Their Eyes were Watching God---Chapters 1-5

The first five chapter of Their Eyes were Watching God was a little difficult to get into the story during the first few pages.  After the first chapter I began to find in easier to read but I also found the writing strange and different.  The novels that I usually read are linear and this book is non-linear so far.  The book bounces around from Nanny’s story, to present day, and to Janie’s past.  While there is character development, the development seems different from what I am used to.  I do think the book is, so far, compelling and hooks the reader into the narrative.  It took a few pages to get into the style of the dialogue that the characters are talking in.  The dialogue reminded me of Huckleberry Finn because it’s that southern dialogue.  I will admit that it took me a few pages to figure out the main character was black.  I did not figure it out until the main character mentions her skin color in one of her early childhood stories. 

So far in only the first five chapters I can already see the tension of the old south and the new south.  The grandma is trying to marry off her granddaughter so that she will have a stable home, not for love.  Janie does not want to marry because she would rather look up at the pear tree.  The book mentions slavery and how towns are being made with only blacks.  Joe takes this opportunity and further establishes a town.  However, now the tension of black folk bossing around other blacks seems to make tensions rise.  It’s no longer a problem of skin color, but rather of wealth and who has the power.