Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbolism

• Trees/roots- African people without any roots
• Pear Tree- Janie's budding womanhood

• Mule- black women get the worst treatment; the black woman's experience. She does the worst jobs for white people and black men. She gets "walked on." Logan buys Janie a mule to represent hoe he is tired of treating Janie like a princess or white woman, and now he wants her to do the heavy labor jobs around the farm

• Gate and the Road- another opportunity; related to the metaphor at the beginning. The Gate is the shore and the Road represents that waves as Janie look down the road to find a new dream.

• The New Horizon- Janie is constantly looking over the gatepost, down the road, to a new horizon (a dreamer or new start.)

• The Eatonville general store- represents the center of this all-black town.

• The illumination of the lamp post represents the start of a new all-black town. It also shows that Joe Starks is all-powerful and likes others to bow down to him, including Janie.

• Joe and Janie's two-story house- Seems to represent his similarity to a plantation owner, while the hard working townspeople live in small shack-style homes like servants' quarters.

• Tobacco spittoon- represents again how wealthy Joe is.

• Head rag- Joe makes Janie wear a head rag while she works the store.  It is a symbol of ownership and protection so the men know Janie is his.

• Guitar- playful side of people.

• Muck- place in Florida where plants are grown; every culture blends

• Overalls- working side

• Janie's long braid- freedom, love to Tea Cake

• Packet of seeds- new life, birth; remembrance; call in her horizon at the end

• Fish- sharing relationship
• Checkers- Janie's equality
• Booker T/Mrs. Turner- racism within a race 

• Hurricane- God's almighty power

• Rabid dog- sign of changing life

• Color blue- Tea Cake and Janie's proof of love

• Tea Cake/ Janie's house- magnet of the community, place of pleasure