Their Eyes Were Watching God: Questions

My lovely husband was so kind as to write up these questions for us. I'm posting them now so if you haven't finished (or started, ahem) the book, you can think about them as you read. Feel free to write big essays based on these questions, or just use them as jumping-off points for thinking about the book. You can also write on something totally different.

In the past we haven't really done a lot with our writings, but since our learning experience will be about writing this time, anything you can write will help our discussion. Even a few jotted-down notes will enrich our understanding and deepen the discussion. BUT you should still absolutely come if you haven't written or even finished the book because it will be fun and your writing won't be necessary for the learning experience portion. Anyway. Here are the questions.

1. Even though Their Eyes is now widely considered the greatest novel of the Harlem Renaissance, writers from the time period like James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and others generally looked down on Hurston’s writing because of how she deals with racial issues in her works. Even though Their Eyes doesn’t seem to be primarily about race, several aspects and passages in the book give the reader some idea of her beliefs. What do you think Hurston believes about race and race relations? What parts of the book lead you to think this? Why might some people (black writers) disagree with Hurston? Do you agree or disagree with Hurston’s ideas?
2. Hurston seems to have some pretty strong beliefs about society’s definition of womanhood. Many readers think that she uses Janie as her ideal woman. In what ways does Hurston’s depiction of Janie reinforce or contradict your own ideas of the qualities we value in women?
3. Hurston switches back and forth between a lyrical standard-English and the dialect of early 20th century African-American communities in Florida. Does this dialect switching distract you, or do you think it adds to the book? Are the switches random, or do they achieve some purpose? What about episodes like the mule talk?
4. Their Eyes is filled with motifs and symbolism (e.g. the horizon, bees and blossoms, Janie’s Hair, checkers, the mule, etc.). Pick one of these symbols or motifs and explore what meaning Hurston might be trying to create. What do you think she is trying to say? How does the symbol or motif help her say it?
5. Explore Janie’s emergence as a person and the role that each of her three husbands played in her development. What does Hurston seem to be saying about relationships between men and women? 

Write away!

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