Setting and Location- Eatonville, Florida

"Whut is de real name of de place?"
"Some say West Maitland and some say Eatonville..."(36)

In chapter five, Janie and her husband move to a new town, Eatonville, Florida. No white people live in this town; it is settled and lead by blacks only. In my last post, I discussed how growing up in an all- black town influenced Hurston's personality, and the way in which Hurston's writing was never focused on racism. The fact that the setting for Their Eyes Were Watching God is also an all- black town allows her to do write about issues other than race, making the setting of Eatonville, Florida crucial to the novel. (I swear, I'm talking about something different in this post, it just connects with my first one! Bear with me...)
Janie's husband Joe is very interested in this all-black town he had heard about, and upon arrival, he immediately assumes leadership responsibilities. After expanding the acreage of the town with his own money and founding the first store, he is appointed Mayor. As Paavan mentions in his Characterization post, Joe becomes power-hungry: "No sooner was he all set as the Mayor- post master-landlord-storekeeper, than he bought a desk like Mr. Hill or Mr. Galloway over in Maitland with one of those swing- around chairs to it. What with him biting down on cigars and saving his breath on talk and swinging round in that chair, it weakened people"(47). Joe has assumed all main leadership roles of the town, and begins to flaunt it with his large desk and cigars; Hurston says he makes others feel weak.
This characterization of Joe Starks is made possible by the setting of the story. He would never be allowed to gain such power in a white society. While his need for power was most likely there before moving to Eatonville (he probably moved there because of his power- seeking proclivities), we would never have seen it in action if he was not allowed to take control. Later on beyond chapter five, we see how Joe's power begins to influence his marriage with Janie, and how she begins to feel trapped by her very own husband. By having the novel take place in an all-black community, Hurston can tell a story about human problems- the problems of Janie and her powerful husband Joe Starks- without discussing racial problems.