their eyes were watching god Ending

The novel their eyes were watching god is meant to be inspiring but uninfluenced by politics and race. Throughout the entire story, there is a lack of white characters and their only role in the story is to progress a couple minor ideas. It seems to me that Janie's story is not supposed to be interpreted as a confrontation of African American life, but just as an experience she has had; She is not reborn into a new life because the experience is over and her life doesn't revolve around this singular experience like in most other "hero" novels. As the curtains close in the final pages, it is less like her story is finished but rather waiting to be continued. From her experiences, she has objectively not received massive life changes except her own independence as a person (Of course, losing Tea Cake cannot be completely ignored but to me his main role was to help Janie realize her independence).

One important aspect of the story is the romance that Janie is involved in. Each man she marries can be seen as a trial she must face before fully understanding herself and finally achieving peace. Although she rejects two of the men, the reason is not because of race or politics, but because of her own inability to love them. This fits into the idea that politics and society do not constantly influence the thoughts of African Americans. Instead of revolving the story around the hardships of Janie's life due to slavery and racism, Hurston puts the emphasis of the story onto "common life" and love. I think this ultimately shows that Hurston's point in writing this novel was not to make a point against the unfair roles in society, but to show that change can come from one's self.