Here are the suggestions, for Scottish text, as made by the class. Happy studying!
Men Should Weep – Poverty
The theme of poverty is prevalent throughout the text and is the main source of conflict. The theme of poverty is established at the start of the text:
Nappies hang on a string across the fireplace and the table, dresser, etc., are in a clutter. (Page 1)
Word Choice – “clutter” Denotations of untidy. Connotations of messy, unorganised. This stage direction coveys the state of the Morrisons’ house, that is unorganised due to the family, mainly Maggie, having to work and not having time to tidy the house. This implies that they are poor as Maggie has to take care of the children, whilst John looks for work. He hasn’t had decent job for 10 years, being the reason for the family’s poverty.
Poverty is a major cause for conflict, as seen in Act 1, Scene 2:
John: The impidence o ye! It’s your duty tae hand ower every penny ye ern tae her that’s looked efter ye a yer days. (Page 26)
Short sentences – “The impidence o ye!” The use of short sentences in the dialogue are to emphasise the anger that John is feeling in this scene. He is obviously angry at Jenny as she doesn’t want to support her family, but instead start a life of her own. She is limited in where she can go as her and her family are in poverty, though her only solution to fixing the problem is to start a life of her own. This drives Jenny as a character throughout the text, all because of poverty.
Portrayal of Women
In Act 3 after Maggie snaps and attacks John she says:
“Dinna fret yerself, Jenny. I can manage him…I can aye manage him.”
Dialogue. Word Choice of “manage” conveys that she can handle the problem that is a conflict between John and Jenny. This suggests that Maggie is the real head of the house which makes her a strong, independent character.
Jenny, Maggie’s eldest daughter runs of at the beginning of the play but returns at the end with money and the opportunity despite John’s requests. For Maggie this is a moment of self-discovery she can have the control of her own life now.
“They canna staun up tae things like a wummen.”
This shows female strength and is the start of major turning point for Maggie as she becomes more and more disenchanted with her life.
Lily, Maggie’s independent single sister is very much against men, she thinks “there aw dirty beasts”. As she argues with Maggie about John but Maggie straight away stands up for her husband.
“You leave John alane! He does his best for us”
Even though Maggie knows John doesn’t do anything for he and hed children she still stands strongly by her husband as that was the right things to do.
In Act 1 Scene 2 Jenny decides to leave her family and leave to a better place for better living conditions. Jenn – about leaving home:
“There’s better places than this. Jist because I wis born here disnae mean I’ve got tae bide here”
This shows Jenny’s independent character as she is trying to make her own living and not have to rely on her family.
Portrayal of Men
In Act 3 Jenny comes back to her house to help her family. John’s reaction to her idea is:
“Ye can tak hat back tae yer fancy man. We’re wantin nae o yer whore’s winnins here”
Dialogue, conveys that John would much rather live in poor conditions rather than take money from Jenny. This also implies that he is too proud to accept help from other which makes him look as weak to the audience.
Alec is the most submissive of the male characters and although he tries to dominate Isa, she out wills him. Isa on her husband Alec:
“He’ll dae whit I tell him, that’s mair than you can say. I can twist him roon ma little finger.”
Dialogue, this emphasises how Isa can manipulate Alec and this shows that men throughout the play are shown as weak with Alec being weakest.
John becomes submissive at the end of the play as he breaks down as Maggie highlights his hypocrisy at how he treats Jenny. John- when Jenny says she has the money to help out the family to move to somewhere better:
“I’d an idea I wis the heid o this hoose”
Dialogue, conveys that John thinks he is the head of the house and this emphasises that he is weak as he has to say this out loud to convince himself that it is true. This further develops the audiences’ understanding the gender roles throughout the play as John submissively thinks that he should provide for his family and due to bad working circumstances he cannot afford to find a job.
