How has separation affected Eva and Helga?
Discuss how separation has affected characters in this extract and how Samuels presents separation elsewhere in the play.
Separation is a key theme in Kindertransport. This theme is explored in a variety of ways throughout the play, and even more thoroughly in Act 2 Scene 2. Kindertransport was a rescue mission, which took place nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World War; being the title of the play, we get the impression that the play will include some sort of separation. Jewish children were evacuated out of Nazi Germany to other countries such as the UK (which took in nearly 10,000 children) these children were not only separated from violence but from the loss of the love of their own parents, which is a concept presented through the characters in this play.
In Act 2 Scene 2 Helga questions, “Where have you been?” this is quite a key line in the idea of separation in the play. It is simple, yet, straight to the point. In my opinion it is a very effective line as it shows a real sense of distance. Questions are asked when one is in need of an answer that is too far from their minds to figure out themselves. The fact that a very simple question is asked truly reflects how separated Eva and Helga actually are.
A series of questions follow from the above, such as Helga asking who Evelyn is. This is quite I believe that there is also a separation of identity from Eva too; the fact that Eva has changed her name on the naturalisation papers to ‘Evelyn’ strongly supports this. In my opinion she does not have a real sense of identity. She is like a ‘label’ constantly being separated from different parts of her identity and being joined with others. In Act 1, a Nazi border official draws a ‘star of David’ on her label, which contrasts in a way that she is actually drawn closer to her Jewish roots, however, she’s predominantly being robbed of her ‘individual identity’ and now part of a whole community of people who practically share the same identity,
Separation is a key theme in Kindertransport. This theme is explored in a variety of ways throughout the play, and even more thoroughly in Act 2 Scene 2. Kindertransport was a rescue mission, which took place nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World War; being the title of the play, we get the impression that the play will include some sort of separation. Jewish children were evacuated out of Nazi Germany to other countries such as the UK (which took in nearly 10,000 children) these children were not only separated from violence but from the loss of the love of their own parents, which is a concept presented through the characters in this play.
In Act 2 Scene 2 Helga questions, “Where have you been?” this is quite a key line in the idea of separation in the play. It is simple, yet, straight to the point. In my opinion it is a very effective line as it shows a real sense of distance. Questions are asked when one is in need of an answer that is too far from their minds to figure out themselves. The fact that a very simple question is asked truly reflects how separated Eva and Helga actually are.
A series of questions follow from the above, such as Helga asking who Evelyn is. This is quite I believe that there is also a separation of identity from Eva too; the fact that Eva has changed her name on the naturalisation papers to ‘Evelyn’ strongly supports this. In my opinion she does not have a real sense of identity. She is like a ‘label’ constantly being separated from different parts of her identity and being joined with others. In Act 1, a Nazi border official draws a ‘star of David’ on her label, which contrasts in a way that she is actually drawn closer to her Jewish roots, however, she’s predominantly being robbed of her ‘individual identity’ and now part of a whole community of people who practically share the same identity,