H A RV EY / / 7
What Was Happening when Harvey was written?
WO R L D WA R I I : The United States joined the Allies in World War II following the attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. 16 million Americans comprised the U.S. armed forces, and those who stayed home used methods of conservation of natural resources and produced war materials to support the war efforts overseas.
P SYC H I AT R I C M E T H O D S : Sigmund Freud became well known to Americans in the 1920s, later becoming known as the father of modern psychiatry. Psychiatric care was a relatively new practice as patients displaying mental disorders were previously sent to asylums without any treatment or therapeutic options. Science leaned towards seeking solutions rather than looking for the reasons behind mental illness. Controversial treatments such as “shock therapy” were used and developed as the concept of psychiatric medicine began to develop.
AMERICAN LIFE: As the U.S. entered World War II, a greater need emerged for manufactured goods to support war efforts. More and more of the American population began to leave their small towns and into the big cities in search of jobs and wealth. The large migrations from small towns lead to an impersonal attitude about large cities and many becoming nostalgic of the slower paced lifestyle they once had.
FUN FACT : T H R E E D I F F E R E N T U S T E L E V I S I O N A D A P TAT I O N S O F H A R V E Y H AV E B E E N P R O D U C E D :
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The first, in 1958, starred Art Carney, Marion Lorne, Elizabeth Montgomery, Larry Blyden, Fred Gwynne, Charlotte Rae, and Jack Weston. In the second, James Stewart reprised his screen role in 1972 along with Fred Gwynne, Richard Mulligan and Madeline Kahn. The last, in 1998, starred Harry Anderson, Swoosie Kurtz, Jessica Hecht (who appears in the 2012 revival), Leslie Nielsen, and William Schallert.
