Ta-daaaa. Here is the list of symbols Honors Purples found in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God.
- Trees/Roots- African people without any roots
- Pear tree- Janie's budding womanhood, coming of age
- Mule- the black woman's experience. She does the worst jobs for white people and black man. She gets "walked on." Logan buys Janie a mule to represent how 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/Road- Related to the metaphor at the beginning. The Gate is the shore and the Road represents the waves as Janie looks down the road to find a new dream. Opportunity.
- The New Horizon- Janie is constantly looking over the gatepost, down the road, to a new horizon (a dream or new start).
- Eatonville General Store- Represents the center of this first all-black town
- Illumination of the lamp post represents the start of a new all-black town. It also shows that Joe Starks is omnipotent and likes other 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 smaller shack-style homes like servants' quarters.
- Tobacco spittoon- This represents again how wealthy Joe is.
- Guitar- playful side of people
- Overalls- Working side of people
- Janie's hair hanging down represents her freedom
- Janie's hair rag represents her bond and acquiescence to Joe Starks
- The color blue represents a compromise between Janie and Tea Cake
- Checkers- Janie's equality with Tea Cake (didn't have that with Joe)
- Packet of seeds- rebirth, new life, remembrance, rejuvenation
- Fish- sharing of relationship
- Muck- the dirt represents working class, becoming rich, growth
- Hurricane- God's almighty power
- Rabid dog- when good happens, life changes
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