Rather than fight back, Florence tells Noemí that she should have submitted to the sexism and patriarchy of High Place. Florence is a rape victim herself, and though Noemí hoped for some empathetic connection between them when she admitted that Virgil tried to rape her, Florence is cold and uncaring. Noemí’s escape attempt has relied on the unification of wronged women (Ruth, Catalina, and Noemí so far), so the fact the Florence continues to resist Noemí and even sides with the sexist men makes her seem especially villainous.