Mrs. Turner Character Analysis in Their Eyes Were Watching God

Mrs. Turner is Janie and Tea Cake's awkward looking and often disrespectful neighbor in the muck, who attempts to befriend Janie and alienates Tea Cake. Mrs. Turner repeatedly suggests that Janie go out with her brother, who she says is much better than Tea Cake because of his intelligence and lighter skin. Despite her own identity as a black woman, Mrs. Turner exhibits extremely racist attitudes against people of her own race, highlighting the often paradoxical and inexplicable nature of racism.

Mrs. Turner Quotes in Their Eyes Were Watching God

The Their Eyes Were Watching God quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Turner or refer to Mrs. Turner. 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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"Tain't de poorness, it's de color and de features. Who want any lil ole black baby layin' up in de baby buggy lookin' lak uh fly in buttermilk? Who wants to be mixed up wid uh rusty black man, and uh black woman goin' down de street in all dem loud colors, and whoopin' and hollerin' and laughin' over nothin'?"

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 141

Explanation and Analysis:

It was inevitable that she should accept any inconsistency and cruelty from her deity as all good worshippers do from theirs. All gods who receive homage are cruel. All gods dispense suffering without reason. Otherwise they would not be worshipped. Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear and fear is the most divine emotion. It is the stones for altars and the beginning of wisdom. Half gods are worshipped in wine and flowers. Real gods require blood.

Related Characters:

Page Number and Citation: 145

Explanation and Analysis:

Mrs. Turner Character Timeline in Their Eyes Were Watching God

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Turner appears in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Power, Judgment, and Jealousy Theme Icon

...muck and wait until next year. At this time, Janie becomes friends with her neighbor Mrs. Turner , a black woman with a notably awkward posture and gait. During one of her... (full context)

...inside to Tea Cake, she realizes that Tea Cake has heard her entire conversation with Mrs. Turner . Tea Cake expresses his hatred for Mrs. Turner, angered by her presumptuous invitation that... (full context)

After telling Janie that talking to Mr. Turner won't change Mrs. Turner 's behavior toward her, Tea Cake instructs Janie simply to act coldly toward Mrs. Turner... (full context)

...harvest season picks up, the muck becomes repopulated with both new and old faces, including Mrs. Turner 's infamous brother. Instantly jealous, Tea Cake preemptively whips Janie in order to make sure... (full context)

...(including Tea Cake, Dick Sterrett, Coodemay, Stew Beef, Sop-de-Bottom, Bootyny and Motor Boat) gather at Mrs. Turner 's restaurant to celebrate. Chaos breaks out when the drunk Dick Sterrett and Coodemay begin... (full context)

...to drink water, and is overwhelmed by paranoia, accusing Janie of cheating on him with Mrs. Turner 's brother when she goes to check whether or not his medicine has arrived. Janie... (full context)

...were wrong to abuse her as they did. As such, they turn their aggression to Mrs. Turner 's brother and run him out of town. The men beg Janie to stay in... (full context)

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Mrs. Turner Character Analysis

Mrs. Turner Quotes in Their Eyes Were Watching God

Mrs. Turner Character Timeline in Their Eyes Were Watching God

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