arguerite describes Mrs. Flowers as an aristocrat, someone to be admired, the "measure of what a human being could be." To Marguerite, the most wonderful quality of Mrs. Flowers is the fact that this beautiful, wonderful human being likes her solely for what she herself is, not because she is Bailey's sister or the child of her grandmother. This singular sentiment is an affirmation of Marguerite's value as an individual, and it makes all the difference in how she feels towards Mrs. Bertha Flowers. Mrs. Flowers befriends the reticent Marguerite, encouraging her to talk because, she explains, words must be spoken, "It takes the human voice to infuse them with the deeper shades of meaning." Mrs. Flowers demonstrates by reading from the first