This is an engaging literary analysis activity to be used after students have read at least most of the novel. In particular, the townspeople repeatedly make fun of a fellow Eatonville resident named Matt Bonner for his sad and tired looking mule. Notably, it was after reading Their Eyes Were Watching God that the prominent African American writer Alice Walker began researching Hurston and discovered that most of her writing was out of print. Key. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Time and place written Written in seven weeks during 1937 while Hurston was in Haiti. Leafy Crawford. Details explanations, analysis, and citation info for anyone important quote on. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Tea Cake, in turn, must overcome his own feelings of insecurity to woo Janie. She becomes remarkably stoic in response to his abuse, almost as if she is able to detach her body from her soul. The best study guided at Hers Eyes Were Watching God on an planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. When the men torture the animal, the mule fights, but the men only tease him more. Chapter 18. Analysis. She wants Janie to get married to someone who can provide security and social status for her. The townsfolk, particularly the women, are unfriendly towards her. Janie experiences romantic jealousy for the first time in her marriage with Tea Cake: she finds "a little seed of fear…growing into a tree" as she witnesses a young, plump girl named Nunkie play with Tea Cake in the fields as they work. . LitCharts Teacher Editions. Joe moves out of their bedroom, and as his illness progresses, he refuses to let Janie take care of him. This novel is the story of Janie Crawford's search for love, told, as noted earlier, in the form of a frame. Townspeople of Eatonville warn Janie of this tale as she begins to date Tea Cake, and she too finds herself worrying about whether or not she will end up like Mrs. Satisfied with their lifestyle at the end of the harvest season, Janie and Tea Cake decide to remain in the muck and wait until next year. Teach your college to analysis references like LitCharts does. Turner encourages Janie to meet her. The Pear Tree. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. their eyes were watching god study guide litchartsJanie Crawford, the protagonist of the novel, returns home after being away for a very long time. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. The author illustrates the struggles black women face growing up in the mid-thirties when discrimination and unequal rights existed. The native video benefit a side-by-side modern. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. 3-D Literature: The Opening Scene of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Turner 's sense of racial hierarchy, or Tea Cake's physical strength. However, when Jody and Janie arrive to Eatonville, Jody purchases more land from Captain Eaton and proves himself more desirous of public control, usurping the. Learn about the plot, setting, genre, style and historical context of this classic work of African-American literature. In lyrical prose influenced by folk tales that the author heard while assembling her anthology of African American folklore Mules and Men (1935), Janie Crawford tells of her threeChapter 4: Summary and Analysis. " "An envious heart makes a treacherous ear. The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapter 1-12. Disgusted with the work and fearful of the racism around the town (the white corpses get coffins, but the Black corpses are simply dumped in a ditch and covered with quicklime), Tea Cake and Janie decide to leave. Chapter 37 Quotes. Hurston writes that they waited to see how nature would determine their fate: “They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God. Unit Summary and Rationale: The anchor text is Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eye's Were Watching God. So, one morning, before the town wakes up, Janie gets in a train and rides to Tea Cake in her blue satin wedding dress. Chapter 1. A summary of Chapters 13–14 in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. The person playing the moderator should read the chapter closely and prepare. Summary and Analysis Chapter 12. Summary and Analysis Chapter 9. . Turner 's infamous brother. person. “If God don’t think no mo’ ’bout ’em then Ah do, they’s a lost ball in de high grass. Chapter 7 serves as a pivotal point for Janie and her marriage. Logan Killicks Character Analysis. Analysis. The "frame" of the narrative, found in the first and last chapters, both introduces and closes the story of Janie Crawford's life and leaves open the possibility that her life will go on in a new variety of experiences. two birds mating. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. But Mrs. " Get LitCharts A +. Upon meeting Jody, Janie feels that she catches a glimpse of the horizon. Tea Cake's unreliability and poor judgment raises some doubts about the solidity of Janie 's relationship and the future success of their marriage. Zora Neale Hurston, the twentieth-century writer who recorded Cudjo’s narrative, is most famous for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God but also wrote important essays about black identity and the Harlem Renaissance, such as How It Feels to be Colored Me. Character Analysis Logan Killicks. Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God explained in just a few minutes! Professor Kristen Over of Northeastern Illinois University provides an in-. Detailed explanations,. And Ah’d sit dere wid de walls creepin’ up on me and squeezin’ all de life outa me. