Florence by Alice Childress Essays -- Florence Alice Childress Essays

Florence by Alice ChildressThis 1950 play by Alice Childress takes place in a train stationwaiting room in a very diminutive town in the south. The play describes howMiss Whitney, an old black woman, discovers that her premonition ofthe success of her daughter, Florence, as a black actress isundesirably similar to that of a racist, face cloth auberge. This troublingdiscovery has just as strong an impact on the reader as it does onMiss Whitney. This drama teaches the reader how the views and opinionsof individuals or groups back tooth cast other individuals or groups toapproach situations with the same reaction, although their views andopinions may be opposite. margarin, Miss Whitneys other daughter, first introduces this frame ofmind to as she accompanies Miss Whitney at the train station. They sitin the colored section of the train station while Miss Whitneyawaits a train to Harlem to convince Florence to come back habitation to thesouth. Florence fled to Harlem with ambition of being an actress.After she calls home to ask for money, Marge is convinced thatFlorence will fail because she is a black woman attempting to make itin a business dominated by whites in a racially segregated society.Although Miss Whitney seems to have a little bit more faith inFlorence, she still wants to convince Florence to come back home. Theyeven have a check ready to pay for her trip home, which is causingthem to be late on their rent. This reveals to us that they arewilling to sacrifice a little in order to prevent Florence frompossibly failing in her quest for success. As Marge speaks to hermother she reveals her mentality in regards to Florences situation,She aint gonna get rich up there and we cant afford t... ...a powerful message. Before Miss Whitneysconversation with Mrs. Carter, she felt Florence wouldnt make it asan actress. After realizing that a racist white woman felt the sameway, Miss Whitney reevaluated her reasons for wanting Florence to comehome. Realizing he r reasons werent much different, she felt the bestthing to do is to encourage Florence to follow her dream no matter howhard it may be to achieve, rather than make her believe it wasimpossible, just as the white society wanted her to believe. Once thismessage is conveyed to the reader you cant help but look upon yourown past and wonder if youve ever been guilty of letting somebodyelses opinions influence what you believe is or isnt possible. Thisplay teaches us to be more open-minded as well as not being ahypocrite. This play is a masterpiece by Alice Childress to say theleast.