The Children's Hour

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The Children’s Hour - Reflection Marlene Strong Bethel University Monday, April 14, 2014 20th Century American Drama – HUM 102 Ms. Dale Williams, Facilitator The Power of Lies Reflection Paper “The Children's Hour”, written by “Lillian Florence Hellman (1905-1984), she was an only child, born into an upper middle-class family that prefigured the character relationships of many of her plays" (Levy, W., 1999, pg. 353). Despite Ms. Hellman’s father being an immigrant and her mother being a descendant from an established Alabama family, their marriage proved to be successful throughout all of their difficulties. Ms. Hellman had her share of life experiences. In fact, according to Levy, W., (1999), “until she was sixteen she lived half of the year with her spinster aunts, her father’s sisters, in New Orleans, and the other half with her parents on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City” (pg. 350). This resulted in her wanting to be alone and quitting college at the age of 19, taking a job with a publisher. Many of her plays drew from her life and family. “The Children’s Hour” was Ms. Hellman’s first success at the age of 29. “The Children’s Hour”, according to Tunc, T. (2012), “focuses on the psycho-social power of adolescent-driven gossip, rumors and slander, and the frightening outcomes that can emerge when people lose their ability to reason, question, analyze and criticize the world around them”. It really displays the power of lies and the effect they can have on a person’s life, if they are not handled properly. The play is centered on an adolescent girl, Mary, who is more concerned with having her way, by any means necessary. She never took into consideration the effect her actions may have on other people. Mary attended a school owned and operated by two women, Martha and Karen, who had been friends since they were 17
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