Blue Remembered Hills – coursework essay.
             How Does Dennis Potter Represent Childhood In His Play – Blue Remembered Hills?
             The title of the play – Blue Remembered Hills comes from a line in A.E. Houseman's poem that is quoted at the very end of the play. This poem is used because its ironic, it talks about childhood being "The Happy Highways" when most part of the play has been virtually the opposite. The play was about death, war and destruction. It was set during world war two and the opening line is a young boy imitating gunfire from an aeroplane which is the shot down and crashes. He (Willie) then say's "Then be all dead. Dead, dead, burnt to nothing". A lot of the play is also about hoe the children are in competition with each other – (Peter)- "Shut thee chops, Willie. I'm number two a'ter Wallace and don't you forget it." The poem gives a very nostalgic view, longing to be a child again – "This shows irony as it is spoken almost immediately after the death of a child (Donald burnt to death in the barn) which was partly the fault of the other children who would not let him escape from the barn as it burnt down. Donald's childhood, unlike the poem, would not have been one which an adult would have longed for as his mother in the play would beat him. "(Angela)- (talking about Donald) Yes an' he hit's me. I shall tell his mam. Her'll skin him alive, won't her Donald Duck? Wont her? She hits you with a poker, don't she?" His father also has been captured by the Japanese – 'Peter- you're dad's missing, ent he? That's what they call it.
             Donald – The Japs got him". This obviously distresses Donald.
             Donald – (rocking) "Come- back- Dad- come- back-Dad-come-back-Dad-come-back-Dad-come-back-Dad......"
             The play is set in the 1940's,...