In his short story, “The Strangers That Came to Town,” Ambrose Flack is showing that true freedom is about being accepted. It shows that true freedom is about being accepted because of the way that the Duvitch family is placed in a community where they are not accepted at first but then do become accepted. Mr. Duvitch didn’t talk much to anyone because of lack of freedom to be who he was, Mrs. Duvitch didn’t have the freedom to also be who she was because people talked about her and the Duvitch children to were quiet ones who didn’t have freedom in the sense that they couldn’t just go out and play with the other kids. Mr. Duvitch gains freedom through the power of acceptance by those around him. At first Mr. Duvitch has trouble being
At first, people would talk about Mrs. Duvitch and say rude things about her. Mrs. Duvitch could never really feel accepted when people were constantly talking about her and making assumptions about her which is why she too never really had contact with anyone, “But this gave rise to the rumor that she was the victim of an obscure skin disease and that every morning she shook scales out of the bed sheet” (3). When someone gives you reassurance that what you’re doing is okay and become engaged and interested in what you’re saying that allows you to open up and feel accepted which is what happened with Mrs. Duvitch when Andy’s family went over for dinner, “Saying very little, he managed to make us feel a great deal and he constantly sought his wife’s eyes with glances of delight over the wonder of what was happening” (14). Mrs. Duvitch is finally accepted into her community when others see that she has much more to offer them then they had thought. Her special nursing skills became very important to her community, “The community presently had reason to be grateful for Mrs. Duvitch’s presence. It turned out that she had a great gift for nursing, and no fear of death, no fear of disease, contagious or otherwise.” (16). Her acceptance into the community shows that this story is about freedom.
