What is the meaning behind the title Their Eyes Were Watching God?

The title is drawn from a passage in the book. One of the most powerful scenes involves the hurricane. As the storm rages outside the fragile shanty, Janie and others are trapped helplessly inside, knowing that their neighbors are in the same situation. At this point, they have no alternative but to wait for it to pass and hope that the damage it inflicts is not too severe. After the fierce wind whips through and extinguishes the lights, they can only sit in darkness. All too aware of their meager power, they internally question what God has in store for them.

They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.

The notion that the people are watching God reverses the convention idea that God watches over humans. While acknowledging their powerlessness in this particular situation, the narrator suggests that humans are aware of both the extent and the limitations of God’s power. Rather than say that they are powerless, Hurston uses the phrase “puny might,” an oxymoron. The human condition requires careful balance between knowing when action is futile, or even dangerous—as venturing outside in a hurricane would be—and when even small, or puny, steps can have a positive impact.