Watch on the Rhine Summary
Lillian Hellman

Everything you need to understand or teach Watch on the Rhine by Lillian Hellman.

Watch on the Rhine Summary & Study Guide
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Watch on the Rhine Summary

Act 1

The play opens in the late spring of 1940 in the living room of the Farrelly home outside of Washington, D.C. Fanny Farrelly, the family matriarch, appears, insisting that her son David be awakened so he will have plenty of time to pick up his sister and her family at the train station. She expresses nervousness about whether everything has been perfectly prepared for her daughter's arrival.

She and Anise, her maid, discuss the bills rung up by their houseguests for the past six weeks, the Count and Countess de Brancovis, and the interest David has taken in the Countess. Fanny explains that she took in Teck and Marthe, her houseguests, because she "felt sorry" for Marthe and was "rather amused" by Teck. However, as she senses the growing attraction between Marthe and her son, she concludes that Marthe and Teck should soon leave.

At breakfast,... View more of the Watch on the Rhine Summary

Study Pack

The Watch on the Rhine Study Pack contains about 188 pages of study material in 8 products, including:

Watch on the Rhine Study Guide

Introduction

Author Biography

Plot Summary

Characters

Themes

Style

Criticism

Topics for Further Study

Compare & Contrast

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Essays & Analysis (3)

Critical Essay by John Simon

195 words, approx. 1 pages

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Critical Essay by Vivian M. Patraka

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Watch on the Rhine SummaryLillian Hellman