The climax of Their Eyes Were Watching God happens when Janie kills Tea Cake with the rifle. At this point, Tea Cake is very sick and acting crazy. He is accusing her of betraying him and is utterly paranoid. She finds a gun under his pillow and becomes increasingly afraid. When he later grabs the gun and attempts to shoot her, she retaliates with a rifle, shooting him in self-defense. This moment is important because Janie has stood up for herself and saved her life, even against the man she loved. This moment is a defining one for her character.
