Dionne Quintuplets
Essay by review • February 9, 2011 • Essay • 446 Words (2 Pages) • 1,443 Views
Dionne Quintuplets
The Dionne Quintuplets were born from a single egg in 1934. From the day they were born, not one of them were able to lead a normal life. Their birth was interrupted by a gate crasher and from then on their life was turned upside down. The parents who lived in a very little house with not a lot of money, were convinced that their children would be better off if they were able to live under the supervision of highly trained doctors and nurses, but in reality they became a freak show, which the government made millions of dollars off of.
As the first quintuplets to survive, the children were always on tour, playing in variety shows, movies, and constantly in the public's eye. Cecile, Marie, Yvonne, Annette, and Emilie were literally treated like animals. Their playground was a hospital called "quintland" which was behind a one-way glass where everyone could pay to watch them play. It was like a zoo with the main attraction being 5 young girls trying to be just like anyone else. Nevertheless these children were the cat's meow from the public's point of view. Because the children were so popular they didn't have a chance for a normal life. Not one of them ever had the chance to crush on anyone. Their life was incredibly boring and very dull because of the situation the government put them in.
Between 1934 and 1943 about 3 million people visited Quintland. The big cheese being the high hat man that he was made an estimated half billion dollars off them which the girls never even saw. Two of the girls, Emilie and Marie died as young women; one from a seizure, and one from a stroke. When the three remaining girls were older they went to the government to ask for some of the money, but he refused. The public was very angered by this bunk, and resented him. At first the government offered them a payment of two thousand dollars a month, but the girls refused, so on March 6, 1998 the government apologized and offered a four million dollar lump-sum payment. It is still a mystery where the remainder of the money went, but it is very possible that the government being the high hat man that he was used the money for his own expenses. If it wasn't for the government the children would have been able to lead a normal life, but
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