The novel begins with Janie telling her dear friend, Pheoby, about what has happened in the years since she left Eatonville, along with reflections of her childhood. As the story proceeds chronologically, however, the story is not a first-person narrative. Hurston takes over the narrative with the use of third-person point of view. The reader encounters Janie's experiences as Janie faced them, yet Hurston controls the story.
