The second disappointment in Florence's life is her failed relationship with Frank. Desperate for a measure of power in her life which she had for so long been denied, Florence married Frank out of the mistaken belief that she could change (control) him. She eventually discovered that she was unable to bend Frank into the man she truly wanted. It is after she comes to this realization that he leaves her.
Throughout the novel, Florence is motivated by a search for power and a sense of control. As a young woman, she left her home and family to travel north and make her own life. As a young woman, she was strong enough to recognize that she did not want the life that awaited her in the South and to make the effort to change her fate, even though doing so meant leaving behind everything familiar to her.
After her break with Frank, Florence is able to support herself and later to help Elizabeth through her trials. Most importantly, Florence is the only character to exhibit any power over the nearly omnipotent Gabriel. In the scene following the stabbing of Roy, Florence talks back to her brother without fear. It is also she who ends the beating of Roy by grabbing the belt Gabriel uses to whip him. Ironically, Florence already has the power she seeks; she just does not recognize it. And until she does, she will remain powerless.
