Janie May Crawford: independent; married three times; naive and youthful; resents her Grandmother (Nanny); attractive; beautiful; intelligent; has internal strength; individual; never had children; finds out she is black by a picture; children in plantation call her "alphabet" because she has so many names; Nanny tells her she will find love once she marries.
             Nanny: has a daughter named Leafy, who was the mother of Janie; has sexual relationship with the owner of the plantation; his wife finds out, and Leafy and Nanny hide in the woods to run away; this is how she becomes "Leafy"; teaches that love will be shelter and protection; foil character; the reason Janie marries Logan Killicks.
             Logan Killicks: old man; wants Janie for sex and work; Janie leaves him because he wants to work her to death.
             Joe Starks: about ten years older than Janie; smart, but empty and vain; wants Janie for a prize on his arm; politician and snappy dresser; takes Janie to Eatonville, Florida, with him and becomes the mayor; doesn't let Janie do anything independent; makes her put her hair in a rag because he is very protective and jealous; slaps her so hard that she loses her image of him; Janie keeps the best part of herself hidden away while with him; she embarrasses him in front of the townspeople; he dies of a liver sickness; he loves her, but can never show it.
             Tea Cake: loves Janie because he needs someone to love; teaches her to drive, fish, play checkers, etc.; Janie works side-by-side with him because he doesn't make her like Joe has; Janie shoots him because he has rabies.
             Pheobe: Janie's best friend; anchor of story; part of chorus; listens to Janie's story.
             Janie is raised by her grandmother on a white plantation in Georgia, and, until seeing a photograph of herself, she has always assumed that she is white. She loves her Grandmother, but, after her Grandmother's death, she realizes that she actually d
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