The Strangers That Came To Town Essay

Words: 499
Pages: 2

Everyone wants to be free but many do not realize what it means to be free. True freedom is what someone feels when one can express oneself without being judged. In his short story, “The Strangers That Came to Town” Ambrose Flack shows that true freedom comes from being accepted by others. He shows this through the plot of the story, the setting of the story, and his characterization. The story follows the interactions between the Duvitch family and the rest of the town. At first, the Duvitches are very repressed because of the judgment they are receiving from the rest of the town. They are considered “embarrassing and irritating to the prosperous.” (Flack, 3) and “unattractive physically.” (Flack, 3) The Duvitches do not feel accepted by others and, as an ironic result, reinforce the negative judgment about them. However, the town realizes that the Duvitches are more than they thought as they open themselves up to Andy’s family. During the dinner party, the Duvitches, having been accepted by Andy’s family “kept showing their pleasure in wide delighted smiles.” (Flack, 14) The rest of the town then hears from Andy’s family and beings to open up to the Duvitches. They even “began to turn to the Duvitches in all kinds of trouble.” (Flack, 16) Having …show more content…
The weather when the Duvitches arrive is “dark and stormy” (Flack, 1), describing the feelings of restriction within them. Living in such a prestigious town, “oil paintings and flowing fountains [are] the symbols of wealth and aristocracy.” (Flack, 15) Such a wealthy setting shames anything that is deemed poor like the Duvitches. However, later on, “The galvanized community began to look upon things in a different light …” (Flack, 15) As the community discovers the true colours of the Duvitches, they realize the Duvitches possess a different kind of wealth. This leads to the Duvitches being praised and accepted for which they can finally express themselves in