| * Margaret was born in Fort Ord California in the mid 1920's * Joined the army when she turned 18. Rank of Major by her mid twenties. Works as Head Nurse at the 4077th M*A*S*H. - TERRIFIC NURSE! Army serial number: RA31619185. * Family includes father Colonel Alvin Houlihan, mother an army nurse and her sister who is a Captain. * Married for a few months to a Lt Col Donald Penobscott, divorced him after he ran back to America, and when she was finally sick of his cheating. Before him she had year-ish long relationship with Maj. Frank Burns, also at the 4077th, and various Generals. * Because of these affairs, she earned the nickname 'Hotlips'. Margaret was an intelligent, headstrong defiant army nurse, who followed rules and regulations to the point of it being ridiculous and followed in her father�s footsteps. She has a phobia of loud noises. Still she joined the army. Because of her army background and constant moving as a child, Margaret never knew how to relate to people. Any friends she made, she was forced to leave when her family moved. So finally she decided that it wasn't worth the pain so she stopped making friends and busied herself in moving ahead in her career. Being in a war zone changed all this. The tragedy, waste, depression and despair that comes with war, forced her to form relationships. Her first try at relating ended in a disaster known as Frank Burns. After realising married men were a lost cause, she herself became engaged and ended it with Frank. Being taught the way she was, relating to her staff - the nurses was at times an even tougher time. Mid-way through the show, she broke down and confessed of her lonliness and inability to relate and make friends. During her engagement and marriage, Margaret became good friends with the other officers. Hawkeye Pierce and BJ Hunnicutt soon became her favourite people. That tough, army exterior stuck though. During her divorce, the two doctors (especially Hawkeye) became her source of confidence; her failed marriage again reminded her she was alone...or so she believed. She soon learned that there were people who cared about and for her, that they were willing to listen, there for her to cry on and also there to have fun. Because of Hawkeye and many other people in camp, the high barriers she had up for so long came crumbling down, and her former self was no longer seen. She also learned that all people are equal - even the enlisted! and so showed compassion and friendship to them. Her relationship with her nurses also grew, still being one of 'The Guys', but able to have female companionship too. Towards then end, a visit from her father reveals that much of her barrier was put up so she wouldn't disappoint people. Having thought she had done that all her life and still doing it (disappointing) - especially to her father, she kept all emotions at a minimum and people at an arms length. She was born ARMY, and was expected to stay that way her whole life; but because the war, and the great friendships she had made in it, her view of an ideal world changed dramatically and when the war finally did end she dropped a little 'bomb' on everyone. Her speech in the finale says it all: "I've always looked to my father for guidance, when he makes up his mind about something he does it no matter what anybody says. And that's what I'm gonna do, what I've wanted to do all along. Work, in the states, in a hospital...There's a lot of my father in me, it's never been his way to tell people how he feels about them so I guess that's why I never told my nursing staff what I've told other people about you. It's been an honour and a priviledge to have worked with you and I'm very very proud to have known you." By the end of the war, she was sick of the Army and to everyone�s surprise she opted for a big city hospital, for maybe the first time deciding something for herself � finally finding independence from her father, and most importantly herself. It took three years, but she went from Major Hotlips Houlihan to just plain Margaret Houlihan! |
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| Margaret's Tent |
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