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Florence Gordon


A wise and entertaining novel about a defiant 75-year-old woman determined to ...
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Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

Created: 08/26/15

Replies: 8

Posted Aug. 26, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

Though it's uncomfortable and even unnatural for her, under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings (even if it's just an act). Identify some of these instances and discuss what they tell you about Florence.


Posted Aug. 30, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
melanieb

Join Date: 08/30/14

Posts: 265

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

This tells me that Florence is as uniquely complicated as we all are which is one of the reasons I enjoyed reading this book so much. I could relate to the contradictions and I like that the author was able to merge these different aspects into this one character.


Posted Sep. 01, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dianaps

Join Date: 05/29/15

Posts: 460

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

Florence's relationship with her agent was such a surprise in that she did genuinely seem to care about him but not to the point of really knowing anything about him or his family. She also seemed to like the new agent. It seems like she could care about those who really didn't know the real her.


Posted Sep. 02, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
terriej

Join Date: 07/28/11

Posts: 422

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

I think Florence is complicated. I believe that she cares about certain people and I don't think it was an act when she showed concern.


Posted Sep. 02, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
melindah

Join Date: 12/25/12

Posts: 52

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

Although Florence is certainly not warm and fuzzy, her concern for others is genuine. She has convinced herself that the feminist persona is one that emulates a decidedly male one, so she thinks it is a sign of weakness to show too much emotion. However, she clearly has strong feelings of concern and love for those in her chosen circle: her granddaughter, her editor(s), and her small group of friends. All of these people feel love and concern from and for Florence. She has no respect for Janine - which seems reasonable to me, as Janine has very few admirable qualities I could see.


Posted Sep. 04, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

Florence shows concern for others in real but not involved way. Some of the people in her life are important to her and they know this and that's enough as far as she is concerned. These same people are still held at arms length and are not allowed to interfere in what she is doing or thinking. Any display of emotion is, I think, to her a waste of time and energy. One sort of wonders what her childhood was really like.


Posted Sep. 05, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Peggy H

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 272

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

I found her lack off expressed warmth a bit sad. Florence seemed to have friends, but she seemed to me that she had to keep playing a role. I too wonder what her childhood was like and if she showed warmth to her son, when he was young. At one point she admits that she had wanted children when she was married and then said that idea changed. We don't know exactly why, but can wonder if this affected her seeming aloofness


Posted Sep. 08, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
melindah

Join Date: 12/25/12

Posts: 52

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

I disagree. We don't ever get to see the relationships Florence has with those closest to her, just her family. I think there are many people whose circle of friends becomes their lifeline. We know this group of friends is close, and has been for years. They love and accept her when she imposes her expectations at the table (dropping the cell phone in the water glass), and when she thanked them for the surprise party, then excused herself. One doesn't get to this level of friendship and acceptance without true commitment and genuine love from all parties involved. Just because she didn't behave this way toward her son and daughter-in-law doesn't mean she isn't capable. We are have to remember that we are not privileged to the history of their relationship.


Posted Oct. 21, 2015 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
saraht

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 11

RE: Under certain circumstances Florence is capable of showing concern for others and caring about their feelings. What do these instances tell you about Florence. Are they just an act?

I really feel she was more fond of her granddaughter than she wanted to acknowledge which was truly sad. When she left her own surprise birthday party it really did not show any concern for others feelings.


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