Book Review: “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
Håfa adai! February is Black History Month in the United States. Throughout February 2025, I will post reviews for books across various genres that are written by African American authors and/or depict important experiences and stories within Black history. Each book review will be followed by a brief summary of Black history and Black History Month within the context of United States history. Learn more about Black History Month at the end of this book review. My third selection of February 2025 is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
This book review consists of two parts: a spoiler-free plot summary and my thoughts on the story. In the second part, I give my personal rating and break down the setting and worldbuilding, storytelling, cast of characters, and themes. There may be some lightweight spoilers—such as how characters interact with each other and the world around them—but I will not give away any major plot twists or endings. I want to share my opinions of the book and maybe encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.
Click on the tags at the bottom of this post to see all reviews with the same tags in the Fiction bookshelf.
Spoiler-Free Plot Summary
Janie Crawford has returned to her hometown after a year of living away. The people of the town will say what they say, gossiping and judging Janie for everything from the way the carries and conducts herself to who she talks to and has relationships with. When her friend Phoeby comes to visit her and welcome her home, Janie sits with Phoeby to recount the past 20-plus years of her life and the journey that took her from a silent and agreeable girl to a self-determined woman.
Important Trigger Warning for Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God depicts generational trauma, domestic violence, bigotry, discrimination, colorism, and natural disaster. These scenes and themes are essential to the plot. If these are themes that would cause you distress or discomfort in any way, then please make sure to take necessary steps to prepare and protect yourself before and after reading this book.
My Thoughts on Their Eyes Were Watching God: 4.25 stars
Although it was received with mixed reviews at the time of its initial publication in 1937, Their Eyes Were Watching God was brought back to the attention of readers in the 1970s as schools across the United States developed African American Studies/Black Studies programs (different institutes call it different names) and as scholars continued to explore Black feminism (an intersectional study of feminism and racism that centers the experiences of African American women). Today, this novel is praised as being a classic of the Harlem Renaissance (a revival of African American intangible culture, politics, and scholarship throughout the 1920s and 1930s), a classic of both African American literature and women’s literature, and is still considered essential reading for many high school students across the United States.
Set in Florida from the 1910s to the 1930s, Their Eyes Were Watching God follows Janie Crawford's retelling of the previous 20-plus years of her life to her friend Phoeby after she returns to her home town. The story is told from the third-person perspective that primarily follows Janie but also features a few other characters in some scenes. Janie Crawford is a tall Black woman with a who catches the attention of all those near her with her youthful spirit and beauty, especially as it pertains to her long hair and lighter skin tone; which Zora Neale Hurston draws puts strong emphasis on. As was (and still is) the case of many beautiful women, people gossip and judge their actions, movements, words, and entire existence as simultaneously being too much and not enough.
Their Eyes Were Watching God explores complex themes in multiple layers. The story depicts discrimination, colorism, and bigotry, but does not center these themes. They are included to present a realistic representation of early 1900s life in Florida, but they are not what the story is about; they are the context of Janie Crawford’s life, but not her takeaway in her retelling of events. The overarching theme is how Janie developed her own sense of identity and womanhood despite Western society’s expectations of women, of Black women, and of middle-aged Black women. Through her decades’ long journey, Janie pushes against the perception that women go from existing as the property of their parents or other guardians/caretakers to the property of their husbands. Janie’s internalized feelings and externalized conduct throughout her relationships pushes against many of the heteronormative gender norms that existed in the early 20th century (and that persist today).
In my own interpretation of the story, I could not help but think of the role generational trauma possibly played in Janie’s pursuit of love and intimacy. Janie’s grandmother Nanny was born into slavery—before adoption of the 13th Amendment in 1865—and became pregnant with Janie’s mother Leafy after being raped by her White enslaver. Janie’s mother Leafy became pregnant with Janie after being raped by her schoolteacher when she was only 17 years old. Leafy, whom Nanny had placed her dreams of success and stability on, quit school after her traumatic sexual assault and later abandoned Janie to be raised by her grandmother. From Nanny’s perspective, marriage and a husband were supposed to be guarantees of financial stability and security. But from Janie’s perspective, marriage was supposed to be about love, trust, and respect. Despite the experiences of her grandmother and mother, and despite her own experiences with failed relationships, Janie remains hopeful throughout her adult life that marriage can be filled with love and intimacy. In that sense, Janie’s journey also pushes against generational trauma.
