Cast of
Characters for “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
Janie
Mae Crawford: Janie is the main character of the book. She is a very
independent woman, who spends a lot of time searching for love. After many hard
and long years, she eventually finds her true love, Tea Cake, and spends a few
happy years with him. Janie on top of being independent has a lot of strength
and tends to defy social norms. She wields a lot of power throughout the story,
and also has mixed ancestry giving her straight hair and caucasian features
which highlight her independent characteristics.
Tea Cake: Janie’s true love and third husband. Tea Cake is loyal, hard-working, and lives such a different lifestyle from everything that Janie is used to. But, his lifestyle is honest, fun and just goes wherever it wants to. Tea Cake changes Janie’s view and way of life, and he makes her very happy.
Joe
Starks: Janie’s second husband. Janie left Logan (her first husband) to be with
him. He is a sweet-talker, and a good one at that. Joe becomes Mayor of a small
little town, and runs it very successfully, but things grow to be very bad
between Joe and Janie. Janie thought she loved him at first, but later finds
out that she never did. Joe pretty much only wants power and uses Janie for status
instead of loving her.
Mrs. Turner: A woman who lives in the Everglades. She looks up to Janie because of her caucasian features, and she practically worships her. Mrs. Turner looks down on anyone who is darker than her, and she can’t understand why Janie, who has such caucasian features, would marry Tea Cake, who is very dark.
Nanny
Crawford: Janie’s grandmother. Nanny was a freed slave, and basically raised
Janie as her own child after Janie’s mother ran away. Nanny wants what is best
for Janie, and she wants Janie to have everything that she didn’t, including
security, marriage, and money. This conflicts with Janie’s one desire for true
love.
Logan
Killicks: Janie’s first husband. Janie married him because Nanny told her to.
She does not love Logan and feels unloved by him, so she promptly leaves him
for Joe Starks.
Pheoby Watson: Sam’s wife. Pheoby is Janie’s best friend. She genuinely cares about Janie, and Pheoby is the one that Janie is telling her life story to. Pheoby listens to Janie and views her as someone who has experienced a lot of life, and as someone who does her own thing.
Sam
Watson: Pheoby’s husband. He supports Joe, even when Joe doesn’t have everyone
in town behind him. Sam is also the center of antics everyday outside the store
that Janie runs.
Dr. Simmons: A white doctor in the muck. He is the one who diagnoses Tea Cake with “Mad Dog Fever” (probably rabies), and he also testifies for Janie’s innocence in court after she has shot and killed Tea Cake.
Motor Boat: A friend of Janie and Tea Cake’s who lives in the
muck. Motor Boat is with Janie and Tea Cake for the worst part of the
hurricane, but stays back when they decide to travel to higher ground.
Hezekiah Potts: A boy that helps in the store that Janie
runs. Hezekiah looks up to Joe, and starts to follow in his footsteps. Hezekiah
shows that imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery.
Nunkie: A girl in the muck who
is playful and flirty, and tries to get Tea Cake’s attention. Nunkie is at
first a source of jealousy for Janie, and later she helps to enforce the
loyalty and trust that Tea Cake and Janie have for each other.
