what is the significance of the title Their Eyes Were Watching God

The line for the title occurs during the hurricane. At this point in the novel we are introduced to the major conflict of Man vs. Nature. This conflict proves once again that man can't win. In this conflict Tea Cake tries to outsmart, outrun and outwit nature, but in the end Nature wins by ultimately proving fatal.

It is also representative of the folkloric nature of Hurston's writing. They speak of god as Ol' Massa and relate to him in a narrative story like fashion. This shows her anthropological background where she studied the way uneducated African Americans used story telling to help them understand the world because that was the only way they knew. This took them back to their roots.

It could be different things. But one interpretation is this: Free will is not real, only God’s will matters. In the book we read that "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." Looking into darkness it seems that their destiny is not light. They look towards God because only His will matters. So you could argue that Janie is not to be praised or pitied. It's all God.

what is the significant od their eyes were watching god

The line for the title occurs during the hurricane. At this point in the novel we are introduced to the major conflict of Man vs. Nature. This conflict proves once again that man can't win. In this conflict Tea Cake tries to outsmart, outrun and outwit nature, but in the end Nature wins by ultimately proving fatal.

It is also representative of the folkloric nature of Hurston's writing. They speak of god as Ol' Massa and relate to him in a narrative story like fashion. This shows her anthropological background where she studied the way uneducated African Americans used story telling to help them understand the world because that was the only way they knew. This took them back to their roots. I don't think that this really represents the folkloric nature of Hurston's writing.

Hurston brings this line when Tea Cake, Janie and their friends seem to battle with the nature in chapter 18. As it is very hard to win over the nature, when the lights go out, the storm is violently in action they seem to stare at the dark. Why "dark" first of all, this tells us that they were such hopeless or had no power to control the unbecoming atmosphere. "Their eyes were watching God", this explains thats their only answer or solution could be coming from God, only God could rescue them, as he has power over everything.