Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

Mary, ten years old, the eldest girl of thehouse shakes her head moodily at such gaiety.She says: "I do think. Katrina forgets thatthere's a war on."An absolutely practical and matter of factcomment was made the same morning by Janet,five years old.She said: "What is the good of the CountryHouse? They drop bombs in London and theydrop bombs in the Country."Children's Reaction toHitlerAn endless subject for talk which never failsto excite the imagination of the bigger childrenis Hitler's badness. The figure of Hitler isvivid to them not as that of a powerful enemybut as the incarnation of evil, i.e. a newedition of the devil.They never talk about the British fightingagainst the Germans but of a conflict betweenGod and Hitler. They are at the age whentheir own conflicts between good and bad arevery vivid to them, when at one moment theyare completely "bad" and at the next swingover to "goodness" and intolerance of the smallmisdeeds of the younger children. These innerconflicts form the basis of their interest inworld affairs. Katrina, eight years old has arestless evening and starts a long conversationbefore falling asleep.181