While reading the book, I couldn't figure out where the title came from until I reached the hurricane scene with Janie and Tea Cake on page 160. In this incredibly vivid scene, they strain their eyes (and their souls) desperately wanting to know what will happen to them.
"They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." -160
Hurston has a way of saying a lot in a few simple words. This phrase, appearing also as the title, shows that Janie is a product of her experiences and surroundings. The struggles in her life, and failing relationships were out of her hands. In reading about her experiences up to that scene, I get the feeling Janie knew she was intended for greater purposes and she always had some hope in the future. In a sense, she was always 'watching God', or being a spectator- observing the events that occured in her life, knowing there was only so much that she could control. Janie is always seeking something greater, and is fixated on her ideals (love, equality, understanding). She seems equally focused on this greater power, wanting to know what He has in her future.
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