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. We know this because she says. The Horizon Symbol Analysis. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important. Detailed explanations, analysis, the citation info. Teach your students to analyze writings like LitCharts rabbits. Turner's shape and features were entirely approved by Mrs. Fact is it’s de onliest thing God every made. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes yours must. Everything you need. This poetic, graceful love story, rooted. Get who summaries, examination, and quotes thou need. She doesn. Summary: Chapter 19. Character Analysis. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Mrs. Chapter 9: Summary and Analysis. Analysis, related quotes, project. Chapter 1. Janie spares no expense for Joe's funeral. 178 books4,428 followers. In this resource, students delve into the novel’s title in greater detail, Hurston’s writing process, the literary devices used, and how the male characters influence Janie Crawford’s character. Their Eyes Were Watching God is most often celebrated for Hurston’s unique use of language, particularly her mastery of rural Southern Black dialect. Below you will find the important quotes in Their Eyes Were Watching God related to the theme of Race and Racism. (including Their Eyes Were Watching God). Analysis. The black men living around the muck realize after the "royal" burial Janie gives Tea Cake that they were wrong to abuse her as they did. Logan Hillicks, Joe Starks, TeaCake and Phoebe. I once made a complete fool of myself in front. Janie invokes the symbol of the horizon repeatedly throughout the novel; to Janie, the horizon symbolizes the realm of the possible, that which she can dream about. Teach your students to analyze literature fancy LitCharts does. Select all that apply. ”Their Eyes Were Watching God, novel by Zora Neale Hurston, published in 1937. The bests studies guide to Their Eyes Were Watching Creator on the planet, off the creation of SparkNotes. …. He urges her to look at herself in the mirror, where she will see a reflection of a very. She is the daughter of Nanny and Nanny's slave-master, who raped Nanny just before the end of the Civil War. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. It’s de strongest thing dat God ever made, now. Teach your students to analysis literature like LitCharts does. She had married three men Logan Killicks, Jody Starks and Tea Cake. The Horizon Symbol Analysis. Need help with Chapter 20 in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God? Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis. for every book you read. These sitters had been tongueless, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long. Turner expresses an attitude of bigotry that appalls Janie. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Their Eyes Were Watching God chronicles the life of Janie Crawford, a girl of mixed race who lives with her grandmother in a small house in rural Florida. Mrs. After a year of marriage, Logan begins to reevaluate Janie's role as his wife. Mrs. She packs herself two hundred dollars but tells. General Trees . Her novel joins an abundance of texts that center on African American experience in the decades after the Civil War, most notably, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neal Hurston, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, Native Son, by Richard Wright. Chapter 2 serves as the exposition of the novel by providing valuable background information about the characters of Janie and Nanny. The original text plus a side-by-side modern transformation of every Shadow play. Find plot summary, analysis, themes,. Dr. Introduction + Context. ”. ”. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info fork every important quote on LitCharts. It is Tea Cake's acceptance of Janie's true self that marks him as different than Logan and Jody. Mrs. Janie's coffee-and-cream complexion and her luxurious hair made Mrs. 7, 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama. Analysis. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every significant excerpt on LitCharts. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. In some ways, by not exclusively or predominantly focusing on. Zip. The best study guide to Their Eyes Were Watching God on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. [Nature]’s de strongest thing dat God ever made, now. Introduction. Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Their Eyes Were Watching God makes teaching easy. Chapter 2: Summary and Analysis. The unnamed man – soon revealed to be Tea Cake – enters Janie's life when she is caught off-guard and engaged in her day-to-day life. is to make someone happier. ”. Their Eyes Were Watching God is replete with complexities in dialogue, literary analysis, and theme. After learning that the town has no mayor. Detailed explanations, analysis, both citation info for everyone important quote on LitCharts. She soon moved with her family to Eatonville, Florida while she was a. All she takes with her are the seeds Tea Cake had meant to plant, and which she decides to plant at home for remembrance. Explanations for every quote we cover. PDF downloads of all 1808 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one. The Irey’s Common Core - HarperCollins1 What, according to Hurston, is the difference between women and men? Women seek the horizon; men do not. After the hurricane, death is all around Palm Beach. Turner. Lexile Measure: 1080. Everything you need. Detailed declarations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote to LitCharts. for every book you read. Turner’s brother instead, running him out of the Everglades. Instant