Cast of Characters

Hurston's well-developed characters make Their Eyes an incredibly realistic read. Here, you'll find a breakdown of each character's role and significance in the plot.

Protagonist – Janie
Janie is the character whom the entirety of the story revolves around. Every character in the story comes into contact with Janie, if not directly, through a close friend or her husband. All other characters come and go, but Janie is in every chapter of the book.

Antagonist – Joe
Joe was the man who held Janie back. He loved her at first but that quickly changed and instead he became simply jealous of her. He kept her from doing things she wanted to do and instead used her almost as a slave in some ways. She had no life of her own when Joe was alive, that is why when this character finally died it was a joyous time for Janie.

Round Character – Tea Cake
Although he comes into the story midway, he is well developed very quickly. He quickly becomes the center of attention and we learn all about his life. He is a gambler, and good at it. He is low class but is willing to live upper class around Janie. He is always looking for adventure.

Flat Character – Pheoby
We don’t learn a lot about Pheoby, but we do learn that she is an honest woman who trusts her friend. Even after not seeing her friend for almost 2 years she still trusts Janie. We know from her conversations with Janie, also that she loves her husband as well, and trusts him.

Dynamic Character – Janie
In the middle of the story is when we see her begin to change. Joe has just died and now there is a young man named Tea Cake taking interest in her. He is adventurous, and awakens her adventurous side. She becomes a much freer spirited woman and never changes back to her old self, even after he dies. She says that he will never truly die until she does.

Static Character – Tea Cake
Although he changes in the end when he becomes violent, this is not a change he wanted but it came from his sickness. He always loves Janie. He always gambles. He always looks for adventure. He always attracts a crowd. His personality is unchanging throughout the entirety of the story.

Foil – Tea Cake
Tea Cake brings out the good traits of Janie. He makes her want to take a chance and risks. He is what helps her to become who she always needed and wanted to be. Tea Cake is the person who would encourage Janie, and teach her new things.