Final answer:
The author portrays Hurston's childhood town, Eatonville, as a symbol of both success and failure for her, showing how it represented her aspirations and influenced her personality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author portrays Hurston's childhood town, Eatonville, as a symbol of both success and failure for her. This is evident through multiple accounts of Eatonville being a well-established Black community with a booming economy, where her father was elected mayor. It represented all that Hurston wanted to become in life and helped develop her independent personality. Additionally, living in Eatonville taught Hurston the meaning of freedom and oppression.