The Children's Hour

In the 19th century, views on homosexuality changed. Although same-sex relationships and sex have existed since at least the beginning of recorded history, understanding same-sex attraction as an identity rather than as an action is relatively new. The portrayal of Martha reflects this relatively new (especially in 1934) way of discussing sexuality. She isn’t simply allegedly engaging in the “sin” of same-sex attraction, and she never has any sexual contact with a woman. Instead, she is singled out and identified by how she acted when she was a child. Her pre-sexual behavior indicates a budding homosexual identity in which she becomes inexplicably jealous of her female friends’ attentions without an erotic component. Neither Martha nor Mrs. Mortar alludes to any sexual experimentation. Certainly there are many ways to interpret Martha’s childhood behavior without ascribing sexuality. But her suicide at the end of the play indicates the essentialism of sexuality. If Martha is a lesbian, it is part of who she is and cannot be avoided or undone. Martha’s suicide is her brutal and tragic “cure” for what she has discovered within herself.

In 1926, less than a decade before The Children’s Hour appeared on Broadway, a play called The Captive, which depicted a lesbian relationship, led lawmakers to classify the portrayal of “sex perversion” on a New York stage as a misdemeanor. Before the Stonewall Riots in 1969, statutes forbid the gathering of LGBTQ+ people, which is notable considering that several “ladies clubs” (60) have appeared at Karen and Martha’s door with literature after the loss of the libel suit made the accusations against them public. The criminalization of homosexuality led to the construction of the metaphorical closet in the 1930s. In The Children’s Hour, the seriousness with which Mrs. Tilford and the community address the allegations of homosexuality exemplifies the homophobic panic that was rising in the United States during the 1930s. Through this homophobic panic, the community oppresses Martha and Karen while framing themselves as the victims. For Martha and Karen, the accusation of “impropriety” is enough to undo their reputations.

As with many social movements and anti-movements, the homophobic panic in the play holds innocent children up as the ones who are ultimately injured by exposure to what adults deem unnatural. The invocation of innocent children gives parents a blanket warrant for committing, with very little evidence, emotional or physical violence against adults. When Mary, a supposedly innocent child, accuses Karen and Martha of having an illicit relationship, her word immediately sets irrevocable actions in motion. Despite the inconsistencies in Mary’s story, Mrs. Tilford repeats, “No matter what you say, you know very well I wouldn’t have acted until I was absolutely sure” (51). Although she is incorrect in believing Mary’s accusations, Mrs. Tilford is sure she has done the right thing, because historically, homophobic panic has consistently conflated homosexuality with pedophilia. Ultimately, the women in the play have not done what they are believed to have done. Even if Martha discovers same-sex attraction within herself, she has not acted on it. Undoubtedly, a 1934 audience was not prepared to sympathize with two women who were actually having an affair.