Compare Janie’s three marriages. How does each relationship shape her understanding of herself? How does each advance her quest for the love she envisioned beneath the pear tree?

Discuss the different types of discourse in the novel. How do these versions of English add to characterization and play off each other?

Consider the novel’s structure. Why does Hurston relate Janie’s story in an embedded narrative? What does the narrative frame add to the reader’s experience of the novel?