Characters
Forces Janie to marry her first husband
Granny
Why Janie enjoys playing checkers
Joe never let her play
This represents Janie's power and individuality
hair
Janie's first husband
Logan Killicks
The artistic/musical movement of the time
Harlem Renaissance
Janie crushed this person's manhood
Jody
Why Mrs. Turner worships Janie
Her light skin and straight hair
This represents better things and the possibility of change
the road
Tea Cake gets this virus
rabies
The town where Jody and Janie move to
Eatonville
Teaches Janie how to shoot a gun
Tea Cake
How Motor Boat survives the hurricane
sleeps on top floor
This represents blossoming sexuality
The pear tree/bees
Jody makes Janie do this to her hair
cover it up
Area known as "the Glade"
The Everglades
Janie's best friend
Pheoby
What Janie wears to Tea Cake's funeral
overalls
This represents the destructive power of nature
the hurricane
Why Tea Cake hits Janie
To keep other men away/show she's his
Year that the novel was written (approximately)
1937
Owns and abuses his old mule
Matt Bonner
Meaning of "You got tuh go there tuh know there."
Learn by doing
This represents slavery and women's lack of power
the mule
Tea Cake's real name
Vergible Woods
What ended the Harlem Renaissance
Stock Market crash/Great Depression