Women and Equality: Regina and Birdie

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the way feminist issues are put forward and portrayed in this American literary classic. It discusses the characters of the two leading women, one a confident alcoholic, the other a servile wife. It shows the different ways they act to get their feelings and opinions across and talks about the author?s subtle way of making readers question women?s equality.

From the paper;

"For one to understand the machinations of the women in Lillian Hellman?s classic play The Little Foxes, one must have a cursory understanding of Hellman herself. The inspiration for the play was her life. She based the play?s characters on members of her mother?s family, the Newhouses. Like the Hubbards, the Newhouse family became wealthy around the turn of the century through exploitive business enterprises in the South. Hellman?s grandmother Sophie Newhouse, who must have been one tough lady, is represented in the character of Regina. Hellman?s mother, Julia Newhouse, appears as the gentle, helpless Birdie (www.seasidemusictheater.org). Thus, Hellman, a woman of enormous contradictions, explores her own psyche, her concern for morality and women?s issues in the character depictions of Regina and Birdie."

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