Florence can perhaps be best described as thwarted. She has suffered disappointment and frustration that she has been unable to overcome and put behind her. Her familiarity with defeat has resulted in her a deep sense of helplessness and a desire for power.
The first and most devastating blow came with the birth of Gabriel. Instantly, from Florence's view, Gabriel, their mother's favorite, was given everything that their mother could afford at the expense of Florence. When new clothes and good food were available, they went to Gabriel. The opportunity for an education went to Gabriel even though he did not want to go to school, and Florence did. Florence — powerless to make any change in her situation — watched in silent rage as Gabriel squandered away the opportunities that Florence so desperately wanted for herself.
Even as an old and dying woman, Florence is unable to overcome her dislike for her brother. She does not believe that he has changed at all, even though he claims that he was saved and has become a respected preacher. Her belief is not unfounded. She knows about his affair with Ester and the child who was a result of the liaison. Other than Gabriel, she is the only living character aware of his indiscretion, and she keeps that knowledge and Deborah's letter to herself, waiting for an opportunity to make her brother suffer for his hypocrisy.
Knowledge of Royal's existence adds fuel to the fire of Florence's disdain for her brother and her belief in his hypocrisy, and her antipathy is destroying her soul just as her illness is destroying her body. The reader, however, is left with little conviction that Florence will actually use her proof against Gabriel. For so long, events have worked against her, and she inwardly doubts her own power to bring about any change. She clings to the promise of her brother's humiliation that the letter gives her as a woman desperate for something in which to believe.
