Question: What does the scene with the black family contribute to the story?

The scene in the story, where Anna comes into contact with the black family has telling effect on the direction that the story takes. Before she meets the family in the waiting room, Anna had just left her son, Scotty, in his room and she was on her way back home to freshen up. From the way she is apprehensive to leave Scotty and her husband, Howard, her reaction speaks volumes of the sense of foreboding she is feeling about her son’s condition.
The initial reaction of the middle-aged woman, Evelyn, as Anna enters the room, manages to verbalize the despair that she is feeling at that particular moment. The way she is dressed, in a house dress and slippers highlights how tragedy can strike when one least expects it. The way Evelyn is brought back under control by the calming influence of her husband is a way of showing the conflicting emotions that Anna is feeling at the time. The manner in which Evelyn’s husband reacts is one where he feels just like his contemporary Howard. Men are expected to be outwardly strong, despite the turmoil they may feel inside.
While she feels like crying out because of the agony she is undergoing, she also steels herself so that she can cope with Scotty’s hospitalization. As she speaks to Evelyn’s husband, we get a sense of how she is getting a load off her chest by sharing her situation with these strangers. The tragic circumstances that brought these two different groups together- one White and the other Negro – shows how even though outwardly people may be different, we all want what is best for our families. This is highlighted in the story when Anna and Howard pray for divine intervention, and when Evelyn says a silent prayer in the waiting room.

As we look at the teenaged girl who is probably Franklin’s sister and how she reacts to the presence of Anna in the room, this is something that has a telling effect on the tone of the story. The fact that she says nothing to Anna and just carries on smoking is an indicator of how she may feel that Anna is invading her family’s personal space. Her reaction to Anna shows how when we are in a state of grief, sometimes we may not want to share how we are feeling, even with close family. This point is further illustrated by how Howard cried alone in the bathroom just after Scotty had died, not wanting to be seen by Anna in the throes of grief.
It is clear to see from this scene in the story how in life, chance meetings with others affect us greatly, as seen by how Evelyn tries to find out whether Franklin’s operation is a success. This shows how at the end of the day, people can learn from each other, no matter their backgrounds.