Their Eyes Were Watching God

Why teach Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Often taught in the United States, but more seldom in Canada, Their Eyes Were Watching God is the best-known novel of Zora Neale Hurston, likely the most successful female African-American author of the 20^th century and a cataloguer of African-American and Caribbean folklore. Hurston’s story is remarkable in its own right, and a brief overview of her life is included with this guide. She paved the way for many Black and female authors.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about finding out what it’s like to live and to love for yourself, about freedom, and about nonconformity and success. The book offers opportunities to talk about historical events and their parallels in Canada and about what it means to be free.

The strong female character, who thrives despite all of the hardship through which she lives, may be a role model for young women, or she may not. Squaring the violence in her relationships with her independence is the subject of many debates. But there is no doubt she is an engaging protagonist.

With dialogue written in phonetic Southern English and the remainder of the story in graphic, beautiful prose, Their Eyes Were Watching God is especially well-suited to reading in the classroom and to pairing with Socratic dialogue and collaborative learning among students.