The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman
"The Children's Hour" is a groundbreaking play by Lillian Hellman that debuted in 1934, addressing themes of lesbianism and societal judgment in a way that was unprecedented for its time. The narrative centers around two women, Martha Dobie and Karen Wright, who run a girls' school in New England. Their lives are turned upside down when a student named Mary Tilford retaliates against them by falsely accusing them of having a romantic relationship. This accusation leads to widespread scandal and the withdrawal of students from the school, as parents, influenced by Mary's manipulative grandmother, believe the unsubstantiated claims.
The play explores the detrimental effects of gossip and the harshness of societal condemnation, culminating in a tragic confrontation that reveals deep emotional conflicts. As the story progresses, Martha comes to terms with her feelings for Karen, which intensifies her inner turmoil and ultimately leads to her tragic end. Karen, on the other hand, is left to grapple with her own emotional journey and the uncertain future that awaits her. "The Children's Hour" draws a poignant picture of the complexities of love and loyalty, as well as the societal pressures that can destroy lives, making it a significant work in American theater history.
On this Page
Subject Terms
The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman
First produced: 1934, at Maxine Elliot’s Theatre, New York City
First published: 1934
The Work
The Children’s Hour, Lillian Hellman’s first successful drama, was an immediate sensation because it concerns lesbianism, a subject that the American theater had previously ignored. For Hellman, however, the intended focus was the maliciousness of society in its rush to judgment and its willingness to condemn and ostracize those who are wrongfully accused.
In the play, two young women friends, Martha Dobie and Karen Wright, run a New England girls’ school. Mary Tilford, a student, determines to avenge herself on the women for what she sees as unnecessary discipline. Mary leads her grandmother, the influential Mrs. Amelia Tilford, to believe that Martha and Karen have an “unnatural affection” for each other.
Parents believe the unproved accusations and pull their children out of school. In a confrontation scene with Mrs. Tilford, Martha attacks Mary’s credibility and maintains that Karen and she are innocent of the accusations. They are defended to no avail by Karen’s fiancé, Dr. Joseph Cardin, who is Mrs. Tilford’s nephew. By act 3, the women have lost their court case against Mrs. Tilford and have no hope of reopening their school. Although Dr. Cardin offers escape by starting a new life in Europe, his doubts about the relationship between the two women surface, and he and Karen part. Martha, who has vehemently denied any reality to the lesbian accusations, finally admits to Karen that she has been in love with her and has been jealous of Dr. Cardin. This admission and its accompanying guilt spur her to suicide, leaving Karen alone at play’s end, listening listlessly, though perhaps mercifully, to Mrs. Tilford’s admission of guilt after her discovery of Mary’s lies.
The play’s title is an ironic echo of a sentimental poem about childhood innocence by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Hellman’s drama underscores the wickedness of children and the society in which they are reared. Characteristic of Hellman’s dramas is the portrayal of the two strong women at the center of the plot. Martha is an outspoken and emotionally charged critic of society. She is destroyed by guilt over her long-denied “immoral” affection for Karen. In contrast, Karen is the voice of reason, slow to act and careful to digest and consider all alternatives. She has not shared Martha’s “unnatural” love, but realizes that she cannot find happiness with the well-intentioned but ineffectual Dr. Cardin. Although Karen’s future is unclear at play’s end, it seems likely she will survive in a muted and isolated existence, perhaps more mature, but clearly forever changed by the false accusations, the rumors, and Martha’s admission and death.
Bibliography
Armato, Philip M. “Good and Evil’ in Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour.” In Critical Essays on Lillian Hellman, edited by Mark W. Estrin. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1989.
Bigsby, C. W. E. 1900-1940. Vol. 1 in A Critical Introduction to Twentieth Century American Drama. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982. A chapter on Hellman evaluates The Children’s Hour’s themes and explores its relationship to Hellman’s life.
Falk, Doris. Lillian Hellman. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1978. A biographical study that includes summaries of Hellman’s works and information about the composition, production, and reception of her plays.
Lederer, Katherine. Lillian Hellman. Boston: Twayne, 1979. This critical examination of Hellman’s works includes a good discussion of her sources for The Children’s Hour, as well as a biographical chronology and sketch and an annotated bibliography.
Moody, Richard. Lillian Hellman: Playwright. New York: Pegasus, 1972. This early biography includes information about the composition and two main New York productions of The Children’s Hour and stills from several productions.
Reynolds, R. C. Stage Left: The Development of the American Social Drama in the Thirties. Troy, N.Y.: Whitston, 1986. Examines Hellman’s literary world and the contribution made to it by The Children’s Hour.
Rollyson, Carl. Lillian Hellman: Her Legend and Her Legacy. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. This literary biography offers a full account of the complex and elusive playwright. The Children’s Hour receives extensive treatment. Contains many photographs of Hellman and her associates.
Wright, William. Lillian Hellman: The Image, the Woman. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986. This readable popular biography is less concerned with analysis of her work than with a detailed narrative of Hellman’s life. Contains an interesting selection of photographs.