Ambrose Flack's The Strangers That Came To Town

George Washington once said that “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth,” and this metaphor is demonstrated through the characterization of Father, Mother and brothers Andy and Tom in Ambrose Flack’s story, “The Strangers That Came to Town.” Through effective characterization, Flack transforms an entire family to reveal and emphasize his theme that freedom is about acceptance. Throughout the story, Father, Mother, and brothers, Andy and Tom, undergo a transformation that plants the seed of acceptance in a community -- a seed that takes root, rapidly grows and reaches full growth as freedom and acceptance.
The first family member, Father, who “was the only man on Syringa Street who tipped his hat to sixteen-year-old

Maria Duvtich,” (5) is pleasantly welcoming to the Duvitch family from the day they arrive. His kindness is again shown when he encounters Mr. Duvitch at the fishing pond, when he “went up to Mr. Duvitch, who was fishing from the shore, and put out his hand” (5). It isn’t until Father is embarrassed, humiliated and angered by his son’s shameless act that he changes and then transforms his kindness into more direct action. His transformation begins when he announces to Mother that “this senseless feeling against the Duvtiches” (13) has to end and he is “willing to do still more to stop it” (13). It is at this point that Father arranges dinner with the Duvitch family and starts a real, visible relationship with the family. Clearly, Father’s transformation is that he gives himself the freedom to take action and to model acceptance while also liberating the Duvitch family from feeling inferior to his own family.
Similar to Father, Mother also demonstrates quiet tolerance at the beginning of the story when she goes to the Duvitch house once they have emptied their moving truck, “swathed in her hooded raincoat, carrying a basket containing a vacuum jug of chicken soup, a baked tuna fish dish …a loaf of fresh bread and a chocolate cake” (2) to welcome them. When Mother receives a plant in return for her food basket, she politely announces “I send them a few scraps of food …and get this queenly gift” (2) to ensure her sons get the message that the gift is in no way inferior. Her ongoing kindness is noted by Andy who remarks that “Mother, remembering the potted rose tree, always had a friendly word and smile for the young Duvitches” (5). While Mother is quietly kind, it isn’t until Father makes the decision to take action that Mother develops the courage and liberates herself, too, to make a change. Following the dinner, Mother’s transformation occurs when she “invited Mrs. Duvitch to a tea party” (15). Mother’s action, to free herself to be seen with Mrs. Duvitch in a social setting, completes her transformation from a quiet, tolerant woman, to more of an activist.
Finally, the brothers, Andy and Tom, also undergo a powerful transformation.

Early in the story, Andy, the narrator, refers to himself and his brother as “Philistines like our friends” (5). He describes the Duvitch children with words such as “antisocial” and “scavenger” and openly shares how “some of their classmates scoffed at the leaf, lard and black bread sandwiches they ate for lunch” (4). At no point in the story, do the brothers demonstrate the quiet kindness of their parents, thus, it is not surprising that Andy plays the shameful trick of killing Mr. Duvitch’s fish. It isn’t until Father is angry that the boys begin their transformation. Andy notices that “Father’s eyes were narrow slits of blue fire in his white face. I had never seen him so angry” (7). Following their punishment and having caught the fish needed to pay back Mr. Duvitch, Andy acknowledges that “Tom and I took care not to play the part of triumphant heroes, even of redeemed sinners – that would not have suited our parent. Certainly, in appearance, we were more condemned than redeemed” (12). Andy’s words demonstrate the boys’ desire to please their parent and therefore to follow Father’s lead. After giving Mr. Duvitch the fish, Andy confesses that “it was my greatest lesson in humility” (12). Evidently, the boys’ transformation frees them to also discover, while at dinner, that the Duvitch children are polite, patient and “complete human beings” (14). The changed attitudes and actions of the brothers mark their transformation, and ironically, Andy’s comment that he was “fascinated by the family’s metamorphosis” (14) very much describes his own family’s transformation,

too.
In conclusion, the characterization of Father, Mother and the brothers, Andy and Tom, undeniably demonstrates a transformation from quiet acceptance to active and public acceptance through their changes in attitudes and actions as the story progresses. Their transformations demonstrate that freedom is about acceptance and that people must first free themselves in order to free others. While the family with no last name (symbolizing any family) quietly acted with tolerance, it isn’t until they free themselves to take deliberate action and to visibly model acceptance that their seeds of acceptance are sewn and grow into real freedom and tolerance throughout the town.