Janie Mae Crawford – Janie, a beautiful mixed race
woman, is the protagonist throughout the novel.
She is very independent and quite stubborn at times; thus, she does not
like being told what to do. Janie
struggles with finding love and knowing the true meaning of love in the
story. She believes true love is out
there and stops at nothing to find it. After
two failed marriages, Janie finally finds the true meaning of love when she
marries Tea Cake. Janie is always
willing to try new things and meet new people; consequently, Janie appreciates
the freedom to do both. She does not
look at herself as better than anyone else and believes no one should look at
her in that way either.
Nanny Crawford – Nanny Crawford is Janie’s
grandmother. Nanny grew up in slavery
and believes that freedom equals wealth and identity. Nanny wants Janie to live the good life so
she arranges the marriage between Janie and Logan Killicks, a wealthy black
farmer. Nanny’s sense of security clashes
with Janie’s will to be independent.
Therefore, Nanny, who wants to see Janie married, ignores Janie’s
feelings and needs.
Leafy Crawford – Leafy Crawford, Janie’s mother,
who is born before the Civil War ends.
Leafy runs away immediately after she gives birth to Janie; consequently,
Janie is raised by her grandmother.
Janie never meets her mother.
Logan Killicks – Logan Killicks, a black farmer who
owns 60 acres, is Janie’s first husband.
Janie’s Nanny arranges the wedding, and forces Janie to marry Logan
Killicks, not for love but for security.
Logan Killicks is old and ugly and after showing Janie some affection
right after marriage, he wants to control and dominate her. Once Nanny dies, Janie, having no love for
Logan, realizes that Logan is using her, so she leaves.
Joe Starks – Joe, or Jody Starks, is Janie’s
second husband. She runs off with him
when her first husband, Logan Killicks, takes her for granted and does not satisfy
her. Jody is a businessman who is very
power hungry. He loves being in control;
thus, when he becomes mayor of Eatonville, Jody feels only his opinion
counts. Because of this, Jody treats
Janie like an object that lacks intelligence and the ability to make decisions. Janie and Jody are both stubborn and want to
have control. Two people cannot be in
control in a relationship so the spark between Jody and Janie is lost.
Tea Cake – Vergible Woods, better known as Tea Cake, is Janie’s third husband, but her one true love. Tea Cake is much younger than Janie but age does not seem to matter in this relationship. They both love each other dearly and seem willing to do anything for each other. Tea Cake respects Janie and does not try to change her. He lets her be herself. Tea Cake is constantly teaching and showing Janie new things in life and gives her the life she has always wanted.
Tea Cake – Vergible Woods, better known as Tea Cake, is Janie’s third husband, but her one true love. Tea Cake is much younger than Janie but age does not seem to matter in this relationship. They both love each other dearly and seem willing to do anything for each other. Tea Cake respects Janie and does not try to change her. He lets her be herself. Tea Cake is constantly teaching and showing Janie new things in life and gives her the life she has always wanted.
Mr. and Mrs. Washburn – Mr. and Mrs. Washburn are Nanny’s employers
once she becomes a free woman. Nanny
lives with Janie in a house in the Washburn’s backyard. The Washburns’ help raise Janie along with
their own children.
Johnny Taylor – Johnny is the first boy Janie
kisses. Kissing Johnny leads to Nanny forcing
Janie to marry Logan Killicks because he is a more respectable man.
Amos Hicks – Amos Hicks is one of the first
people to meet Janie and Jody in Eatonville.
He first thinks that Janie is Jody’s daughter upon their arrival and
tries to get her attention.
Pheoby Watson – Pheoby Watson is Janie’s closest
friend in Eatonville. Pheoby always
sticks by Janie’s side when the townspeople start talking. She is the audience for Janie’s story and
stands up for Janie when people start gossiping about her.
Sam Watson – Sam Watson is married to Janie’s
best friend Pheoby. Sam provides great
wisdom and humor during the many porch talks that occur in Eatonville on the
porch of Joe Starks’ store.
Hezekiah Potts – Hezekiah Potts is the assistant
shopkeeper and delivery boy at Joe Starks’ store in Eatonville.
Matt Boner – Matt Boner is a resident of
Eatonville who owns a very bad tempered mule.
The men in Eatonville accuse Matt Boner of mistreating the mule. After the mule runs away, Matt Boner sells it
to Joe Starks.
Daisy Blunt – Daisy Blunt is a very pretty young
woman that all the men admire in Eatonville.
Annie Tyler – Annie Tyler is a wealthy widow from
Eatonville. She runs away to Tampa with
Who Flung, a much younger man. After Who
Flung takes all her money and leaves, Annie returns to Eatonville and dies.
Who Flung – A man who promises to marry Annie
Tyler but instead, takes her to Tampa, takes all her money, and leaves.
Lige Moss – An Eatonville resident who talks on
the porch of Joe’s store to Sam Watson about why men stay away from hot stoves.
Hambo and Lum – Two men who help at Joe Starks’
store
Rev and Mrs. Pearson – Eatonville’s pastor and his wife
Lee Coker and Tony
Taylor –Residents of
Eatonville who Joe Starks hires to build his store.
Sim Jones, Jeff Bruce,
and Oscar Scott –
Eatonville residents
Mrs. Bogle – An old woman who lives in
Eatonville
Pearl Stone, Lulu Moss,
and Mrs. Sumpkin –
Women from Eatonville who love to gossip
Henry Pitts – An Eatonville resident who Joe
Starks runs out of town for stealing.
Joe Lindsay and Jim
Stone – Two
customers at Joe Starks’ store.
Charlie Jones and Jim
Weston – Two men who
try to romantically pursue Daisy Blunt
Mrs. Robbins – A woman who comes to Joe Starks’
store and begs for food for her and her family
Steve Mixon – A customer who comes to Joe Starks’
store and buys tobacco
Ike Green – A man who makes advances toward
Janie after Joe Starks dies
Mr. and Mrs. Turner – Mr. and Mrs. Turner run a small
restaurant in the Everglades. Mrs.
Turner looks down on African Americans and believes that she is much too good
for them. Mrs. Turner adores Janie
because of her Caucasian features and cannot believe she is with an African
American man like Tea Cake. Mrs. Turner
believes that Janie is too good for Tea Cake, so she tries to set Janie up with
her brother. Tea Cake does not like Mrs.
Turner one bit and tells Janie not to talk to her anymore.
Motor Boat – Motor Boat is one of Tea Cake and
Janie’s good friends in the Everglades.
When a hurricane comes, he flees with Tea Cake and Janie to an abandoned
house on higher ground. Motor Boat stays
in the abandoned house while Tea Cake and Janie continue on in search of a
safer place to stay. Motor Boat survives
the hurricane and is reunited with Tea Cake and Janie upon their return.
Dr. Simmons – Dr. Simmons is a well known white
doctor in the muck who tells Janie that Tea Cake has rabies. He also testifies in defense of Janie at her
murder trial.
Nunkie – Nunkie is a girl in the Everglades
who is constantly flirting with Tea Cake and causing Janie to feel extremely
jealous. Tea Cake reassures Janie that
he only loves her. After Tea Cake
professes his love to Janie, Nunkie is never mentioned again in the story.
Mrs. Samuels – Tea Cake and Janie’s landlady in
Jacksonville
Stew Beef, Ed Dockery,
Sop-de-Bottom, Coodemay, ‘Lias, Bootnyny, Sterrett, and Muck-Boy – Workers and friends of Tea Cake
and Janie in the Everglades
Mr. Prescott – The prosecuting attorney at Janie’s
trial in the Everglades.