Comparison of ‘the Sound of Music’ and the True Story of the Von Trappe Family

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‘The Sound of Music’, written in 1959, is loosely based on the life of Maria Kutschera who came to the Von Trappe family to tutor one of the Captain’s daughters after she had fallen ill. There are many similarities and differences when it comes to the true story and the musical version. Firstly, the musical version portrays Maria as a lively nun getting ready to take her vows to properly become part of the church. She doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the nuns and often breaks the rules in the convent. Maria doesn’t have any family so convent serves as a family to her. In comparison, the real life Maria was raise by her strict cousin to be an atheist and a socialist. Her father abandoned her to her cousin after her mother died when she was 2 years old. Maria’s lack of family is suggested in ‘The Sound of Music’ but it tells the story of a girl brought up in a nunnery. The real life Maria came across religion after she was misled into thinking she was attending a Bach music concert in a church. She realized it was a Palm Sunday service and a visiting priest was speaking to a standing-room-only crowd. At this time in her life, she was studying in Vienna at the State Teachers’ College of Progressive Education. Maria entered the convent in Salzburg after her college graduation. Her health began to fail from lack of outdoor activities and fresh air. Maria has a teaching degree and needed to spend more time outside therefore the Reverend Mother recommended she tutored Captain von Trapp’s daughter who was recovering from a serious illness. The position would be for 10 months, after which time she would take her vows to become a nun. In comparison, in ‘The Sound of Music’ the Mother Abbess suggests she spends time outside of the convent so that she is sure she wants to take her vows. She is called upon to be a governess to seven children of a wealthy

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