Comparing Kinder Transport and Rabbit Essay Example

1930s.

Both Eva and the children in Rabbit are haunted by their past memories, with the latter living alone without parental guidance. However, Eva has Lil, real food, and a mother's love, luxuries the Rabbit children lack. While Rabbit explores the children's relationship, Kinder Transport focuses on the bond between an adult and a child, using flashbacks as a powerful but challenging narrative technique.

This play, consisting of two acts, takes place in a single set - the attic or boxroom. Its storyline spans across three generations of mothers and daughters, necessitating time shifts between past and present. Consequently, the stage is split into two halves. The present section displays Evelyn going through old boxes and papers while recollecting her past. Multiple characters enter and leave this area during the play. On the other hand, the past section shows Evelyn's memories taking shape. During performances, the left-hand side of the stage features an attic with old pieces of furniture and forgotten possessions belonging to Eva. Meanwhile, props are used on the right-hand side to create different locations. In contrast, Rabbit is a direct and brief tale, occurring in a single scene.

The setting of Rabbit is more elaborate than that of Kinder Transport, as it is situated in a dilapidated building. The stage will feature old furniture and cardboard boxes, but these items will serve as both furniture and protection from the elements, rather than simply being used for storage. Due to the makeshift nature of their belongings, the children's possessions are not always useful in the way they were intended. The stage design will consist of a broken brick wall enclosing the area with

a large quilt hung over one section to create a sleeping space for the children. Dirty sheets, newspapers, cans, boxes, and old furniture will be scattered across the stage to give the impression that the children are living in a state of ruin.

Both Kinder Transport and Rabbit depict the living conditions of different groups of children. While Eva lives in comfort and has easy access to nutritious food, the Rabbit children struggle to find food and often have an unbalanced diet. They compete for the little food available. Eva always has someone to care for her, but the Rabbit children have to rely on themselves. Despite their differences, both plays are set in a different time period with different cultures, styles, and society. The characters in both plays speak broken English, but Eva gradually becomes fluent over time.

Both Eva and the children in Rabbit must create new identities, taking time to understand their true selves. Eva discards evidence of her German lineage and disregards her Jewish customs like Passover. Meanwhile, the children establish their own traditions as evident in their slaying of a rabbit. These practices unite them and provide a sense of connection to reality. The novel also features displays of power dynamics, with Lil commanding authority over Eva and Mig leading the other children.

The plays Kinder Transport and Rabbit depict contrasting societies: a German one and a British one. While Kinder Transport reflects the country's culture at the time, Rabbit portrays a self-made society formed by its child characters. In my role as Evelyn, the grown-up Eva, I am featured in Kinder Transport.

Evelyn is a woman who struggles to express

her emotions and share her experiences with others, choosing instead to remain busy and avoid confronting her past. Our group is currently rehearsing the final scenes of the play, which depict Evelyn opening up to Faith, Lil, Helga, and the audience about the pain she has endured for years due to haunting memories. Evelyn harbors bitterness towards what has happened to her, much like Vid - the character I portrayed in Rabbit - who believes that her parents knowingly abandoned her in a harsh and unforgiving world.

Expressing pain through facial expressions and tone of voice is a challenge for both characters who are constantly hurting throughout the play. The act of remembrance in Kinder Transport portrays what Evelyn wishes to forget. The play demonstrates two types of survival; refusing to embrace the past like Evelyn or confronting the personal legacy of the Holocaust like teenage Eva. Losing oneself in self-preservation is possible. Writing this essay has provided a better understanding of both plays, and personally, I favor Kinder Transport as I relate to it better due to its depiction of a well-known historical tragedy. However, both plays are exceptional with captivating plots.

Studying both Kinder Transport and Rabbit is even more thrilling as they possess numerous similarities and differences.