1 of 6

Slide Notes

DownloadGo Live

Their Eyes Were Watching God: Plot Analysis

Published on Nov 18, 2015

No Description

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

EXPOSITION

  • Janie Crawford, an attractive, confident, middle-aged black lady
  • Janie returns to Eatonville, FL after a long absence away with her husband, Teacake
  • The townspeople begin to stir and wonder what happened to her and create rumors
  • Janie's loyal friend Pheoby goes to speak to Janie about her life
  • Janie begins to tell Pheoby her life story...
Photo by Vlastula

RISING ACTION

  • Janie explains that her grandmother raised her after her mom ran off.
  • Nanny arranges a marrige for Janie and a black farmer, Logan.
  • Janie is not content with her dull husband and soon flees with an elegant man, Joe.
  • Janie and Joe settle at a newly established town (Eatonville) where Joe becomes mayor.
  • Joe and Janie quickly get settled in town and live good, until Joe turns to a tyrant
Photo by Claudio.Ar

CLIMAX

  • Jody dies of a bad kidney and Janie feels relieved.
  • After 9 months Janie remarries a commoner, Tea Cake.
  • They move to the Everglades & after 2 years a hurricane emerges.
  • Tea Cake falls sick (after being bit by a dog) and hallucinates.
  • Tea Cake tries to kill Janie (over jealousy), but gets killed by Janie.

FALLING ACTION

  • Janie is found innocent in court.
  • The white folk support Janie's decisions.
  • Janie decides to head to Eatonville.

RESOLUTION

  • Janie is back at Eatonville and has finally lived life.
  • She has faced her conflict of people's values enforced on her.
  • She learns that she doesn't need a man to be happy.

THEME

  • I think the overall theme is relationship/love independence.
  • "Before she slept that night she burnt up every one of her head rags.. (Neale 89)."
  • This quote uses the head rags as a symbol of constraint on Janie's life.
  • When Janie burns the rags it's as if she is free and independent.
  • Janie takes her whole journey to see that independence is meaningful.
Photo by drweisgerber

MORE DECKS BY THIS AUTHOR

Haiku Deck In Action

42 views

Scavenger Hunt

29 views

Chiropractor Report

40 views