The Prodigies

"The Prodigies" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Home Monthly in July 1897.

Plot summary

The Mackenzies are invited to the Masseys' at four in the afternoon to hear their children, Hermann and Ad, sing. Later, Mr. Mackenzie overhears the children say they wish they could join other children and play with them instead of working. He chips in and tells them they will go to a dog show with his children the next day, instead of seeing an opera as planned. During their performance, the girl collapses. One month later, Mr. Mackenzie informs Mrs. Massey that the girl's voice has been worn out. Undaunted, she prods her son to become a very successful singer.

Characters

The Prodigies (film)

The Prodigies is a 2011 French-British computer-animated science fiction, action, drama and psychological thriller film based on La Nuit des enfants rois, a novel written by French writer Bernard Lenteric, Magnolia Pictures had acquired distribution rights in the film for North America and plans to release the English-language (American) version under the title The Prodigies, Entertainment Film Distributors had acquired distribution rights in the film for United Kingdom and Ireland and plans to release the English-language (British) version under the title The Prodigies: The Night of Royal Children, as Warner Bros. Pictures holds France distribution rights.

Summary

Ten-year-old Jimbo Farrar is a gifted child who is misunderstood and regularly beaten by his parents. One day he is badly beaten by his father while his mother cheers him on, and Jimbo gets carried away by his anger and loses control of his abilities. When he wakes, up he finds out that his mother's body on the floor, as she had been beaten to death by his father, who then hanged himself, all under the control of Jimbo. He is then sent away to a mental hospital, where Jimbo is visited by multi-billionaire Mr. Killian, who decides to take him under his wing to help him control his abilities.