Tools of Characterization

Characterization in Driving Miss Daisy

Social Status

Because Driving Miss Daisy starts out in the South prior to desegregation, the white characters and the black characters remain separate and definitely unequal. Our two named black characters—Hoke and Idella—are the "help," while Miss Daisy, Boolie, and Florine are in positions of authority. The film has a small cast of characters, but this same principle would probably apply to any blacks and whites in the film.

You could be a society lady if you were Jewish, but according to Daisy, you'd never be fully accepted by your Christian neighbors. That's why Florine tries to "pass" by celebrating Christmas and joining the Junior League so she'll be accepted. Daisy's attitude: As if.

The movie doesn't attempt to challenge any of this. It takes a "that's just the way things were then" attitude toward it. But it doesn't condone it. It's a snapshot of social stratification in that place at that time.

Clothing is also used to designate social class, so put on your nicest hat (no fedoras, please) and click over to our section on the symbol of hats in the film.

Actions

Miss Daisy can say all she wants that she isn't prejudiced, but she occasionally resorts to racist and/or classist behavior. When she accuses Hoke of stealing salmon, she says, "They all take things, you know. […] They're like children in the house. If they want something, they just take it." It's unsure if she means servants or black people, but since all servants are black people at this time, this distinction hardly matters.

One action that reveals something else about Daisy is when she accidentally discovers that Hoke can't read. She doesn't humiliate him. She finds out he knows his ABCs and tells him if he knows that, then he can learn to read. She gives him the job of locating a gravestone based on the letters he knows—she knows he can experience success doing it. Later, she gives him a writing instruction book as a gift. Even with her old Southern ways, Daisy gives Hoke the priceless gift of reading. Now go thank your English teachers.

On the other side of this is Hoke, who often goes above and beyond the call of duty as chauffeur and acts like a friend to Miss Daisy. He's consistently patient and slow to anger. He's always looking out for her welfare, even if he has to cajole into doing what's best for her. He knows how important her independence is, so he doesn't treat her like a child. He listens. All his actions point to the dignity of his character.

Family Life

The movie characterizes Hoke as a good person early on when he mentions staying in Atlanta to be close to his grandbabies. He takes the chauffeur job to help support them and put them through college. He's bursting with pride about his granddaughter who teaches college biology.

We also see that Miss Daisy is independent because she still lives by herself years after the death of her husband. She raised her son to be a good guy and successful businessman.

Finally, from Boolie's family life, we learn that both he and his wife don't have children, something that Hoke interprets as just their inability to have children so far. From what Boolie says, his primary goal is to be successful in business; he doesn't have time to devote to raising a family. He's had his hands full just dealing with his mother.

Speech and Language

No doubt about where this movie takes place; those Southern drawls give it away. Uhry gave blacks and whites in the play and the film distinct dialects. The proper former teacher Daisy would never say "ain't"; Hoke uses it all the time. We doubt Hoke would every use Boolie's word "doodle," whatever it means.