Our Eyes Were Watching God - Chapters 7-11 Questions
Where has everyone gone, leaving Janie alone?
A baseball game
What does the narrator mean by "For the first time she could see a man's head naked of its skull"?
For the first time Janie realizes what Joe is thinking and how he is.
What is wrong with Joe in chapter 8?
He is dying of kidney failure.
How does Jody react to this insult?
He reacts with violence and slaps her.
How is Tea Cake different from the other men of Eatonville?
He treats Janie equally, and doesn't put her down.
Why does Janie hate her grandmother?
Her grandmother made her marry Logan, so Janie couldn't do what she wanted, which makes Janie thinks led her to where she is now.
Janie spends a while that night looking at her eyes, mouth, and hair. What is she looking for?
She checking to see if Tea Cake is being honest when he compliments her.
Why does Janie feel bad about hurting Joe?
She feels bad because she doesn't like hurting anyone.
Why is Janie afraid to appear interested in Tea Cake?
She has had bad relationships with men, and he is much younger than her.
How is Janie able to "tolerate" her relationship with Jody?
She ignores him and imagines herself sitting underneath a tree in summertime while she does her work.
What is Janie's reaction to Tea Cake?
She is attracted to him, but cautious.
- How have the men been treating Janie since Joe's death? - - What is Janie's reaction to these men?
- The men try to marry her, and they say that she can't stand by herself, and she needs a man to take care of her. - Her reaction is to reject and laugh them off. She doesn't want to marry again.
- What does the author mean by "He could be a bee to a blossom-a pear tree blossom in the spring"? - Who is the "blossom"?
- The pear tree symbolized Janie's coming of age, and now Tea Cake is doing that. - Tea Cake is the "blossom".
What problem do Tea Cake and Janie discuss the next evening at dinner?
- They talk about their age difference. - Tea Cake compliments her, and she says that he probably says that to all the women, and he agrees.
- What does Janie mean when she says, "Let 'em say what deh wants tuh, Pheoby. To my thinkin' mourning oughtn't tuh last longer'n grief"? - Why is this statement important to Janie and her journey?
- This means she isn't sad about Joe's death. She doesn't want to have to pretend to mourn for his death, when she really isn't sad. - This is important to Janie's journey because she prepared herself for Joe's death, and had been waiting for freedom all her life.
- What is Tea Cake's real name? - What kind of person do you think Tea Cake is?
- Vergible Woods. - Sweet, good natured, companion, playful
Why does Hurston refer to death as "square-toed"? (exceedingly proper or straight-laced)
1. Death is proper because it always does what it is supposed to do. 2. Death creeps in unnoticed and disappears unnoticed.
Why did the narrator say that the incident with the tobacco was "like somebody snatched off part of a woman's clothes while she wasn't looking and the streets were crowded"?
It was something very embarrassing for Janie. People make her mistake seem as a joke and a disaster.
How old are Janie and Jody now?
Janie is almost 40 (35), and Jody is almost 50 (48).
What does the author mean by "Like all the other tumbling mud-balls, Janie had trued to show her shine"?
Janie knew she was beautiful inside, but had to wait for all the "mud" to remove before it could show.
Why is it that one of the first things Janie does after Jody's death is let her hair down?
Joe made her keep her hair up when they were married, so now she is free of him, and out of his control.
How does Janie insult Jody about his age?
She said, "Talkin' 'bout me lookin' old! When you pull down yo' britches, you look lak de change uh life."
Why does Janie visit Jody on his deathbed? What does she say?
She tells Joe that she was happy when they married, but Joe became more greedy and controlling, and she resented him for the way he treated her.
How does Janie try to forget about Tea Cake?
She tries to think that he is trash anyway, and is probably with another woman.
What does the author mean by "She sent her face to Joe's funeral, and herself went rollicking with springtime across the world"?
She went to his funeral and made herself look unhappy on the outside, but inside she was VERY happy that he died so she could finally be free.
Who is the "fiend from hell specially sent to lovers"?
Tea Cake.
What does the author mean by: "She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now"?
The author means that Joe could die any day, and probably soon.
What does the author mean by "So she offered him a seat and they made a lot of laughter out of nothing"?
There is a connection between Tea Cake and Janie. They are friendly and flirtatious.
What do Tea Cake and Janie do in the middle of the night to "make us of" the moon?
They go fishing.
What do the townspeople believe Janie has done to Joe?
They think that Janie poisoned Joe.
