Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston: Character Analysis

Tea Cake is introduced as a clever, younger man that Janie takes interest in. Janie clearly pays attention to this man because he is handsome and actually wants her to play checkers with him, which Jodie Starks always forbid her to do. She realizes this and explains, “Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it natural for her to play. That was even nice” (Hurston 117). This foreshadows Tea Cake and Janie spending more time together because Janie enjoys her freedom and all the different things that they could do. Additionally, I get the impression that, because she had to spend 20 years obeying all of Joe Sparks’ commands, she just wants to do whatever makes her happy, which includes talking to and laughing with Tea Cake. This is shown

This is most likely because she was so quick to run off and fall in love with Joe Sparks, which turned bitter quickly. Despite her efforts, Tea Cake definitely makes her gleeful, which is clear when the narrator describes, “...she decided to treat him so cold if he ever did foot the place that he’d be sure not to come hanging around there again… ‘Crazy thing!’ Janie commented, beaming out with light” (Hurston 121). This shows the adoration that Janie has for Tea Cake, even though she does not seem to trust herself around him. Furthermore, Tea Cake appears to care deeply about Janie, and not her age or money, which he proclaims as, “ ‘Ah done thought all about dat and tried tuh struggle aginst it, but it don’t do me no good. De thought uh mah youngness don’t satisfy me lak yo’ presence do’ ” (Hurston 127). Janie and Tea Cake’s newfound relationship expresses the theme of personal happiness verses social pressure because their age difference will stir up trouble amongst the townspeople, but they can not help but spend time together because it makes them feel joyful and

You done married one uh de best gamblers God ever made’ ” (Hurston 147). This also shows that Tea Cake is very confident, which may get him into trouble in the future. He even gets injured from his gambling later on, explaining, “ ‘Ah know Ah ain’t cut too deep ‘cause he was too skeered tuh run up on me close enough...Ah’ll be all right in uh day or so’ ” (Hurston 150). I predict that Tea Cake will eventually become seriously injured because of his gambling, which will make Janie very disappointed. Janie exhibits the theme of trust because she believes in Tea Cake to win her money back and that he is a good gambler. In addition, Janie is clearly insecure about her age and does not doubt that Tea Cake would leave her after getting her money, even conspiring, “And God, please suh, don’t let him love nobody else but me. Maybe Ah’m is uh fool, Lawd, lak dey say…” (Hurston 142). I get the impression that her doubts about her marriage spring from the constant criticism from Jodie Sparks about her growing old and saggy, as well as the nasty comments about their relationship by the people of