Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

urn Road after their houses had been bombed,there was not a single one who at that timerelated what had happened.The only child who talked freely aboutbombing experiences was Charlie, who had alwayslived in deep shelters, and heard a greatdeal of talk about bombing but had neverbeen himself in any bombing incident. Aftera period of more than six months had elapsedseveral of these same children suddenly beganto talk about bombing as if it had happenedyesterday. Pamela, four and a half years old,related how her ceiling fell down and how hersister Gloria was all covered by it.Again, four months later, she drew the pictureof a front door of a house and said: "Thedoor is broken, and there is a big hole in it."She knew that the door in the picture wasthe front door of her former home. At thesame time her friend Pauline, five years old,began to describe her bombing experience inthe same way.She dictated letters to her American fosterparents: "My house was bombed one time andmy bath is broken and my windows. And mypussy-cat was hurt by a bomb and was hangingon the guard, and I picked him off andhe jumped on again. And I was down in theshelter with my mammy and granny."In another letter she writes: "My mammv66