August: Osage County Lesson Plan

Describe Violet's relationship with her daughters. How does she usually treat them?

Violet is mercurial, demanding, and harsh towards her children, but she excuses her hurtful behavior as "truth-telling." In response to any accusations that she is being too extreme, she just shrugs and says that she is being honest. In her worst moments, Violet yells at her daughters and says intentionally cruel things to them. At other moments, when she is in pain from her cancer and addled by pills, she is more helpless and pitiable. In very brief, rare moments, like when she laughs with Ivy about Charlie smoking grass, she is able to put aside her cruelty and connect with her...