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 adu

Willie is a very innocent and naive character and is fairly happy for the most part. He isn't unkind to anyone in the play either and was also the first person to realise and object to what they where doing to Donald at the end of the play (preventing him from escaping the burning barn). He is picked on somewhat by Peter, especially at the beginning of the play - " Peter - Give in?

Willie - No! No P-Peter!" This shows Willie as an easy target and isn't likely to fight back.

John is almost like the leader of the group and is kind and sticks up for the others who are less confident especially for Raymond - "John (to Peter for lying to Raymond during the bet) - you bloody cheat!

Some common words found in the essay are:
Peter John, Donald Donald, Interestingly Donald, Willie I'm, Burn Burn, Wallace Wilson, Happy Highways, Hello Peter, John Willie, John Angela, prisoner war, remembered hills, blue remembered hills, blue remembered, prisoner war camp, donald duck, view childhood, nostalgic view, japs won, world war, obsessed fire, play blue remembered, war camp,
Approximate Word count = 1556
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)