Cast of Characters- Laurel Blanchard

Janie Crawford: Protagonist of the novel. She is strong, witty, and independent. Janie was raised by her grandmother, who she refers to as “Nanny.” Her father was never in the picture, and her mother took off shortly after Janie’s birth. Janie flaunts her long, flowing, beautiful black hair which serves as a symbol of her free spirit. Janie has a good heart and is curious mind about the world in which she lives.

Nanny Crawford: Janie’s grandmother. Nanny’s previous experience as a slave gave her “thick skin” which she hopes to pass on to Janie. She is rather strict, but all because she has high expectations for her granddaughter. She did her best to instill virtues and confidence in Janie.

Johnny Taylor: Janie’s first kiss. Their relationship stops there, however, when Nanny witnesses the kiss and harshly scolds Janie for it.
Pheoby Watson: Janie’s close friend from Eatonville. She is a listening ear and has Janie’s back when the neighbors start speaking poorly of her. She is an honest, down to earth friend who would do anything for Janie.

Logan Killicks: Janie’s first of three husbands. Logan comes from a respectable family in town, which Nanny valued and arranged the marriage of Logan and Janie. Unfortunately, Janie never had true love for Logan and wound up leaving him for a different man.

Jody Starks: Janie’s second husband. What seemed to be true love at first was proved to be everything but in the end. Jody turns out to be a conceited, selfish man with a love of power. He was uninterested in Janie’s well being as a person and never showed her true love and respect.

Tea Cake (Vergible) Woods: Janie’s third husband, and first true love. He sweeps Janie away with his caring heart and fresh personality. Although he is twelve years younger than Janie is, they hit it off and have a loving relationship. Tea Cake’s devotion, respect, and complete adoration for Janie become forgotten, though, when he later gets sick and becomes violent towards her before he suffers a tragic death.

Hezekiah Potts: An employee at Jody’s shop and a friend of Janie’s.

Nunkie: A short-lived character in the story, Nunkie is a girl in the Everglades who loves to flirt with Tea Cake. Janie becomes very jealous of Nunkie, but Tea Cake reassures her that nothing is going on between the two of them.

Dr. Simmons: A well respected doctor in the Everglades who comes to Janie’s help when Tea Cake is deathly ill.

Motor Boat: A friend of Tea Cake and Janie in the Everglades. Motor Boat begins the flee from the hurricane with Tea Cake and Janie, but later stays in an abandoned house until the storm passes.

Sop-De-Bottom: Tea Cake’s friend, and seems to disapprove of Janie when he speaks against her in the murder trial.