Crimes of the Heart (Masterplots II: Drama)
At a glance:
- Author: Beth Henley
- First Published: 1982
- Type of Work: Comedy
- Time of Work: Fall, 1974
- Setting: Hazlehurst, Mississippi
- Principal Characters: Lenny MaGrath, Meg MaGrath, Babe Botrelle, Chick Boyle, Doc Porter, Barnette Lloyd
- Genres: Drama, Comedy, Dark comedy
- Subjects: Values, 1970’s, Family or family life, Self-discovery, Memory, Love or romance, Suicide, Abused persons, South or Southerners, Marriage, Alienation, Emotions, Women’s issues, Sisters, Singing or singers, Ethics
- Locales: Memphis, TN, Hollywood, CA, Biloxi, MS, Hazlehurst, MS
The Play
Crimes of the Heart opens with an empty kitchen. It is late afternoon. Lenny enters and furtively tries—unsuccessfully—to stick a birthday candle into a cookie. She is interrupted, first by Chick, who blithely babbles insults about the MaGrath sisters and says that their presence in town has been her particular social cross, and second by Doc Porter, who brings Lenny both a bag of pecans and the news that her twenty-year-old horse has been struck dead by lightning. Finally alone, successfully attaching candle to cookie, Lenny sings “Happy Birthday” to...
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- Crimes of the Heart (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
See Also:
See Also:
- - Crimes of the Heart summary and study guide in the eNotes.
- Add Crimes of the Heart to your favorites