Analysis of the play “Florence” by Alice Childress Essay

This 1950 play by Alice Childress takes place in a engage transport waiting room in a very small townspeople in the south. The play describes how Miss Whitney, an old black woman, discovers that her premonition of the mastery of her daughter, Florence, as a black actress is undesirably similar to that of a racist, albumin society. This troubling discovery has just as strong an impact on the reader as it does on Miss Whitney. This drama teaches the reader how the views and opinions of individuals or groups can influence other individuals or groups, although their views and opinions may be opposite, to plan of attack situations with the same reaction.Marge, Miss Whitneys other daughter, first introduces this frame of school principal to as she accompanies Miss Whitney at the train station. They sit in the colour section of the train station while Miss Whitney awaits a train to Harlem to convince Florence to come back home to the south. Florence fled to Harlem with ambition of be ing an actress. aft(prenominal) she calls home to ask for money, Marge is convinced that Florence will fail because she is a black woman attempting to make it in a business rule by whites in a racially segregated society. Although Miss Whitney seems to make up a little bit more(prenominal) faith in Florence, she solace wants convince Florence to come back home.They even have a yellow journalism ready to pay for her trip home, which is causing them to be late on their rent. This reveals to us that they are willing to sacrifice a little in order to prevent Florence from possibly failing in her quest for success. As Marge speaks to Her mother she reveals her mentality in regards to Florences situation, She aint gonna get rich up there and we cant sustain to do for her. She got notions a Negro woman dont need. She moldiness think shes white (Childress. 1320) Her mother expresses a bit more faith responding, Maybe we shoulda just sent her the money this time. This one time. (Child ress. 1320)As Marge leaves the station we are introduced to Mr. chocolate-brown, an old black porter. As Mr. Brown speaks with Miss Whitney we find out that his son and brother are twain attending different colleges. This makes it known to the reader that Miss Whitney feels it takes an awful ken of goin to school to be anything. (Childress.1322) Mr. Brown also informs Miss Whitney that his brother apothegm Florence in a movie. This excites Miss Whitney only for a second as she proceeds to ask Mr. Brown about his brothers aspirations, as if it were more interesting. The conversation is short due to the entrance of Mrs. Carter.