Major Characters:

Janie Crawford- The novel is the story of Janie's coming to self-awareness, living her life according to her own purpose. At the beginning of the novel, she decides to tell her story to her friend, Pheoby, knowing full well that the town of Eatonville will be wanting to know why she has arrived back home by herself, a middle-aged woman wearing overalls and tying her long hair in a great rope. Janie's story charts her life from her earliest awareness of family and race through three lives, or marriages, where she tries out various methods of living. Janie is a woman determined to live up to her high level of awareness and her loftiest vision of what a human life should be. As her life goes on, she becomes happily more self-determined.

Joe Starks- Janie's second husband, Joe Starks, is a very hard-working, and the mayor; during the course of the novel, he becomes a significant founder of Eatonville. Joe had created a vision that he felt was necessary for the people to live upon. He is a big man with big ideas. He is charismatic at first, but also stubborn, hypocritical, and demeaning. He turns suspicious of Janie, and dies without ever coming to grips with their failed relationship.

Tea Cake- Janie's third husband, Tea Cake, is a free-spirit. He is in his twenties, about fifteen years younger than Janie. Tea Cake has no family and not much history. He is the first man to value Janie as a real person with desires of her own. He works and plays hard, being both a gambler and a jokester. Tea Cake's philosophy of living involves taking things as they come and gaining as much pleasure from life as possible.

Minor Characters:

Nanny Crawford-  Janie’s grandmother. Nanny’s experience as a slave made her feel/realize that the world is only based upon money, respect, and hierarchy. These values clash with Janie’s independence and desire to experience the world, though Janie comes to respect Nanny’s values and decisions as well intended.

Pheoby Watson-  Janie’s best friend in Eatonville. Pheoby stood up for Janie as she was talked about among many of the townspeople. She is the audience for Janie’s story because she usually listens to Janie rather than talk or make a big impact.

Logan Killicks-  Janie’s first husband. Nanny arranges Janie’s marriage to Logan because he has money and he knows how to love a woman. Logan pampers Janie for a year before he tries to make her help him with the farming work. After that Janie ran to Joe Starks because Logan made her feel unloved


Johnny Taylor-  The young man that Janie kissed by the gate and forced Nanny to make Janie marry Logan because he is socially respectable.

Leafy Crawford-  Janie’s mother. Leafy was born shortly before the end of the Civil War and ran away after giving birth to Janie.


Amos Hicks-  A resident of Eatonville, Florida. Hicks is one of the first people to meet Janie and Jody but desperately calls for Janie's affection.