Watch on the Rhine by Lillian Hellman
"Watch on the Rhine" is a play by Lillian Hellman, set against the backdrop of World War II, exploring themes of family, moral duty, and the struggle against fascism. The narrative unfolds in the aristocratic Farrelly home near Washington, D.C., where Fanny Farrelly prepares for the long-awaited visit of her daughter, Sara, who has been estranged for twenty years. The arrival of Sara and her family introduces tension, particularly with the presence of Count Teck de Brancovis and his wife, Marthe, who are entangled in financial difficulties and relationships that complicate family dynamics.
The play highlights the contrasting backgrounds of Sara's family and her mother's privileged life, reflecting on the impact of political ideologies on personal lives. Central to the plot is Kurt Muller, Sara's husband, whose anti-fascist activities put him at odds with the unscrupulous Teck. As the narrative progresses, themes of sacrifice, identity, and moral choices come to the forefront, culminating in a dramatic confrontation that forces the characters to confront their values and the lengths they will go to protect one another.
Hellman's work not only addresses the personal repercussions of political turmoil but also poses questions about complicity and resistance in the face of evil. "Watch on the Rhine" remains a poignant exploration of the complexities surrounding family loyalty and the moral imperatives that arise in times of crisis.
On this Page
Watch on the Rhine by Lillian Hellman
First produced: 1941; first published, 1941
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Melodrama
Time of plot: Late spring, 1940
Locale: Near Washington, D.C.
Principal characters
Fanny Farrelly , a dowager matriarchDavid Farrelly , her son, a lawyerSara Muller , her daughterKurt Muller , Sara’s German husband, an anti-Nazi resistance fighterJoshua , ,Babette , andBodo , their childrenCount Teck de Brancovis , a ne’er-do-well European refugeeCountess Marthe de Brancovis , his wife, and a daughter of Fanny’s childhood friendAnise , Fanny’s French housekeeperJoseph , Fanny’s African American butler
The Story:
In the aristocratic Farrelly home outside Washington, D.C., Fanny Farrelly, with the assistance of her two servants, Anise and Joseph, prepares for the arrival of her daughter, Sara, and her husband and children. Sara has not visited her mother for twenty years, and Fanny has never met her three grandchildren. Nervous about the visit, Fanny tries to get her son, David, and her house guests, Count Teck de Brancovis and Countess Marthe de Brancovis, to breakfast by 9 a.m., as her late husband had decreed.
To her housekeeper, Anise, Fanny reveals that the count and countess are heavily in debt and that she is concerned about David’s attraction to the countess. As Fanny and David breakfast on the terrace, Teck and Marthe argue about money, including his gambling with the Nazis at the German embassy, and about Marthe’s attraction to David.
After the count and countess retire to the terrace, the Mullers arrive and are impressed with the spacious living room. Sara, poorly dressed, delights in the beautiful things she could not remember. The family discusses Sara’s childhood and her memories of unlocked doors, plentiful food, and beautiful clothes—such a contrast to her own family’s bleak existence.
Pleased with Sara’s mature children, Fanny asks her, “Are these your children? Or are they dressed up midgets?” Responding to Fanny’s and David’s questions, Kurt, Sara’s husband, talks about his family’s travels and admits that he has not worked at his profession as an engineer for several years, since 1933. He also confesses that his family has not had adequate breakfasts because his new occupation, which he identifies as “anti-fascist,” does not pay well. Earlier in his work as an engineer his life was normal. Married to Sara for twelve quiet years, their lives changed when a festival in his hometown ended with a street fight and the murder of twenty-seven men by Nazis.
Kurt and Teck are wary of each other. Kurt recognizes the count’s name, and Teck probes to find out more about Kurt. While the family breakfasts on the terrace, Teck examines their luggage. When Marthe tries to interfere, Teck threatens her, warning her not to make plans with David.
Ten days pass, and everyone is now comfortable in the house. Sara is crocheting, Fanny and Teck play cribbage, Bodo “repairs” a heating pad for an anxious Anise, Joseph teaches Joshua to play baseball, and Babette makes potato pancakes for dinner. When Teck questions the children in an obvious attempt to learn more about their father, Sara cuts him off, saying, “It’s an indulgence to sit in a room and discuss your beliefs as if they were a juicy piece of gossip.”
Teck announces that he and Marthe plan to leave in a few days and suggests that the nature of Kurt’s work means that the Mullers will also be moving on. Fanny objects, joking that she plans to keep her family with her for several years because she will take a long time to die. David and Kurt return from assisting a local farmer, and talk turns to Babette’s birthday party and to presents for the whole family. Teck becomes angry at the suggestion that David has bought jewelry for Marthe, so Fanny tries to distract him by confronting him with the rumor that he has won a great deal of money in a card game with Nazis.
