The Little Foxes (1939), written by Lillian Hellman, is one of the most notable plays of the 20th century. The themes of money, gender inequality, betrayal, selfishness, and human relationships are prevalent in the story and are transparently portrayed by the unfolding drama. The central part of the plot revolves around the cotton mill, and the characters, Regina, Ben, Oscar, and Leo, are trying to make a profit via mischievous acts (Hartley & Ladu, 1948).
They are opposed by Horace, Regina’s husband, who continually rejects the proposals concerning the investment. Regina’s brothers, Ben and Oscar, resort to various ideas and tricks trying to convince Horace but fail at peaceful negotiations. As a result, Leo, Oscar’s son, steals the bonds in an attempt to quickly invest them and make a profit. However, Horace notices the mischief and threatens the members of Regina’s family with canceling the will. Nevertheless, Horace suffers from a heart attack shortly after, and Regina deliberately refuses to save his life.
As the drama unfolds, the characters are continually faced with various challenges and fail most of their objectives. The proposals of Regina, Ben, and Oscar are continually turned down by Horace; Leo’s theft is immediately noticed, and Horace suffers from a heart attack before canceling the will. In other words, the characters cannot achieve any of their goals due to various complications. At the end of the story, Horace has suffered a lethal heart attack; Ben, Oscar, and Leo are claimed as mischievous cheaters, and Regina seizes the immense wealth at the expense of everyone leaving her. Ultimately, the said characters of the play have experienced the consequences of their actions and greedy nature.
References
Hartley, L., & Ladu, A. (Eds.). (1948). Patterns in Modern Drama: Ibsen, Chekhov, Galsworthy, O’Neill, Kelly, Thurber, Nugent, Hellman. Web.