My overall rating for Their Eyes Were Watching God is 4.25 out of 5 stars. Possibly Zora Neale Hurston's most famous work of fiction, this book explores Western society's expectations of women, Black women, and middle-aged Black women—while touching on generational trauma, discrimination, colorism, and bigotry—throughout the course of Janie Crawford’s journey of self determination. I take some issue with what is portrayed as being Janie’s healthiest/least problematic relationship, which Zora Neale Hurston based on a real life relationship, but it is not so great an issue that it overshadows the other takeaways I left with after finishing the story. All in all, Their Eyes Were Watching God is a poignant and thought-provoking story that depicts the contrast between the internalized and externalized experiences of someone searching for an experience that a society has deemed they should not have.
Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
Other Books Reviewed for Black History Month 2025:
Kindred by Octavia Butler
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
A Brief Summary of Black History & Black History Month in the United States
Black History Month is the first heritage month of the year celebrated in the United States. But how did this important heritage month come to be? How a community enters a nation’s historical narrative matters. The context of that introduction often sets the tone for how members of that community will be defined and treated by that nation’s leading demographic, legislation, popular media, public education, and more. For that reason, it is important to give a quick summary of the legislative history of how Africans and African Americans entered the national narrative of the United States, giving context to the significance of Black History Month.
A Quick Glance at the Legislative History of the United States of America
In 1776, thirteen British colonies in North America legally and politically separated from Great Britain to form the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments of the Constitution)—documents considered to be the foundation of the nation—rely on notions of freedom and equality as staunch opposition to the monarchy the colonies left behind. Yet the entire economy and structure of the United States in 1776 contradicted these notions, relying on the genocide and enslavement of multiple populations through practices that had been created and aggressively maintained for centuries. At the moment of its birth in 1776, the newly-formed United States of America had a lot of work to do before its reality resembled its ideologies.
In 1808, the 366 year-long Trans-Atlantic slave trade—costing the lives of over 15 million African men, women, and children—was legally ended in the United States, but illegal slave trade continued into the 1860s throughout both Union and Confederate states. On 1 January 1863, in the third year of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation stating “that all persons held as slaves… shall be free.” In 1865, the passage of the 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States. Citizenship would be granted to formerly enslaved people later with the 1866 adoption (and 1868 ratification) of the 14th Amendment*, which states that those born or naturalized in the United States would be granted citizenship. In 1870, the 15th Amendment technically “granted” voting rights to Black men (not Black women) in the aftermath of the Civil War; but legal protections against public discrimination and intimidation informed by bigotry (which prevented many Black men from exercising their right to vote, among many other things) would not be set in place until passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1954, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education ruled that it was unconstitutional to separate children in public schools on the basis of race. But the historical narrative of African Americans can be seen far beyond the legislative record of the country.
*Citizenship for Native Americans and those from United States territories/colonies was and is not granted through the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
Creations by African American Inventors Shape Much of American Life Today
From the economic foundations of the nation, to connecting the country coast to coast and beyond, and the comforts of everyday life, the impact of inventions by African Americans are felt in almost every facet of American life today. To name a few, these inventions include: the induction telegraph system that lets trains communicate while still in motion (Granville T. Woods); touch-tone phone, fiber optic cables, portable fax, and Caller ID (Shirley Jackson, not to be mistaken for the American horror author with the same name); the original IBM personal computer and color PC monitor (co-invented by Mark Dean); the Fairchild Channel F videogame console and the first interchangeable videogame cartridge (Jerry Lawson); Shockwave (the foundation for web animation) (Lisa Gelobter); the traffic signal (Garrett Morgan); automated elevator doors (Alexander Miles); synthetic drugs to treat glaucoma (Percy Lavon Julian); the home security system (Marie Van Brittan Brown); the sanitary belt (predecessor to sanitary pads and other menstrual products for women) and much more (Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner); refrigeration preserving things from food to medicine and donated blood (Frederick McKinley Jones); the first set of haircare products made especially for Black women’s hair (Madam C.J. Walker); synthetic rubber, peanut butter, and a lot more (George Washington Carver); the potato chip (George Crum); and the Super Soaker (Lonnie Johnson).
