TEWWG Chapters 14-17

1. How is the conversation between Sop-de-Bottom and Tea Cake on pages 148-149 important to understanding the rest of Chapter 17? [RL.5]

• 1. It shows Tea Cake’s kindness in sticking up for Mrs. Turner later.

• It illustrates how Tea Cake’s controlling nature toward Janie.

• 1. It highlights how close to danger Mrs. Turner’s brother was.

• 1. It implies the brawl in the Turners’ restaurant was set up.

1. Reread the passage from page 139.

“For instance during the summer when she heard the subtle but compelling rhythms of the Bahaman drummers,
she’d walk over and watch the dances. She did not laugh the ‘Saws’ to scorn as she had heard the people doing in the season.”

How does this passage contribute to Janie’s character development? [RL.3]

• 1. It shows Janie is no longer influenced by society’s ideas of dignified behavior.

• It shows Janie has deep-seated resentment toward society’s influence.

• It shows Janie’s actions are still governed by society’s ideas of class.

• It shows Janie has separate inside and outside selves.

1. Which detail from the text best expresses the difference in Janie’s life after marrying Tea Cake? [RL.1]

• “Janie fussed around the shack making a home while Tea Cake planted beans.” (130)

• 1. “The house was full of people every night. That is, all around the doorstep was full.” (133)

• “Only here, she could listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted to.” (134)

• 1. “The sight of the fields and the other happy people was too much for her that day.” (137)

1. On page 132, Hurston writes, “Tea Cake’s house was a magnet, the unauthorized center of the ‘job.’” Which character trait of Tea Cake’s is emphasized in this detail? [RL.3]

• 1. his domineering nature

• 1. his authority

• 1. his humility

• 1. his charm

1. Janie’s clothes have had significance throughout the different stages in her life. Re-read the passage below from page 134. What do Janie’s new clothes symbolize? [RL.4]

“Sometimes Janie would think of the old days in the big white house and the store and laugh to herself.
What if Eatonville could see her now in her blue denim overalls and heavy shoes?”

• 1. her desire to be a part of the community

• 1. her status as a wealthy widow

• 1. her quest for romantic love

• 1. her hardships as a woman