Kurt and Teck spar about Germany, and Kurt sings “Watch on the Rhine,” a song about Germans returning home from World War I. Kurt also sings lyrics made up by Germans, with whom he has fought against the fascists in Spain. Teck again questions the children about their father’s activities. Kurt responds, telling Teck to address his questions directly to him.
The atmosphere is temporarily lightened when Marthe enters with dresses that Fanny has bought for Sara and Babette. The pleasant scene is interrupted by a long-distance phone call for Kurt. Teck, Marthe, and David argue about David’s gift to Marthe. She declares she will not leave with Teck, insisting David does not have much to do with her situation. When Fanny objects to her staying, Marthe informs her that she had been forced by her mother into the marriage with Teck when she was only seventeen years old and that it had always been an unhappy relationship.
Kurt returns from the call, saying he must leave for California. Teck confronts him with a news story on the capture of three of Kurt’s resistance colleagues in Germany. Teck had learned of the capture at the German embassy the previous evening, and upon reviewing a list of resistance fighters, a list the Nazis had given him, he made the connection between Kurt and a man called Gotter, whom the Nazis want. Revealing that he has broken into Kurt’s briefcase and had found $23,000 in cash, Teck demands $10,000.
David and Fanny insist that Kurt not submit to the blackmail because they do not believe Teck could harm anyone in their safe American home. Kurt, however, explains that he belongs to an organization the Nazis have outlawed, and they have placed a price on his head. Consequently, he has had problems with his passport and cannot go to the American authorities. Sara realizes that Kurt has to return to Germany to buy friends out of the German prisons, though this would involve great risks for him. She comforts Kurt, clearly supporting his decision.
A half hour later, Kurt, Sara, Fanny, and David are waiting anxiously for Teck to return. Kurt uses the opportunity to dispute the idea that Nazis are supermen. He talks about his imprisoned friend Max, who had saved his life. Teck returns with Kurt’s briefcase, but when Kurt refuses to pay the blackmail money, Fanny and David decide they will do so. With them out of the way, Kurt overpowers Teck and kills him.
Kurt justifies his actions to David and Fanny, who accept the violence as necessary and admire Kurt’s struggle and sacrifices. Emotion-laden farewells follow. Kurt’s farewell to his children is especially moving as he speaks of men who love children and fight to make a “good world” for them. Fanny and David are left alone, “shaken out of the magnolias,” and bracing for the trouble they know will come when Teck’s body is discovered.
Bibliography
Austenfeld, Thomas Carl. “The Moral Act: Lillian Hellman Fights Fascists in the Parlor.” In American Women Writers and the Nazis: Ethics and Politics in Boyle, Porter, Stafford, and Hellman. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2001. An analysis of Watch on the Rhine, describing how the play reflects Hellman’s political and ethical convictions against fascism and her travels to fascist Spain and Nazi Germany.
Estrin, Mark W. Critical Essays on Lillian Hellman. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1989. Contains twenty-three essays discussing three main topics—Hellman’s plays, her memoirs, and the Hellman persona. Of special interest are Jacob H. Adler’s essay, in which he discusses blackmail in Watch on the Rhine and other Hellman plays, and Timothy J. Wills’s article, which examines Hellman’s political plays and her perspective on war.
Griffin, Alice, and Geraldine Thorsten. Understanding Lillian Hellman. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999. Examination of Hellman’s major plays, discussing her style, concern for moral issues, and influence on other American playwrights, including Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Marsha Norman. Chapter 4 focuses on Watch on the Rhine.
Holman, Lorena Ross. The Dramatic Works of Lillian Hellman. Stockholm: Uppsala University Press, 1973. An accessible source for beginners, this book contains a chapter on Watch on the Rhine that analyzes characters and structure in detail. Includes an extensive bibliography with journal and newspaper articles and reviews.
Horn, Barbara Lee. Lillian Hellman: A Research and Production Sourcebook. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998. Provides an overview of Hellman’s life and a plot summary, history, and critical overview of Watch on the Rhine. Includes bibliographies of works by and about Hellman.
Lederer, Katherine. Lillian Hellman. Boston: Twayne, 1979. A detailed overview of Hellman’s life, plays, and nonfiction. Includes a selected bibliography of Hellman’s works and secondary sources about the writer. In the discussion of Watch on the Rhine, Lederer takes issue with those who see its importance primarily in the character of Kurt Muller, arguing instead that the play concerns multiple characters and as such will remain relevant.
Martinson, Deborah. Lillian Hellman: A Life with Foxes and Scoundrels. New York: Counterpoint, 2005. Martinson recounts the events of Hellman’s life, describes her galvanic and often acerbic personality, and provides information about the composition and production of her plays.
Rollyson, Carl. Lillian Hellman: Her Legend and Her Legacy. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. A comprehensive biography of the complex Hellman. Also includes an analysis of Watch on the Rhine.