Which eyes looked at God? In the film Their Eyes Were Watching God, Oprah Winfrey manipulates the events that occurred in Zora Neale Hurston's book. Oprah transforms many relationships in the film Their Eyes Were Watching God. She changes the gender role and also changes Janie's strength of character. Oprah also changes the symbolism of the film, with some important symbols from the book being replaced with lesser roles. Oprah changes many important events in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God when she makes the film. In the book Their Eye's Were Watching God, Janie, the main character, has a weaker role. Oprah strengthens Janie's character when she directs the film. “Women are not only seen as the weaker sex but are fundamentally defined by their relationship to men” (Theme). In the book, Janie has the weakest role. When Oprah made the film, Janie's role increased significantly. Janie does things in the movie, like saving Tea-Cake from drowning. In the book, Janie actually needed to be saved from the floods, and Tea-Cake saved her. Oprah gives the impression that Janie's strength of character is much greater than in the book. In the film, Janie accompanies Jody to buy more land for the town. Zora Neale Hurston's version of this scene went a different way. Janie did not accompany Jody in the book when he went to buy land. Oprah strengthens Janie's character by making her feel like she has a role in decision-making. The book shows Janie as not being an equal, but Oprah changed that when making the film. When Oprah made the film, she changed some of Janie's relationships. Janie's relationship with Jody has changed and you can easily see it. “Janie, although she sometimes says what she thinks, is not very combative during their marriage. However, her caring nature does not allow her to rest while Joe is in his sickbed” (Janie). In the book, Janie just serves a purpose