In answer to an earlier question: what the play might tell us is how extensive racism is, even among people determined to fight it.
And, to a different question: it doesn't seem to me that Hortense's story is told in monologues. To me, she's the most determined and focused of the five main characters. She interacts with all of them, even as she's quickly learning about her new surroundings. And she's going to be a school teacher -- she'll get the necessary new education, if that's what it requires.
She'll also make sure Gilbert gets the education he needs to be the lawyer he should be. And together, they'll raise Michael and their other children in a supportive community. Queenie will be OK, too, even if she has to drag Bernard into the future -- both in bed and out. He'll slip back to his bank job, providing the financial foundation their family will need, and she'll take care of the rest. Perhaps an unfair balance, but best for the future. |
