Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
- Lexile
- 1080L
- Grade range
- Grades 10–12
- Age range
- Ages 15–18
- Pages
- 193
- First published
- 1937
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780061120060
About this book
Janie Crawford, a Black woman in early 20th-century Florida, returns to her hometown and tells the story of her three marriages and her search for an independent life. Hurston's use of African American vernacular English and her portrayal of Janie's interior life were dismissed at publication and celebrated in later decades. Now a staple of AP Literature and 11th-grade American Literature courses.
Themes
- African American womanhood
- marriage and autonomy
- voice and silence
- love
- Black folk culture
Content notes
- domestic violence
- racial slurs (historical context)
- death and grief
Common Sense Media recommends age 14+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
- recommended· 11th gradesource: AP Lit representative text list
- recommended· 11th gradesource: AP Lit summer-reading expectation — rising AP Lit student
- recommended· 11th grade · Floridasource: Miami-Dade AP Lit frequently taught text (FL setting)
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 11th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 11-CCR exemplar
- recommended· 11th grade · Georgiasource: Georgia Standards of Excellence grade 11 aligned reading
- recommended· 11th grade · Illinoissource: Illinois Learning Standards grade 11 aligned reading
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is Their Eyes Were Watching God?
- Their Eyes Were Watching God is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 10–12, with a Lexile measure of 1080L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Their Eyes Were Watching God?
- Their Eyes Were Watching God has a Lexile measure of 1080L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign Their Eyes Were Watching God?
- Their Eyes Were Watching God appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Their Eyes Were Watching God banned in schools?
- Their Eyes Were Watching God has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (FL) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does Their Eyes Were Watching God explore?
- Central themes in Their Eyes Were Watching God include African American womanhood, marriage and autonomy, voice and silence, love, Black folk culture. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.