Chapter 1-3

Chapter 1- In the first few pages of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie returns to her hometown of Eatonville, Florida, after nearly two years absence. The setting of the story as Janie is introduced is a sunny southern town, where the local residents are watching her as she walks down the road. The first one to notice her, and not judge her is a girl named Phoeby Watson. As everyone notices her dirty overalls, they begin to gossip about how she left the town with a younger man and how he took her money, and left her to find a younger woman. One believes that they are just jealous of her beauty and for that she pays them no mind.

Phoeby a character introduced as an onlooker, visits Janie's house that day bringing food. Janies explains to her that she has returned alone because Tea Cake (who she left with) is gone but not for the same reason that the crowd on the porch assumes; but that she is no longer happy there. One believes that the rest of the trajectory of the story is going to focus on Janie's search for happiness, as she begins to recount her story to Phoeby. 

Analysis

Their Eyes Were Watching God, opens with a focus on judgement as a theme. The porch sitters in the first couple pages are the ones that treat her especially harsh. They criticize her for her appearance, the reason she has come back, and the rest of her past. The author has most likely portrayed judgement (at the beggining) to show the era of how black people were especially judged by their color.

Chapter 2- Janie is raised by her grandma, Nanny. The author shows how she never met her mother or father, and she lives in the backyard of a white family. Janie plays with Mr. and Mrs. Washburn's children (white family) and thinks that she herself is white, until she sees a photo of herself. This shows how the author is trying to depict a sense of identity and segregation between white and black people at the time. The children of the town are also mean to Janie bringing up the Washburn's dog hunting down her dad, bi-racial family, and much more. Nanny eventually buys some land and a house because she thinks that having their own place will be better for Janie. 

Also in this chapter, Janie is seen kissing a local boy named Johnny and is caught by Nanny who decided to marry Janie off to Logan Killicks, a more wealthy guy. She wants to Janie more protected economically and emotionally. When Janie gets mad, Nanny tells her about her hard times as she grew up in slavery. She was raped by her master, and has a daughter named Leafy (Janie's mother) When the master's wife found out that it was their child, she hsa Nanny whipped, and Leafy sold. 

Analysis- Their Eyes Were Watching God, begins at the end of the story: we first see Janie after she has already grown old and her story then spins out of her own mouth as she sits talking to Pheoby. From the very beginning of the book, language and culture plays a crucial role 

Chapter 3- Janie prepares for her marriage to Logan, she understands that she doesn’t love him but believes that after marriage, love will come, as Nanny has been telling her. Two month after marrying Logan, Janie visits Nanny to ask for advice. Nanny then sends Janie on her way, again telling her that, in time, she will develop feelings for Logan. A year passes, and Janie still feels no love for Logan and doesn't understand how she can possibly develop love for such a man. 

One Nanny dies, Logan stops pampering her and begins to make her do manual labor. One day, he leaves to buy a second mule so that Janie can help him work in the fields. While Logan is getting the mule, Janie begins flirting with a new guy named Joe Starks, a stylish, ambitious man. He tells her that he is from Georgia, has money, and has come to Florida in search for a community full of blacks. From there him and Janie start to meet secretly. He dazzles her with his big dreams, and Janie’s hopes for love. Finally, after about two weeks of flirtation, he says that he wants her to leave Logan and marry him.

Analysis- Chapter 3 opens up with a theme about love and how marriage is defined. It shows how women focus on marriage as a symbol of love and commitment. When Janie feels unhappy, she quickly runs towards Joe Starks whom she feel more safe with and believes that love can come alive again! Although, I as the reader, believe that she is still disillusioned and this is possible because her grandma has set out rules in which a woman must obey when marrying a man.