Betty Smith teaches readers about the importance of virtues through Francie Nolan in the novel and the three virtues which are shown are courage, empathy, and acceptance. Courage comes in many shapes, sizes and forms; it can be saving an old lady from a burning building or a small act of courage, like asking out a secret admirer. Francie display’s courage when the doctor makes several comments about poor people being filthy and Francie immediately feels hurt. When the needle went into her, “… Francie never felt it. The wave of hurt started by the doctor's words… drove out all other feelings…” (145). Unlike at the school yard when a girl with the blackboard erasers spat in Francie's face, she spoke up. Francie got the courage to stand up for…show more content… Additionally, Francie sees the good in people rather than the negatives; this is one trait she does not inherit from her mother, her acceptance. Unlike Katie, Francie can look past people’s flaw and sees the best of people, like Johnny. Even though, she understands Johnny’s drinking contributes to the family's poverty and he isn’t the “best father in the world”, she sees what his heart is made up of. This includes his loving gestures, good intentions and his idealistic ways, which makes Francie prefer her father over her hard working mother; since Johnny gives her something her mom doesn’t, affection. Bottom line is Francie sees the best in every individual, even if the public views them as a villain, like her father, Aunt Sissy, and Joanna. Conscience is another virtue Francie shows when the “good housewives… gathered into knots and whispered to each other” (229) about Joanna and started taunting her, which lead to them to throwing stones at her because she refused to get off the streets. Although none of them meant to harm the baby, the stone hit the baby’s soft head, and “… thin clear trickle of blood ran down the baby’s face…”