downloads of all 1766 LitChart PDFs (including They Eyes Were Observe God). In the first few pages, Janie returns to her hometown of Eatonville, Florida, after nearly two years absence. Like Paradise, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, also explores gender relations in an all-Black town in the American South. Termed as the classic book from the Harlem Renaissance, Their Eyes were Watching God created a niche in the American African literature within the category of American literature. A comprehensive overview of Zora Neale Hurston's classic novel about a Black woman's quest for love and independence in the Florida Everglades. Turner repeatedly suggests that Janie go out with her brother, who she says is much better than Tea Cake because of his intelligence and lighter skin. Of her three husbands ( Logan KillicksJody Starks being the first two), Tea Cake is Janie 's one and only true love throughout the novel. In her new state of being alone, which Janie really sees as a state of. Need help with Chapter 7 in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God? Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis. 5. Book Summary. Specifically, Nanny focuses on the importance of upward mobility and financial security for women, especially black women, and sees that goal as attainable only through marriage and the primary factor in selecting. As the years have passed, Janie has become totally submissive to Joe, to avoid both his physical and verbal abuse. Tea Cake Character Analysis in Their Eyes Were Watching God | LitCharts Their Eyes Were Watching God Introduction + Context Plot Summary Detailed Summary & AnalysisZora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is, at its heart, a story that validates the potency of love. She does what is expected of her as a widow, but she hides her true feelings behind the required mourning attire. The abused yellow mule symbolizes mistreatment and suppression that Janie and women like her face. Hezekiah also attempts to act with Jody's sense of authority and control over the store after his death, which Janie simply finds amusing, not. cassidyrey. Mrs. During one of her visits at Janie's home, Mrs. Born into slavery, Nanny tells Janie her life story when the girl is sixteen. They’re all sitting on their porches, watching her return and exchanging nasty gossip born from jealousy of her beauty and. The best study guide the Their See Were Observe God on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get all the lock plot points to Zoa Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching Worship on one page. A wealthy farmer and land-owner, Logan Killick's is Janie 's first husband. Janie is both the protagonist and narrator of her story, recounting her life experiences to her friend Pheoby after arriving back to Eatonville at the end point of her journey. Plot Summary. Kylie_Byrne33. When Mrs. After Tea Cake's death, Dr. Hezekiah Potts Character Analysis. Hezekiah Pott's is a loyal employee at Jody 's store, and voices his judgments of Tea Cake to Janie as she begins to see him around the store following Jody's death. Their Eyes Were Monitor God. Instant our of all 1775 LitChart PDFs (including Their Eyes Were Watching Goddess). Janie Crawford Character Analysis. Get the executive, analysis, and quotes you need. Robbins are townspeople in Eatonville and patrons of Jody 's store. Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman. Detailed explanation, analysis, and citation about for every. " the townspeople don't like the way Joe shows off how smart and literate he is. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. The hurricane symbolizes the all-powerful force of nature, which trumps even the most intense exertions of power by humans, such as Jody 's abusive need for control, or Mrs. Teach your students to analyze letters like LitCharts does. This growth of the hero-Last Updated June 27, 2023. Their Eyes Were Observation God. " The narrator makes the statement during a hurricane, when Janie, Tea Cake, and the others rely on faith because they believe their fate is in God's hands. Both overlap with Quicksand ’s themes of racial. gov on 20-11-2023 by Guest 1/1 their-eyes-were-watching-god-literature-guide Their Eyes Were Watching God Literature Guide What. Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Tells her to make Hezekiah Potts do it. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Checkers Symbol Analysis. Simmons gives a testimony in defense of Janie after she is called to court, telling the jury that Tea Cake was dangerous and Janie was right to kill him in self-defense. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Because it was written in the conservative 1930s, much of this sexuality is masked in metaphor. Janie Crawford is the novel’s Black female narrator and protagonist. View all Available Study Guides. Leafy Crawford is Janie 's mother, whom Janie never knew. During the time the outbreak was called the New Negro Movement named by Alan Locke. Race and Racism Quotes in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Their Eyes Were Watching God. cold-cocked her a look looked her straight in the eyes. LitCharts Mentor Editions. LitCharts Teacher Editions. A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO ZORA NEALE HURSTON’S THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD 3 NOTE TO TEACHERS The questions and activities in this teaching guide were written to support standards-based instruction. Obtain the summaries, analyse, both quotes you need. In ''Their Eyes Were Watching God'' by Zora Neale Hurston, the author uses all three forms of irony to create dissonance that pushes the reader to want to know more. Janie leaves Eatonville and meets Tea Cake in Jacksonville, where he's been waiting for her. Of her three husbands ( Logan Killicks and Jody Starks being the first two), Tea Cake is Janie 's one and only true love throughout the novel. She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie begins her narrative by telling Pheoby of her childhood. She suggests that Janie, being a light-skinned woman, deserves a man. Chapter Thirteen Summary: Tea Cake writes a letter to Janie telling her to meet him in Jacksonville, Florida. Analysis. Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God explained in just a few minutes! Professor Kristen Over of Northeastern Illinois University provides an in-. Chapter 20 Summary. Tea Cake, who serves as a foil for Starks, a character with contrasting traits, encourages Janie to be independent and live life more fully. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God. Turner Character Analysis. Janie warns him that there is no work to be had except being enlisted by the white men to bury the dead from the hurricane. use in your tryin’ to cloak no ole woman lak Janie Starks, Pheoby, friend or no friend. Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) is a classic Harlem Renaissance novel by American writer Zora Neale Hurston. Chapter 1 Quotes. A summary of Chapters 15–16 in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. The best study guide till Their Eyes Where Watching God on of planet, since the creators of SparkNotes. Her experiences make her sadly aware of what can happen to an attractive woman. Simmons gives a testimony in defense of Janie after she is called to court, telling the jury that Tea Cake was dangerous and Janie was right to kill him in self-defense. The summary covers the plot, themes, characters, and style of the novel, as well as the author's study guide and questions. There are bed bugs in the room Tea Cake and Janie have rented, and they squabble over whether or not. Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Response Journal Sample PDF Author: Zora Neale Hurston Created Date: 3/23/2004 2:23:08 PM1. Joe’s funeral was the finest thing Orange County had ever seen with Negro eyes. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. fault; we control our happiness. After Nanny's death, Janie can think for herself about sex, love, marriage and identity. When. Sop-de-Bottom says that he wouldn’t have believed the rumors if Mrs. Free from their past in Eatonville, Janie and Tea Cake finally marry. ”. For some they come in with the tide. They testify on her behalf despite racist pressure. Married life with Joe Starks seems to get off to a good start as Janie and her husband ride the train to the new town (" a town all outa colored folks ") that he told her about. Conclusion. The best study guide to Own Eyes Are Watching God on the planet, from that creators of SparkNotes. She is instantly attracted to his "full, lazy eyes, with the lashes curling sharply away like drawn scimitars. ” “She’s way past forty to my knowledge, Pheoby. They sit quietly and refrain from judging her. Within a month, Nanny dies. Elaborate explanations, analysis, also citation learn for every important quote go. If Joe Starks has one outstanding trait, it is confidence. >the narration is sophisticated. Six months back he had told her, “If Ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh tote it inside. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as. Chapter. Analysis. Summary: Chapter 6. Of mixed-race origins, Janie is the object of much attention for her notably light black skin and physical beauty. Summary. Buy Now. Teach will students go analyze literature like LitCharts does. Get the executive, analysis, and quotes you need. Select all that apply. The main themes in Their Eyes Were Watching God are love, identity, and race and religion. Summary and Analysis Chapter 13. The image of the mule emerges repeatedly in different contexts throughout the novel, but remains consistent in its figurative meaning as a symbol of victimization and bondage. Genre, Language, and Structure. commence to begin; start; originate. Janie feels limited by the repetitive nature of working in the store each day, but is amused by the townspeople's conversations on the porch that she can overhear, even if she is not directly engaged. Find more similar flip PDFs like Their Eyes Were Watching God. The best read guide to Their Eyes Were Seeing God on who planet, from the originator of SparkNotes. Turner 's infamous brother. Urges her to stay open so they can talk. She is one day married off to Logan Killicks, a man who can provide for her, but the marriage is abusive and loveless. Detailed explanations, data, and citation info for every. Mules and other brutes had occupied their skins. 7. Guys, please sit quietly and watch. Their Eyes Were Watching God. They're only accessible on tablets,. for every book you read. Enclosed are the following characters: Janie, illustrated as a young woman, as the wife of Joe Starks, and older Janie. Pheoby Watson is Janie 's closest friend in Eatonville, and repeatedly defends Janie against the mean-spirited gossip of the townspeople. Nanny tells Janie she needs to marry quickly since “Ah can’t be always guidin’ yo’ feet from harm and danger. Simmons is the white doctor in the muck who tells Janie of Tea Cake's contraction of rabies after the dog bites him during the hurricane. Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke for far horizon. Tyler, who was cheated out of her money by her younger. Leafy Crawford Character Analysis. Their Eyes Were Watching God clip art set by Julie Ridge contains characters, symbols and settings from the novel. Through her marriage to Logan, Janie's dream of marriage bringing about love or somehow being equivalent to it is proven wrong. Download this book. Beans running fine and prices good, so the Indians could be, must be, wrong. Turner, a black woman with a notably awkward posture and gait. Turner encourages Janie to meet her. (including Their Eyes Were Watching Godly). At a Glance: Full Title Their Eyes Were Watching God. One day, as they are all working, fellow laborer Sop-de-Bottom asks Janie where Tea Cake is. The men beg Janie to stay in the muck with them, but she is unable to stay there without Tea Cake. (including Its Eyes Were Watching God). Janie has her first experience of sexual awakening under the blooming pear tree in spring, just before her first kiss with Johnny Taylor. Jody's desire to avoid Janie continues to grow stronger, as he ignores her in the store and refuses to eat the food she prepares for him. Of her three husbands ( Logan Killicks and Jody Starks being the first two), Tea Cake is Janie 's one and only true love throughout the novel. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info used. Teacher 25 terms. Preview. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel by Zora Neale Hurston about Janie, who relates her life story of three marriages to her friend Phoeby. Logan Killicks Character Analysis. Teach your students for scrutinize literature see LitCharts does. Introduction + Context. LitCharts Teacher Editions. It was the time to hear things and talk. Mrs. and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. Tea Cake Character Analysis. Try a free sample literature guide. Inwardly, Janie feels no sorrow. Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God explained in just a few minutes! Professor Kristen Over of Northeastern Illinois University provides an in-. "Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out. Zora Neale Hurston Biographical Information. Robbins Character Analysis. Tea Cake wants to bet a dollar, but then says that Janie has probably never made a bet in her life. Fact is it’s de onliest thing God every made. The hurricane symbolizes the all-powerful force of nature, which trumps even the most intense exertions of power by humans, such as Jody 's abusive need for control, or Mrs. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Experiencing, listening to the extra experience, adventuring, studying, training, and more practical activities mayThe best read guide to Their Eyes Are Watching God the the plane, from who architects of SparkNotes. The mule serves to symbolize Janie and her struggle with Joe. 1 pt. Their Eyes Were Watching God. The your study guide to Their Eyes Were Watching God on the plot, for the crew of SparkNotes. Plot Summary. Turner is Janie and Tea Cake 's awkward looking and often disrespectful neighbor in the muck, who attempts to befriend Janie and alienates Tea Cake. Chapter 2 Quotes. She lives her life much as she had with Joe. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) is the coming-of-age story of Janie Crawford, an African American woman growing up in Eatonville, Florida—one of the first incorporated African American towns in the United States. This support makes Janie extremely happy. . They become even more upset when Tea Cake and Janie begin to hunt, fish, dance, go to the movies, and seem to act like they are married. This LearningMedia collection highlights books from The Great American Read that find their way into classrooms and onto summer reading lists. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Summary. Add your thoughts right here! Test your knowledge on all of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Robbins and tells the men they don't know anything about women. Since Tea Cake and Janie had friended with the Bahaman workers in the ’Glades, they, the “Saws,” had been gradually drawn into the American crowd. Turner 's brother and run him out of town. A comprehensive overview of Zora Neale Hurston's classic novel about a Black woman's quest for love and independence in the Florida Everglades. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Kubitschek promotes Janie as a revelatory artist who will eventually re-assimilate withTeacher's Guide. In this metaphor, Janie expresses to Pheoby that she couldn't care less about her gossiping neighbors, explaining that if God cares about her neighbors as much as Janie does, then her neighbors are in real trouble. Detailed Summary & Analytics. J. Their Eyes Were Watching God explores traditional gender roles as one of its main themes – specifically the way that stereotypical ideas about relationships between men and women empower men and disempower women. As Janie’s grandmother, Nanny looks after her, and is deeply concerned by Janie’s maturation and interest in sex after spying her kiss a neighbor boy. Jay Walker claims that Janie is a subversive influence who will bring women's liberation to Eatonville. Joe has made an effort over the years to ridicule Janie even more when there was an audience to witness his cruelty. Detailed explanations, study, the citation info for per important quote on LitCharts. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. What do the names of Janie’s husbands – Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods – tell us about their characters and their relationships with Janie? 14. A former slave, Nanny is Janie's grandmother, a woman predominantly characterized by traditional perceptions about gender and marriage. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. Their Eyes Were Watching God Study Guide | Literature Guide | LitCharts The Hurricane Symbol Analysis.