Black History Month Takes Shape
The foundations for Black History Month were laid in 1915 when historian Carter G. Woodson traveled to Chicago to attend the 50 anniversary celebration of the abolishment of slavery. Woodson noticed an absence of academic studies and acknowledgements of the contributions of African Americans in American history. In response to this, he organized the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 and the Journal of Negro History in 1916, where historians and other scholars could focus research on African American experiences. In 1926, Woodson created Negro History Week in the second week of February, choosing that week for its overlap with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and American abolitionist Frederick Douglas. Social change throughout the 1960s—spurred by the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement—caused a shift across the United States. Younger generations of African Americans were changing how they related to their heritage within the nation’s popular historical narrative. Woodson’s organization was renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). ASALH members expanded celebrations of Black heritage to a month long and—50 years after Woodson created a week-long homage—Black History Month was celebrated for the first time in 1976.
Closing Thoughts
Africans entered the historical narrative of the United States of America through the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the most horrific practice and period of modern history. Although legislation would eventually abolish slavery, grant African Americans citizenship, and the right to vote, decades more would pass before African Americans would be able to practice their rights as equal citizens. Fifty years after slavery was abolished in the United States, historian Carter G. Woodson noticed a need to acknowledge the history, heritage, and contributions of African American citizens in the United States and laid the foundations of what would later become Black History Month.
References (sorted alphabetically by source as “Post. Source: Link”):
Transatlantic slave trade. Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade
Slave Voyages, Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database. Emory University: https://www.slavevoyages.org/
Historical Context: Facts about the Slave Trade and Slavery. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/teacher-resources/historical-context-facts-about-slave-trade-and-slavery
13th Amendment. HISTORY: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/thirteenth-amendment
14th Amendment. HISTORY: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/fourteenth-amendment
15th Amendment. HISTORY: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/fifteenth-amendment
Black History Month. HISTORY: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month
Carter G. Woodson: The Man Behind Black History Month. HISTORY: https://www.history.com/news/the-man-behind-black-history-month
When Did African Americans Actually Get the Right to Vote? HISTORY: https://www.history.com/news/african-american-voting-right-15th-amendment
HISTORY OF | History of Black History Month. The HISTORY Channel Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnSHm3Y9qYc
African American Voting Rights. Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/voters/african-americans/
Voyage of the Echo: The Trials of an Illegal Trans-Atlantic Slave Ship. Lowcounty Digital History Initiative: https://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/voyage-of-the-echo-the-trials/historic-context--abolishing-t#:~:text=Britain%20finally%20abolished%20the%20trans,trade%20continued%20into%20the%201860s.
Americas Founding Documents. National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs
Black Americans and the Right to Vote. National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/vote
Brown v. Board of Education (1954). National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/brown-v-board-of-education
Civil Rights Act (1964). National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/civil-rights-act#:~:text=This%20act%2C%20signed%20into%20law,civil%20rights%20legislation%20since%20Reconstruction.
The Emancipation Proclamation. National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation#:~:text=President%20Abraham%20Lincoln%20issued%20the,and%20henceforward%20shall%20be%20free.%22
Carter G. Woodson. NAACP: https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/carter-g-woodson
Black History Month. National Geographic Kids: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/black-history-month
The transatlantic slave trade. National Museums Liverpool: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/history-of-slavery/transatlantic-slave-trade
The Declaration of Independence, 1776. Office of the Historian: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/declaration
PBS LEARNING MEDIA | Black History Month | PBS KIDS. PBS KIDS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f00AatzvxC0
Transatlantic Slave Trade. Slavery and Remembrance: https://slaveryandremembrance.org/articles/article/?id=A0002.
The History of Black History Month. Stanford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNxzOliUCTc
Black History is American History | Okalani Dawkins | TEDxYouth@MVHS. TEDx Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VINtKSpbXw
Landmark Legislation: The Fourteenth Amendment. United States Senate: https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/14th-amendment.htm#:~:text=Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20on,laws%2C%E2%80%9D%20extending%20the%20provisions%20of
Rating Cheat Sheet
4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.
Post Date: 17 February 2025
Published: 18 September 1937
Publisher: J.B. Lippincott
