Freedom In Ambrose Flack's The Strangers That Came To Town

Freedom can be defined in several different ways. Some may say freedom means saying or doing whatever you want, while others believe that freedom is about equality. However, a new and unique context to the word presents itself in the short story “The Strangers That Came to Town”, written by Ambrose Flack, explaining how true freedom is about being accepted. The Duvitch’s, an immigrant family, face several situations in the story where they are not accepted into the community, and hence have limits on their freedom. Through Mr. Duvich, his wife and children, and Andy’s father, the journey to freedom and acceptance is presented in this short story.

Acceptance contributes a lot to one’s self-confidence and courage. This is particularly seen in the case of Mr. Duvitch who is a considerate, altruistic, and humble man. However, because his neighbors regard him as an outcast, his incredible personality traits are not
Initially when the Duvitch’s move in and are being judged and ridiculed, although Andy’s mother doesn’t participate in the offensive activities, she makes no further attempts to see them. Andy’s father, however, disagrees (Flack, 2), and is clearly interested in getting to know them. A simple way that Andy’s father made the Duvitch’s feel welcome is when he encounters them at Durston pond and engages in a conversation with them. Another way Andy’s father shows a form of acceptance is by harshly punishing his own children for wronging the Duvitch’s. This makes the immigrant family feel respected and important. After they all return from fishing, the Duvitch’s begin to open up and share their personalities with the town, and it’s particularly owed to Andy’s father who helps the town accept honor the family “People began to turn to the Duvitch’s in all kinds of trouble” (Flack, 16). By making them feel accepted, he also helps them become