Pheoby Watson is Janie's closest friend in Eatonville, and repeatedly defends Janie against the mean-spirited gossip of the townspeople. Pheoby is the character who listens to Janie tell her story – the body of the novel – and in this way, is the character in the novel who most actively recognizes Janie's newfound capacity for self-expression.
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Pheoby Watson Character Timeline in Their Eyes Were Watching God
The timeline below shows where the character Pheoby Watson appears in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...a place she called home. The townspeople, the woman's former neighbors, are sitting together on Pheoby Watson's porch and speculate about why the woman might be returning to town by herself...
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Interrupting the judgmental gossiping of the other townspeople, Pheoby Watson identifies herself as the woman's best friend, and notes with surprise that even she...
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Pheoby brings Janie a small plate of dinner and compliments Janie on still looking so young...
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Chapter 6
Meanwhile, outside on the porch, Pheoby's husband Sam Watson and fellow townspeople argue about the question of nature versus nurture –...
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Chapter 8
...store and refuses to eat the food she prepares for him. In conversation with Janie, Pheoby Watson reveals the fact that people throughout Eatonville believe Janie has been attempting to poison...
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Chapter 9
...nevertheless not ready to accept any man's attempt to be with her: she explicitly tells Pheoby that she is happy being independent, and even confesses that she doesn't care if the...
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Chapter 12
...appearance together at the town picnic, Janie becomes the object of the town's judgmental gossiping. Pheoby's husband Sam Watson speculates to his wife that Tea Cake must be using Janie for...
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Pheoby approaches Janie and warns her of her status as the object of the town's gossip,...
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Janie tells Pheoby that Tea Cake is not comparable to Jody Starks, and that she wants to escape...
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Chapter 20
At this point, Janie concludes her story to Pheoby, telling her that she is satisfied to be home, as she has "been tuh the...
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