The Strangers That Came To Town Summary

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‘The Strangers that Came to Town’ is a short story and considered one of the best works of Ambrose Flack. Central in the story corresponds to the struggle felt by an immigrant family in Croatia as they try to adjust to the American way of life. Evident in the piece is the fact of discrimination and prejudice by the locals against the Duvitch family. Despite this treatment, the family continued to demonstrate resilience, optimism and generosity to the people who continue to ostracize them. In the end however, these traits would remain to be significant as acceptance is gained by the Duvitch family. Examining the piece, one of the most apparent themes is the reality of prejudice and oppression to outsiders. Clearly, the treatment of local families to the Croatian immigrants remains to be harsh and racially inconsiderate. These people judged the Duvitch family based on their physical appearance and inability to adjust to the lifestyle and expectations of the community (Eliburner2000 1). This further extends to their social status as the children are ridiculed for what they wear and also become a norm among other people within the community. Though this may seem to be Clearly, issues related to labels, prejudice and oppression were experienced by the Duvitch family in the story. However, it is the family’s continued resilience to overcome these challenges and still demonstrate sympathy and goodness paved the way for the development of respect by the locals. The actions and initiatives made by Tom proved to be an important catalyst that shaped the start of changes. It is through his ability to question the current condition and put forward new ways to advocate positive changes that the Duvitch family found relevance within the community and the numerous efforts to give back be recognized by

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