By the end, Ben has lost the case in Eudora, lost his relationships with Jacob and Elizabeth, and even lost some respect for President Roosevelt. But worry not—he's amply rewarded for heading down South to try to fight racism when his wife, Meg, greets him with open arms. She'd been planning on leaving him, but she changes her tune just in time to welcome him home from his harrowing journey down South.
It's a kind of problematic ending. Ben gets to escape racism, to return to safety while Moody and the rest of the Black people living in the Quarter are left with little to show for his visit. Sure the White Raiders were brought to trial, but they got off. Is there maybe a glimmer of hope anyway for the Black residents of Eudora? Sure—but that pales in comparison to the warmth and safety that greets Ben at the end. To explore this further, check out Ben and Abraham's pages in the "Characters" section.