Their Eyes Were Watching God

The “gossips” who sit on the porch of the general store in the all-Black town of Eatonville, Florida, are curious when Janie Starks, the widow of the former mayor, returns from a mysterious trip. In a well-remembered scandal, Janie left with a much younger man, “Tea Cake,” after her husband’s death. The men observe how beautiful she still is, while the women seem envious and a little glad that to see her shabbily dressed.

Impatient with this talk, Janie’s best friend, Pheoby Watson, decides to bring Janie a meal and find out where she has been. Janie tells Pheoby that she married Tea Cake, who has since died. Pheoby is shocked: The current gossip is that Tea Cake took all of Janie’s money and then left Janie for a younger woman. Pheoby encourages Janie to end the scandal around the relationship by telling the town about the marriage, but Janie doesn’t care what the town thinks: she’s seen the world and she still has money. Instead, Janie decides to tell Pheoby her story. If anyone wants to know the truth of what happened, they can ask Pheoby.