Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapters 2 & 3 Summary

Chapter 2 Janie is raised by her grandmother, Nanny. She never meets her mother or father. Janie and Nanny live in a house in the backyard of a white couple, Mr. and Mrs. Washburn. She plays with the Washburns’ children and thinks that she herself is white until she sees a photograph of herself. The children at the black school make fun of Janie for living in a white couple’s backyard and tease her about her derelict parents.

Chapter 2 Con’t The children often remind Janie that Mr. Washburn’s dogs hunted her father down after he got her mother pregnant, but they do not tell Janie that her father wanted to marry her mother. Nanny eventually buys some land and a house because she thinks that having their own place will be better for Janie.

Chapter 2 Con’t When Janie is 16, she often sits under a blossoming pear tree, deeply moved by the images of springtime. One day, she kisses a local boy named Johnny Taylor. Nanny catches Janie with Johnny and decides to marry Janie off to Logan Killicks, a wealthy middle-aged farmer. She wants to see Janie in a secure situation, which Logan Killicks can provide, before she dies. Nanny says that black women are the mules of the world and that she doesn’t want Janie to be a mule.

Janie complains, and Nanny tells her about all the hardship she has experienced. Nanny was born into slavery. She was raped by her master and, a week after her daughter Leafy was born, her master went to fight during the last days of the Civl War. The master’s wife was furious to see that Leafy had gray eyes and lgith hair, meaning she was obviously her husband’s daughter. The master’s wife (the “mistress”) planned to have Nanny whipped and to sell Leafy once she was a month old.

Chapter 2 Con’t Nanny escaped with her baby, Leafy, and the two hid in the swamps until the war was over. Afterward, Nanny began working for the Washburns. Her dreams of a better life for Leafy ended when Leafy was raped by her school teacher. After Leafy gave birth to Janie, Leafy went out drinking every night and eventually ran off. Nanny transferred all of her hopes to Janie.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapter 3 Their Eyes Were Watching God

Chapter 3 As Janie prepares for her marriage to Logan, she understands that she doesn’t love him but assumes that after she gets married, love will come naturally, as Nanny has been telling her. The wedding is a big, festive party, but two months later, Janie visits Nanny to ask for advice; she is afraid that she will never love Logan. Nanny berates Janie for not appreciating Logan’s wealth and status. She tells Janie that she will eventually love Logan. After Janie leaves, Nanny prays to God to care for Janie. A month later, Nanny dies. A year passes, and Janie still feels no love for Logan.