Why Were Their Eyes Watching God?

     In chapter 18 of the novel, Hurston uses the title of her book as imagery to describe the situation Janie, Tea Cake, and Motor Boat are in. Hurston writes, "They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God" (160). Why does Hurston use this phrase and why is this the moment she decides to add it to the novel? There is direct symbolism of this phrase, but it also relates to the concept of uncontrollable forces throughout the novel.

    The direct symbolism of "Their eyes were watching God" can be seen pretty clearly. This group of people is stuck in a house that is on the verge of flooding. At the same time the only bit of light they have left gets put out and they are left in the dark waiting. None of them speak or know what to do so the only thing they are left to do is hope that the situation does not get worse which is like "watching God". The previous sentence also hints that God might be testing them with the hurricane to show them that no matter what, he will always be stronger than them and they should not have assumed they could just stay in their home. 

    Another interpretation could be that the phrase is just referencing all of the behavior of the influential people in Janie's life. Everybody Janie had spent much time with seemed to have the idea that they could control their environment and create a perfect space for their needs. Janie's Nanny thought she could solve her love problems by getting her a husband, Jody thought he could become influential and help Janie create her own endeavors, etc. In all cases it did not work out. In Tea Cake's example, he thinks he can do anything in the muck and he is extremely confident with his gambling skills. He thought that they could stay in the muck and he would be able to deal with the situation. Instead the hurricane completely overpowered them and they almost died.

    In reality, Hurston most likely uses this phrase for a variety of factors including both of the two above. I think she adds the detail in this chapter because it is one of the last instances of the environment taking over a cocky person. This gives the reader a chance to look back at all of the instances this relates to. Additionally, it is in a time where Janie almost dies, so it has a stronger message than in a mellow situation.


Comments

  1. Clara WoodSaturday, November 20, 2021 at 2:35:00 PM PST

    Hey Lukas, great post! I was definitely stumped by the meaning of the title "Their Eyes Were Watching God," so it's exciting to see someone try to decipher it. When the title is used within the book, I think the phrase more closely pertains to whatever situation its included in. As you discuss, when "Their eyes were watching god" is mentioned in the hurricane scene, the meaning may be that with noone else to turn to for help and answers, Janie and Tea Cake are left to look to God to decide their fate. And I guess in a sense that relates to the rest of the book as well. Throughout the book, people around Janie like Nanny and the townspeople tell her what to do or whats best for her, but only when she ignores them and follows her own path, the path God wants for her, does she find herself and survive.

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  2. LiliTuesday, November 23, 2021 at 9:56:00 PM PST

    I think this is a really interesting blog post. I like how you chose a different direction and decided to write about the meaning of the title. I was also confused on what the title meant and what the significance of it was. I liked how you tried to make sense of it using different evidence from the book. I do think the phrase has something to do with the people who have impacted Janies life throughout the book as you said. Great post!

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  3. TeoTuesday, November 23, 2021 at 10:14:00 PM PST

    Nice post Lukas Grosse Perdekamp! I like how you explored a seemingly smaller aspect of the story which was the title. I was also sort of confused as to why Hurston decided to use that line as the title as it was just a one off sentence but I think you did a good job as to interpret why she might've done that. Great job!

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  4. Charlie HechlerTuesday, November 23, 2021 at 11:21:00 PM PST

    Great post! I really like that you posted on a unique topic. Your analysis was really well thought out. The title was one of the things that confused me the most about the book. I think the theme of control that you identified is a very important part of the book. Keep up the good work!

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  5. Ethan RobertsFriday, December 10, 2021 at 11:21:00 AM PST

    Greetings, Lukas. I think that most people probably overlook the title as a complicated metaphor, but you do a good job simplifying it and analyzing it. As you mentioned, the phrase is specifically used during the hurricane, referencing that the character's hopes all lie in a higher power. Throughout the whole book, it could be argued that Janie is watching God, as she has an idea of the ideal relationship, and hopes that God can bring the right man to her.

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