Phyllis Beddingfield
Lindsay Puckett
Michelle Vessel
EH 540
12 July 2001

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Discussion Questions
  1. "Janie [ . . . sees] her life like a great tree in leaf" (8). Their Eyes is rife with tree and nature imagery and metaphors. Janie’s "conscious life" begins with an epiphany under Nanny’s pear tree (11), after which Nanny tells Janie that "us colored folks is branches without roots" (15). Later, during her second marriage, Janie imagines sitting beneath "a shady tree" while her "shadow" is "prostrating itself before Jody" (73). What is the significance of the tree and nature imagery in the text? How does it relate to Janie’s quest for fulfillment and selfhood?
  2. Like the female protagonists of several of the texts we are reading in this class, Janie is described as having a "coffee-and-cream complexion" and long, "luxurious hair" that presumably indicate her mixed racial heritage. What purpose does Janie’s physical appearance serve in the novel? How does the community react to her appearance? How does her appearance affect her standing in the community?
  3. Both literal and figurative mules are prominent features of Their Eyes. What is the thematic significance of the mule motif in the novel?
  4. What role does Pheoby play in the narrative? In what way is the frame story necessary to the overarching thematic significance of Their Eyes? How does Pheoby’s response at the end of Janie’s story compare with your own response?
  5. Who or what is the "God" referred to in the title of the book? Figure Christianity and/or other religious traditions in the text. How does Janie relate to the "God" of the novel?