Kindertransport By Diane Samuels REVISION GUIDE Copy
Diane Samuels' Kindertransport is set both in the past and the present - they are inextricably intertwined. Eva came to England from Germany in 1939 as part of the Kindertransport; this is the story of her survival and her future.
In the Present
The play tells the story of Evelyn and her daughter, Faith. Faith is leaving home for university, and it becomes clear that both she and her mother are finding the impending separation difficult. We first see them in the attic, where Evelyn is looking for household items, teacups, glasses etc., to give to Faith. It is here that Faith discovers a little, old suitcase of childhood belongings. As the play develops, we discover that the suitcase belonged to Eva, the Jewish German child who sought safety in Britain in 1939. We realize that Evelyn is in fact Eva. As Faith starts going through the items which Evelyn has kept secret for so long, the hurt, pain and secrecy of her mother’s past is revealed.
In the Past
In the past, we see nine year old Eva getting ready to travel to England; her parents plan to follow shortly afterwards and they will be reunited. In England, Eva is fostered by a working-class northern lady called Lil. At first, Eva tries to find work for her parents in England and looks forward to being reunited with them. However, as time passes, she forgets her Jewish religion and becomes ‘British’.
Characters
Eva – 9 year old Jewish child from Germany. On the journey to England, she is frightened by the Border Guard and never loses her fear of men in uniform. She is resourceful and determined. For example, she persuades her mum to read Der Rattfanger book, even though her mother doesn’t want to. She also goes knocking on doors asking whether there is any work for her parents. She is cheeky. For example, she asks to try Lil’s cigarette. She is willful and patient; she runs away from Lil to wait at the train station, hoping that her parents will arrive. Possibly to disguise her pain and rejection, she tries to
In the Present
The play tells the story of Evelyn and her daughter, Faith. Faith is leaving home for university, and it becomes clear that both she and her mother are finding the impending separation difficult. We first see them in the attic, where Evelyn is looking for household items, teacups, glasses etc., to give to Faith. It is here that Faith discovers a little, old suitcase of childhood belongings. As the play develops, we discover that the suitcase belonged to Eva, the Jewish German child who sought safety in Britain in 1939. We realize that Evelyn is in fact Eva. As Faith starts going through the items which Evelyn has kept secret for so long, the hurt, pain and secrecy of her mother’s past is revealed.
In the Past
In the past, we see nine year old Eva getting ready to travel to England; her parents plan to follow shortly afterwards and they will be reunited. In England, Eva is fostered by a working-class northern lady called Lil. At first, Eva tries to find work for her parents in England and looks forward to being reunited with them. However, as time passes, she forgets her Jewish religion and becomes ‘British’.
Characters
Eva – 9 year old Jewish child from Germany. On the journey to England, she is frightened by the Border Guard and never loses her fear of men in uniform. She is resourceful and determined. For example, she persuades her mum to read Der Rattfanger book, even though her mother doesn’t want to. She also goes knocking on doors asking whether there is any work for her parents. She is cheeky. For example, she asks to try Lil’s cigarette. She is willful and patient; she runs away from Lil to wait at the train station, hoping that her parents will arrive. Possibly to disguise her pain and rejection, she tries to