Final answer:
Tea Cake bites Janie in Chapter 17 of 'Their Eyes Were Watching God,' but the provided passages do not contain information about this incident or the novel.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Chapter 17 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the surprising thing that Tea Cake does to Janie is that he bites her. Unfortunately, the passage provided does not contain the relevant information to answer why Tea Cake bites Janie or the rationale behind his action as it does not pertain to the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. To provide an accurate and responsible answer, the correct context from the novel by Zora Neale Hurston should be considered.