Ms. Green – American Literature
Topics: (these are questions that should help guide your essay writing and should be your focus as you write CHOOSE only ONE TOPIC from the options below for questions email me at ondraya.green@clayton.k12.ga .us)
1. Compare and contrast Janie’s three marriages. What initially pulls her to each of the three men? How do they differ from one another? What does she learn from each experience? (use specific sentences to the text (both indirect and direct references and quotations).
2. In her marriage to Jody, Janie is dominated by his power. At several points, however, it is obvious that he feels threatened by her. Why does Jody need to be in control of everyone around him? How does Janie threaten Jody and his sense of control? (use specific sentences to the text (both indirect and direct references and quotations).
3. Their Eyes Were Watching God is concerned with issues of speech and how speech is both a mechanism of control and a vehicle of liberation. Yet Janie remains silent during key moments in her life. Discuss the role of silence in the book and how that role changes throughout the novel. (use specific sentences to the text (both indirect and direct references and quotations).
4. In what ways does Janie both fit and defy gender stereotypes in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, and in what ways are her relationships with Logan, Joe, and Tea Cake define her identity as a woman? (use specific sentences to the text (both indirect and direct references and quotations).
5. Think about the many ways that Janie uses (or doesn't use) her voice to communicate with others and to share her story with the reader in Their Eyes Were Watching God. How does communication define her relationships, and what role does voice play in her development as a person? (use specific sentences to the text (both indirect and direct references and quotations).
6. What kind of tone does Hurston's use of