Quotes from book
Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 1937 novel and by African-American writer Zora Neale Hurston. It is considered a classic of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, and it is probably Hurston's best known work. The novel explores main character Janie Crawford's "ripening from a vibrant, but voiceless, teenage girl into a woman with her finger on the trigger of her own destiny".Set in central and southern Florida in the early 20th century, the novel was initially poorly received. Since the late 20th century, it has been regarded as influential to both African-American literature and women's literature. TIME included the novel in its 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923.


Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo

“She was saving up feelings for some man she had never seen.”

Source: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo

“Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves.”

Variant: There is two things everybody got to find out for theirselves. They got to find out about love and they got to find out about living.
Source: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo

“Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board.”

Source: Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), Ch. 1, p. 9.

Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo

“Pheoby, yuh got tuh go there tuh know there. Yo' papa and yo' mama and nobody else can't tell yuh and show yuh. Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God and they got tuh find out about livin fuh theyselves.”

Source: Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)
Context: "Well, Ah see Mouth-Almighty is still sittin' in de same place. And Ah reckon they got me up in they mouth now.""Yes indeed. You know if you pass some people and don't speak tuh suit 'em dey got tuh go way back in yo' life and see whut you ever done. They know mo' 'bout yuh than you do yo' self. They done 'heard' 'bout you just what they hope done happened.""If God don't think no mo' 'bout 'em than Ah do, they's a lost ball in de high grass."

Janie and Phoeby, Ch. 1, p. 16.

Zora Neale Hurston photo
Zora Neale Hurston photo