Their Eyes Were Watching God - Themes and Decisions

There were rumors about the places Tea Cake would take Janie and what all they did. People wondered what Tea Cake's true intentions were.

Sam Watson says that the reason Tea Cake is spending money on Janie is because he is just wanting to ruin all the hard work Joe Starks had done.

Janie tells Pheoby that she and Tea Cake were going to get married and leave the town. Pheoby warned Janie about Tea Cake turning out to be different from the way he acted around her now.

<p>Janie decided to sell the store because she didn't want to keep it anymore and she knew that Tea Cake wasn't cut out to run the store.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Janie's grandma wanted her to live a sophisticated life filled with nice things, friends, and a husband that loved her. Janie just wanted to live her life the way she wanted to and not have to live up to other people's expectations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The author means that it is hard to ever really get close to someone when all you do is envy and want what they have.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Janie keeps two hundred dollars hidden inside her shirt because Pheoby cautioned her to have something in case Tea Cake runs off and leaves her with nothing but the clothes on her back.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>I think Janie thought of Annie Tyler and Who Flung because her circumstances are very similar to Mrs. Tyler's and she fears the same thing that happened to Mrs. Tyler is happening to her.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The figure of speech is a metaphor. The sentence means that Janie woke up before the sun was completely up. Light was just starting to show.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>He claims to go out and buy dinner for anyone and everyone around, except for the ugly women, whom he pays $2 for them not to come. I don't believe his story because it doesn't seem to fit his character.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tea Cake plans on winning back the money by gambling and taking his winnings to pay Janie back.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>He is leaving with his winnings, one of the men he was playing against didn't like that he had lost all his money and tried to get his money back by cutting Tea Cake twice in his back.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tea Cake takes Janie to the Everglades so they could plant beans and earn more money.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tea Cake teaches Janie how to shoot.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tea Cake tells Janie that he misses her an awful lot and that if she came and worked with him he wouldn't lose any time to come home to see her. Janie isn't quite convinced but she goes along with it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The mood surrounding the card game at Tea Cake's house is interesting. They joke around and laugh, have a good time and at the same time they can be serious and hostile.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Nunkie is one of the girls that works in the fields with Tea Cake. Janie is jealous of her because she is getting more attention from Tea Cake than Janie is and Nunkie is flirting with Tea Cake.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>I feel that Janie's reaction was justified as Tea Cake was allowed to do what he wanted and Janie should have been too.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They decided to stay so they could stay another season on muck.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It is ironic that Mrs. Turner is black and that she finds that they are loud and laugh a lot. Mrs. Turner wants Janie to leave Tea Cake and marry one of her relatives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mrs. Turner continues to forgive Janie because she knows that Janie is more white than black and she doesn't want to hold it against her. She justifies her behavior by saying that is how the white folks would act.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>I don't find her beliefs out of the ordinary but are the result of a white society where white is right, much like today.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Domestic violence was common during this time and few abusers neglect people for fun. It provides a sort of stability or reassurance in their lives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They are jealous because they know that if they tried to do the same thing to their wife, she would beat them up just as much. The men have treated the women as possessions or animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A fight broke out and the majority of Mrs. Turner's café was destroyed. I think this was more than just an accident.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They are going to higher ground because they paid attention to the signs in nature telling them that a hurricane is coming.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tea Cake told Lias that he didn't want to leave because the money was really good right then and he didn't want the others to get it and him miss out.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They sat around talking, boosting each other's courage. They ate, made jokes, sang songs, and played dice.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The author meant that they didn't know who to ask, so they looked toward the heavens looking for answers to why this was happening to them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Janie meant that she spent her whole life trying to seek out what she really wanted and Tea Cake helped her find love and happiness.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>In the immediate sense, they are looking to God to see what He will do during the hurricane. In the larger sense, it means they are looking to see what God will do and how that will affect their lives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Motor Boat stays because he is tired and doesn't want to continue any farther.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tea Cake grabbed the dog and pulled him into the water, trying to stab him so he wouldn't hurt Janie. The dog fought Tea Cake and ended up biting Tea Cake's cheek and then Tea Cake killed the dog.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Janie meant that she spent her whole life trying to seek what she really wanted and never expected happiness until Tea Cake came along.</p> Signup and view all the answers