Neither is a villain. They are both victims. BTW you should see the 1934 film version. It is much better and is closer to the novel. The actress who passes for white - named Peola - is played by Freddie Washington who is actually black. I know the 1959 movie is hailed as great and on best film lists, but the other one is better and truer to the novel. Delilah in this version (who is Annie in the other) wasn’t a maid for long, but became rich with making a waffle business along with Bea (who is Lora), and both women shared a mansion in NYC. Peola (Sarah Jane) was just trying to get through life without suffering as her father did suffer quite a bit for the same reason. Delilah had a broken heart. I can’t help but think that by making Lora successful at being a stage actress appealed more to Lana Turner and is why they changed the entire plot. But, essentially in the novel and earlier film, they were successful business partners. And the later movie appeared to be more like a rich white woman and her maid. Ironically, that part mirrored (imitation of life) Lana’s own life in that she bequeathed a large amount of her estate to her own Hispanic maid and companion of 45 years.
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