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.