Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore." (191) 

Citations

Hurston, Zora. Their Eyes Were Watching God. 

The Character Life Map

The Character Life Map was created by Madeline Johnson. 

The Novel Synopsis

The Novel Synopsis was created by Madeline Johnson. 


            Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a story told from the perspective of the main character Janie Crawford. Janie goes on many different adventures with many different people. Some of the people that helped Janie through her journey include her grandmother, Nanny, Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, Vergible Woods, and her longtime friend Pheoby Watson. Janie is changed through her circumstances in both a negative and positive way. 
The first person we meet is Janie’s grandmother who likes to be called Nanny. Nanny was the original one who recommended that Janie should get married to Logan Killicks. Nanny first proposed this idea because she knew that she was older and was going to die soon. Logan and Janie soon got married before Janie died. Logan and Janie’s relationship at first was okay but it later took a negative turn. Janie worked in the house most of the day when Logan worked out on the farm. They got in an argument because Janie wouldn’t help Logan move the wood. At this point of the story is about the time that Janie meets Joe Starks. 
Joe’s dream and goal was to go and start an all African American community and or town. Janie ran away with Joe to Eatonville. When Joe and Janie moved to this so-called town called Eatonville. When they arrived, there wasn’t much of a town there so Joe and Janie helped start it. Joe got voted as mayor making Janie the mayors wife. Joe started a store which was a main attraction of the town. The store caused drama between Janie and Joe. Joe was very controlling over Janie by not allowing her to talk on the porch at night with the townsfolks, Janie should have her hair up in a bun because when it is down she doesn’t look her age, they fight with each other over a couple of other things. Their relationship ended on a rocky note because they didn’t ever talk about their relationship. Joe ended up dying because of his appendix. 
After a time of grieving Janie was ready to move on with her life. After Joe’s death Janie was back on the market and all the single men in the town knew about it. Janie was getting a lot of different requests for dates from a ton of different men. Janie met Vergible Woods, who is also called Tea Cake, at the store when almost all the town was at a baseball game. Tea Cake and Janie’s relationship just escalated from there on. Tea Cake and Janie got married and Janie moved to Jacksonville to go be with Tea Cake. Tea Cake showed Janie how to do so many things that she never knew to do. He thought he how to shoot a gun, and work on the muck. Janie and Tea Cake went on a giant adventure when there was a hurricane on the muck. Janie ended up shooting Tea Cake because he got sick from a dog bite. 
Overall Janie learned a lot of different things from all of her relationships. From all of Janie’s relationship she learned what marriage is really like and that marriage is a two-way street. Pheoby was by Janie throughout all of her rough times. Pheoby at first wanted Janie to date a different guy who had more potential and would offer a better life for her but Janie convinced Pheoby that Tea Cake makes her happy and is a good choice for her. Overall we follow Janie through her adventures and we see how she is changed throughout the process.

The Author Biography

The Author Biography was created by Taylor Roberts. 

           Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 7, 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama, but according to her autobiography Dusk Tracks On a Road, Hurston claims to be born in Eatonville, Florida (Editors). Her claim comes from the fact that her father moved her to Eatonville, the town in which he had a big part in creating, at a young age that she has no recollection of Notasulga (Editors). Hurston’s mother died when she was nine years old which led her father to remarry soon after, but Hurston had problems with her stepmother (Biography). Hurston’s father soon sent her to school in Jacksonville, Florida where Hurston started to greatly miss her mother (Biography). Since Zora Hurston was greatly missing her mother, she was searching for unconditional love in which she did not find by being passed around from relative to relative and from her many failed relationships (Biography). To support herself during this time, Hurston worked as a maid and eventually earned her associate degree from Howard University in 1920 where she wrote her first short story called Stylus (Editors). Out of all of her writings, Hurston’s most famous writing was Their Eyes Were Watching God which she wrote in 1937 which was about, “an African American female, Janie, growing into adulthood searching for her identity” (Biography), which closely symbolizes Hurston’s younger years. Hurston also wrote many African American folklores centering on her home-town in Florida by using her education from Howard University (Biography). In 1942, Hurston published her autobiography, but her career began suffering soon after because she was accused of molesting a 10 year old boy, despite her evidence of being out of the country during this time (Editors). In Hurston’s final years, she had great financial difficulty despite her excellence in her literature works (Editors). In addition to her financial difficulties during her later life, she experienced backlash from her, “criticism of the 1955 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which called for the end of school segregation” (Editors). After trying many attempts to restart her writing career, Hurston suffered several strokes which led to her death on January 28, 1960, where she was poor and alone (Editors). Zora Neale Hurston was buried in Fort Pierce, Florida in an unmarked grave (Editors).  

Bibliography

Biography, Encyclopedia of World. Zora Neale Hurston Biography . n.d. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ho-Jo/Hurston-Zora-Neale.html. 6 May 2017.

Editors, Biography.com. Zora Neale Hurston Biography.com . n.d. http://www.biography.com/people/zora-neale-hurston-9347659. 6 May 2017.

The Cast of Characters

The Cast of Characters was created by Julia Meister.

In Order of Appearance

Janie Mae Crawford

Janie pursues true love, following her instincts. Narrating her own story in the novel, she explores her identity while striving for independence and fulfillment. She learns from her experiences alongside Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Tea Cake, and eventually finds meaning in her life.

Pheoby Watson

Janie’s best friend and confidante in Eatonville. The novel consists of Janie narrating her story Pheoby, who is willing to listen and offer advice.

Johnny Taylor

Gives a sixteen-year old Janie her first kiss. He delights her naïve and dreamy ideal of love. This event prompts Nanny to contrive Janie’s marriage to Logan Killicks. 

Nanny

Born into slavery, Nanny raised her granddaughter, Janie. She prioritizes Janie’s protection and security over love. She does not want Janie to be limited by racial prejudice, but to have respectability and pride. She arranges Janie’s marriage to Logan Killicks.

Logan Killicks 

Janie’s first husband works a large plot of land and is financially stable. His dry personality holds no love for Janie and she does not love him in return. He regards Janie as spoiled and lazy, and criticizes her family.

Joe Starks

Known also as Jody, he impresses Janie with his unique and stylish appearance, convincing her to leave Logan Killicks. Together, they move to Eatonville where he becomes mayor, postmaster, landlord, and storekeeper. His quest for ultimate control leads him to forgo Janie to satisfy his own happiness, which leaves him pitiful and friendless.

Sam Watson

Pheoby’s husband joins in conversation on Joe Starks’ Eatonville store porchfront. He is portrayed as sensible and wise, and shows respect for both Joe and Janie.

Tea Cake

Known also as Vergible Woods, Tea Cake is Janie’s third husband and only true love. Twelve years her younger, he treats Janie fairly, protects her, and encourages her to be herself. While he is not without faults, he shows Janie what genuine love is.

Annie Tyler

An object of scandal in Eatonville, a widowed Annie sacrificed her security to run off with a younger man - Who Flung. Soon after, he fled with her money and dignity, leaving her broken and penniless. Janie is warned that her relationship with Tea Cake could end up similarly.

Mrs. Turner

A vain and disapproving cook in the Everglades, Mrs. Turner frowns upon blacks and strives to be separate from those of a darker color than herself. She clings to Janie because of her fair complexion, but shuns Tea Cake, advising Janie to leave him and marry her brother.