But Esther likes Doreen, even though she cannot be like her. What she likes most is the fact that Doreen is smart enough to see through the hypocrisies of society, and perhaps Esther is more than a little envious of Doreen’s ability to make the best of a bad situation.

When Doreen gets drunk and vomits outside Esther’s door, Esther just leaves her there on the rug and shuts the door. Esther is not able to take this double life of the white Southern belle. Yet when Esther leaves New York City, Doreen gives her a half suitcase of avocados to take home. We never hear of Doreen again. We do not know if wearing white and having fun worked better for her than Esther’s wearing black and trying to be successful.