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The hurricane symbolizes the all-powerful force of nature, which trumps even the most intense exertions of power by humans, such as Jody's abusive need for control, or Mrs. Turner's sense of racial hierarchy, or Tea Cake's physical strength. While the pear tree, also a symbolic element in nature, symbolizes the idea of harmony – between humans and nature, between sex and love – the hurricane symbolizes the senselessness of nature and its ultimate disregard for human needs. It is during the novel's climactic hurricane scene that Janie, Tea Cake and Motor Boat contemplate the existence of God most explicitly for the first time in the novel, questioning his existence and whether or not he even cares about humans if he does, in fact, exist.
The Hurricane Quotes in Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Their Eyes Were Watching God quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Hurricane. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 18
Quotes
The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.
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Chapter 19
Quotes
Tea Cake was lying with his eyes closed and Janie hoped he was asleep. He wasn't. A great fear had took hold of him. What was this thing that set his brains fire and grabbed at his throat with iron fingers? Where did it come from and why did it hang around him?
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Get the entire Their Eyes Were Watching God LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Hurricane Symbol Timeline in Their Eyes Were Watching God
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Hurricane appears in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 18
...where they're going. The Indians reply that they're going to higher ground, explaining that a hurricane is coming. Fear about the potential hurricane buzzes through the muck as more Indians continue...
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...some friends over, all of whom decide to remain in the muck despite the oncoming hurricane, and they begin to celebrate – eating, singing and dancing as other town dwellers continue...
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...Cake and Janie's home to seek shelter in their own homes. The arrival of the hurricane is intensely violent, marked by "screaming wind…crashing…things hurtling and dashing with unbelievable velocity." Janie, Tea...
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