Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and Passing by Nella Larsen both feature black women as the main characters. Hurston's novel follows a woman named Janie throughout her life, while Larsen's novel follows Clare, a black woman who passes for white. The similarities continue until the end of each novel, since in each case a main character dies. In Hurston's case, Janie ends up killing her husband, Tea Cake. In Larsen's case, Clare dies under unclear circumstances. Looking at the differences between Clare's and Janie's choices and their outcomes, it can be argued that Janie was able to find peace in her life, while Clare left behind an unfulfilled life. If we view these works as part of a larger commentary, we can see that Clare's death serves as punishment for her attempts to erase her blackness, while Janie's peace serves as reward for embracing the sien.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie recognizes and embraces her darkness. This is the standard way she lives her life. Janie even recalls the first time she learned she was black, when she saw a photo of herself and the white children she was playing with: “Aw, aw! Ah, I’m colored,” [1] she remembers thinking. This part of her identity is constantly brought up as she tells her story to her friend Phoebe. At sixteen, she recalls, her nanny told her that black women were “world mules as far as the eye could see” (Hurston, 186). The three men Janie marries are all black, and she moves with Joe Starks to build Eatonville, a historic black town. Once Janie discovers her race, she is never shown questioning it or trying to hide her blackness. In contrast, Clare is presented in Passing as a white woman. In fact, until Irene tells the reader about Clare's background, she is considered white. Clare's introduction and storyline centers around her choosing to pass as white. Clare even discusses “passing” with Irene, saying, “I’ve often wondered why more colored girls…never “pass.” It’s a terribly easy thing to do” [2]. Throughout the novel, Clare slowly attempts to reintegrate into black society; however, its starting point is that of a black woman passing white. At the end of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is forced to shoot her husband, Tea Cake. He had contracted rabies and attempted to kill Janie, so she was forced to defend herself. Janie finds herself on trial for her murder; The jury is told they must decide whether Janie is guilty or whether "she is a poor broken creature, a devoted wife trapped in unfortunate circumstances who, by firing a rifle bullet into her late husband's heart, actually did a great act of mercy.” (Hurston, 329). The verdict will decide Janie's fate and effectively say whether or not Janie is a good wife or a murderer. After the hearing, the jury deliberates quickly and returns with a verdict of innocence. The jurors declare, "we find that the death of Vergible [Tea Cake] Woods was entirely accidental and justifiable, and that no blame should rest upon the defendant Janie Woods" (Hurston, 329). This verdict, coupled with the quick forgiveness Janie receives from Tea Cake's friends, exonerates Janie in all respects, leaving little room for questions about Janie's morality. In contrast, although Clare spends Passing attempting to rejoin black society through Irene, 25.