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Their Eyes Were Watching God Summer Reading Analysis, Exercises of Literature

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Name: ____________________ Class: ____________________ Period: ______
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Summer Reading Analysis
While reading Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God
for your summer
reading, please answer the following questions for each chapter in detail. You are strongly
advised to answer the questions as you read. You may type or handwrite your answers.
Responses should be completed by the first full day of school. Make sure to include page
numbers for your answers where relevant.
Answers must be your own. Any responses that
appear to have copied answers from an online source or a fellow student will receive a zero.
Chapter 1
1. Do a close reading of the two paragraphs of the novel. Why does it begin with “man’s
wish”? Who is the “Watcher”? How are women and men different, according to this
passage?
2. Describe the town. What are the townspeople like? How can you tell? Use quotes from
the novel to support your answer.
3. What do we learn about Janie through the indirect characterization of her neighbors?
4. What is Pheoby’s purpose in the story?
Chapter 2
5. Ch. 2 moves back to the past. What is Janie’s view of herself as a child? Give examples
to support your answer from the text.
6. Do a close reading of the “pear tree” scene (starting with the line that begins “It was a
spring afternoon…” and ends with “limp and languid” ). What does Janie learn/hope for?
What imagery and symbolism do you see in this scene?
7. What does Janie’s Grandmother dream of/hope for? How is this similar and
different
from Janie’s hope?
8. Why does Janie agree to the marriage?
Chapter 3
9. What questions does Janie ask herself before her marriage?
10. Describe Janie’s first marriage. List two quotes from the text to support your answer.
11. What was Janie’s first dream? How does she “become a woman”?
Chapter 4
12. How does Logan change after six months of marriage? Provide two quotes from the text
to support your answer.
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Their Eyes Were Watching God Summer Reading Analysis

While reading Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God for your summer reading, please answer the following questions for each chapter in detail. You are strongly advised to answer the questions as you read. You may type or handwrite your answers. Responses should be completed by the first full day of school. Make sure to include page numbers for your answers where relevant. Answers must be your own. Any responses that appear to have copied answers from an online source or a fellow student will receive a zero. Chapter 1

  1. Do a close reading of the two paragraphs of the novel. Why does it begin with “man’s wish”? Who is the “Watcher”? How are women and men different, according to this passage?
  2. Describe the town. What are the townspeople like? How can you tell? Use quotes from the novel to support your answer.
  3. What do we learn about Janie through the indirect characterization of her neighbors?
  4. What is Pheoby’s purpose in the story? Chapter 2
  5. Ch. 2 moves back to the past. What is Janie’s view of herself as a child? Give examples to support your answer from the text.
  6. Do a close reading of the “pear tree” scene (starting with the line that begins “It was a spring afternoon…” and ends with “limp and languid” ). What does Janie learn/hope for? What imagery and symbolism do you see in this scene?
  7. What does Janie’s Grandmother dream of/hope for? How is this similar and different from Janie’s hope?
  8. Why does Janie agree to the marriage? Chapter 3
  9. What questions does Janie ask herself before her marriage?
  10. Describe Janie’s first marriage. List two quotes from the text to support your answer.
  11. What was Janie’s first dream? How does she “become a woman”? Chapter 4
  12. How does Logan change after six months of marriage? Provide two quotes from the text to support your answer.
  1. Do a close reading of the paragraph in Ch 4 that begins, “It was a citified, stylish dressed man…” What is different about Joe Starks compared to Logan? Why do you think this is attractive to Janie?
  2. In your opinion, should Janie have left Logan? Explain in detail why or why not. Chapter 5
  3. What is the town of Eatonville like? How does it differ from Janie and Joe’s expectations?
  4. How does Janie fit into Joe’s dream?
  5. What happens when the men suggest that Janie make a speech? What does this make her think about/consider? What does this incident say about Joe Starks?
  6. How do the townspeople feel about the Starks? How does this differ from Janie’s reality? Chapter 6
  7. Why doesn’t Janie want to engage in stories about the mule?
  8. What is similar about Janie and the mule?
  9. Janie does not like working in the store, yet continues to do so. What does this say about her relationship with Joe?
  10. What is the significance of Joe forcing Janie to wear a head-rag? To answer this question, think about what a woman’s hair might symbolize.
  11. How does the mule die? Why is this important?
  12. Describe the funeral. Discuss why Joe would have held this ceremony in this way.
  13. What do you think about Joe’s expectations for Janie as his wife?
  14. Provide a direct quote that captures the change in Janie after Joe hits her. Chapter 7
  15. What happens to Janie’s voice the longer she is in relationship with Jody?
  16. How does he treat her when he becomes ill? Why?
  17. What “had never been done before” in Joe and Janie’s exchange about the tobacco plug? What is Joe’s motivation behind hitting Janie? Chapter 8
  18. How do things change between Joe and Janie after the night in the store?
  19. What do you think about Phoeby’s advice to Janie?
  20. Why and how is Death personified? Use a direct quote from the text to support your answer.
  21. How does the discussion between Jodie and Janie at his deathbed reflect a major change in Janie’s character?
  1. What is Mrs. Turner’s idol? Why is this ironic? Chapter 17
  2. Janie experiences physical abuse in both her marriages to Jody and Tea Cake. How does her perception differ when Tea Cake hits her?
  3. Describe the scene at the restaurant. For what purpose has Tea Cake planned out this scene? Chapter 18
  4. What are the signs of the impending storm?
  5. There is a direct reference to the title of the novel in this chapter. What do you think it means?
  6. How is Tea Cake’s love for Janie apparent in the aftermath of the hurricane? Chapter 19
  7. What do the white men want to make sure of before the men are buried?
  8. What is the dilemma Janie faces in this chapter? What does her ultimate choice show the reader about her development as a character?
  9. What is ironic about the support Janie receives during her trial? Chapter 20
  10. What comments are the townspeople of Eatonville making about Janie’s appearance upon her return?
  11. What might the author be saying through this about Janie’s character?
  12. Do a close reading of the last paragraph. Hurston begins the novel with a reference to the horizon and now ends the novel in the same way. How is this used to communicate a growth in Janie’s character?