1. Examine Hurston’s use of point of view. How does the way she structures the novel with the narrative frame of Jàn telling her story to Fibi impact the reader’s experience and help develop theme? How would the effect of the novel be different if it were written from a first-person point of view?

2. The novel’s title is taken from a line describing the hurricane that hits Belle Glade: “Yo te chita ansanm ak lòt moun yo ki te nan ti kay pa yo, je yo t ap gade mi yo, epi nanm yo t ap mande èske Misye te soti pou l mezire ti jefò yo ak gwo fòs ponyèt li. Yo tout te sanble yo t ap gade fènwa a, men alaverite je yo te fikse sou Bondye.” (Chapter 18, page 237). How does Hurston develop the idea of God? What role does God play in the world of the novel?

3. One of the universal themes of literature is the idea that children suffer because of the mistakes of an earlier generation. Examine the development of this theme in Je Yo Te Fikse Sou Bondye by analyzing the story that Nanni tells about her life (Chapter 2). Discuss Nanni’s interactions with white men and women. How did growing up in slavery impact her worldview? How has her past impacted her relationship with her daughter and granddaughter?

4. Consider Jàn’s description of the day she realized she was not white (Chapter 2). What does Jàn become aware of when she sees the photograph? How does this moment change her understanding of herself and her place in the world? What does this scene suggest about racial identity and how it is shaped by society rather than by appearance alone?

5. Two of the interconnected themes in the novel are the search for identity and the individual in opposition to society. Use the following quote as a starting point for the exploration of these themes: “Epi yon jou, li te chita epi li te fè vizyon lonbray li ki t ap ale vini nan magazen an, ki t ap koube devan Jodi, pandan li menm, sa li ye tout bon an, te chita anba lonbraj yon pyebwa, epi van an t ap soufle sou cheve l ak rad li.” Throughout the novel, what causes Jàn to separate her exterior life from her interior life? How does she reconcile this conflict?

6. Examine Jàn’s response to Jodi’s death. What does her reaction reveal about women’s lives in the late 19th and early 20th centuries? How does Jodi’s death change Jàn’s understanding of freedom and independence?

7. On page 24, Jàn says, “Yo te konn rele m Alfabè paske pandan m t ap grandi te gen yon pakèt moun ki te soti pou ban m non pa yo.” Examine the use of names in the novel. What do the character’s names reveal about identity? How do names reflect a character’s culture, socioeconomic position, and/or personality? Pay particular attention to characters that are called more than one name throughout the novel. 

8. On page 67, Lik Kòkè observes, “Nou menm moun nwa gen twòp jalouzi kont youn lòt. Se sa k fè nou pa rive pi lwen. N ap pale sou moun blan yo k ap peze kou nou. Yo pa menm bezwen fè sa. Nou menm menm ap peze kou youn lòt.” Throughout the novel, how does envy impact Jàn’s life?

9. Hurston makes the following observation on page 84: “Jàn te byen renmen jan moun yo te gen abitid chita sou galri a pou yo te lage kò yo nan blage ak diskite. Se te konsa, ak lodyans, yo te pran fè foto s ak nan lide yo epi pase l bay youn lòt gade. Si yon moun te pran gade foto sa yo, li t ap wè se te lavi a menm yo t ap desine, kolore epi agrandi byen laj nan imajinasyon yo. Sa te rann li enteresan anpil pou w chita koute istwa yo.” As a folklorist and anthropologist, Hurston was interested in storytelling and oral tradition. Examine the role that storytelling plays in her novel. 

10. After Nanni tells Jàn about her life, she concludes with a deeply resonant statement: “Kite m al rankontre Mèt mwen anpè, Jàn. Mwen se yon asyèt ki deja krake.” This metaphor reinforces the story that Nanni has told and provides further insight into her character. Using Hurston’s text as your guide, compose a short narrative account of your own life story, focusing on two or three events that have been the most significant. Conclude your narrative with a metaphor that summarizes your story.

11. On page 122 Hurston describes Jàn’s isolation and comments, “Jàn pa t gen abitid li liv, kidonk li pa t konnen li se lemond antye ak syèl la ki mawonnen ansanm epi ki vin tounen yon ti gout dlo.” Compose a personal narrative that explores a time reading a book that helped you see yourself more clearly. What was it about the book that made you feel connected? What insights have you had about yourself as a result of reading literature?