Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God: Chapters 11–12 | SparkNotes
Headings: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
Chapters 11–12
Summary: Chapter 11
Summary: Chapter 12
Analysis: Chapters 11–12
Their Eyes Were Watching God (SparkNotes Literature Guide Series)
Popular pages: Their Eyes Were Watching God
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Content: In this case, Nanny was the victim of slavery and Janie, in turn, was the victim of the mindset that Nanny’s experience shaped in Nanny. Here, we see that large forces, such as cultural forces and environmental circumstances, not particular people, are the sources of pain. Janie’s newfound sympathy for her grandmother represents another step toward attaining her goal: she now sees from where she has come and why she was unhappy with Jody. She realizes that her quest is a spiritual one, searching for more than mere materialism. It is significant that all of these revelations come in the course of conversation; Hurston maintains her emphasis on speech interaction. Janie’s quest for self-discovery is literally a quest to find her own voice. Thus, it is important to note her description of Tea Cake’s meaning to her: “ He done taught me the maiden language all over.”