Driving Miss Daisy Reflection

    Driving Miss Daisy was a film from the 1980s about an elderly Jewish woman, Daisy, and her driver, an African-American man, Hoke. In this film, the audience sees the struggles of both communities and how their friendship grows over time. Originally, Daisy did not want a driver and was very stubborn about having a driver in the first place. Over time, Daisy grows more fond of Hoke. The first instance the audience can see of their bonding is when Daisy teaches Hoke how to read at the graveyard. At the time, education still wasn’t easily accessible to African Americans, so the effort put in by Daisy to help him learn how to read was an act of kindness

    Later in the film, Daisy’s synagogue is bombed which allows Daisy to see how prejudice in the United States affects her as well. The political and social tensions in the United States are shown through this and also the dinner Daisy attends where Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a speech. However, Daisy wouldn’t let Hoke go in with her to the speech, she only let him drive her there. 

    Throughout the entire film, we see instances of them bonding and getting closer, and also overcoming prejudices together. In one scene with an instance with police, they make a comment about there being an African American and Jewish woman together. They both face adversity and get closer because of it. At the end of the film when Daisy is in a retirement home, Hoke comes to visit her. The biggest sign of their friendship was when Daisy began struggling with dementia and Hoke called her his best friend.