FEMALE AND COMMUNITY BONDING
• Maggie and Lily
• Isa and Jenny
• Maggie and Mrs Bone, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Harris
• Maggie and Jenny
Maggie and Lily
Maggie and Lily have a close female bond due to them being sisters, they are very close and Lily helps Maggie out as much as she can. However some conflict arises due to Lily’s hatred of Maggie’s husband despite this Maggie and Lily still have a close bond:
“Lily puts her arms around Maggie” page 36
This stage direction highlights Lily’s love for her sister as she comforts her at a time of need due to Bertie being kept in the hospital for his TB cough.
Isa and Jenny
Isa and Jenny are both seen in the text as the promiscuous due to the way the dress and their attitude, this is looked upon bad due to the time period. Both are seen to have a close bond due to this and get along well:
“Jenny and Isa look at each other, lift their shoulders, and heave mock sighs”
This stage direction highlights a friendship between Isa and Jenny as they both look at each other and mock others it indicates there very close, thus highlighting the female bond.
Maggie-Mrs Bone, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Harris
The community bond in this play is shown throughout the novel due to them helping each other in the time of need. In the past neighbours relied on each other for food and other necessities. Mrs Wilson has an argument with Maggie about her child having head lice however it is resolved quickly highlighting the female bond:
“Mrs Harris and Mrs Bone are keeping her company”
The stage direction shows the neighbours keeping Granny company showing that there caring about helping out Lily and Maggie.
“Mrs Wilson comes in”
This stage direction shows how close the bond is as they can walk in and out of each other’s houses without knocking highlighting the close bond.
“A nice girl, Lily, Pity she missed the boat”
This dialogue shows the neighbours like to gossip which causes some conflict and tension between Maggie and the neighbours however the bond never breaks and they remain very close.
Maggie and Jenny
Maggie and Jenny have a close bond due to being mother and daughter, Maggie tries to keep the peace with Jenny despite her moving out and John refusing to speak to her. In Act 3 Maggie and Jennys bond is highlighted due to Jenny trying to help her family despite the way John spoke to her. Jenny gives Maggie money to get better housing to get Bertie out of hospital, thus emphasizing poverty. However John does not want to take the money off Jenny as he is the man of the family and he should get the money this highlights gender roles.
“Jenny, ye need a lot o money tae flit!” – Maggie
“I’ve got that” –Jenny
This dialogue shows Jennys wiliness to help Maggie and her family despite what John thinks.
Conflict within family relationships
• John and Maggie
• John and Jenny
• John and Lilly
• Alec and Isa
John and Jenny
Conflict between John and Lily is established during a conversation between Maggie and Lily when Lily states:
“If John wid just gee hissel a shake”
This dialogues implies that Lily doesn’t feel John does enough for to provide for his family. The word choice of “shake” has connotations of to wake up, showing that Lily feels John is slacking in his duties as the only source of income.
Act 1 scene 1 Page 13, we are first introduced to John and Lily together. Conflict is shown instantly and it is made clear that Maggie doesn’t have a high opinion of men, this furthers the conflict between her and John:
“Oh, I suppose if you was a wuman you’d hae everythin jist perfect”
This dialogue establishes gender roles as well as conflict as it implies that woman are to be organized and highlights the pressure they feel under. The word choice of “perfect” has connotations of flawless, this highlights pressure and also the difficulty they have in perfecting everything.
Alec and Isa
We are first introduced to Alec and Isa in Act 2 Scene 2 when they go to live with Maggie as their house had collapsed. The characters are both drunk when we are first introduced to them, this highlights their age and generation compared with Maggie and John.
Isa is clearly in control of the relationship which portrays Alec as a weak character in the play as males are normally associated with having a dominant role. This shows conflict as Isa treats Alec badly and causes arguments between them both.
In Act 3 page 64, the conflict between Isa and Alec progresses into Alec being violent towards Isa for trying to leave. Alec believes she is leaving for another man this further develops Alec as a weak character as is shows his insecurities.
“He gets his hands round her throat”
This stage direction clearly shows the violence between Alec and Isa which furthers the conflict between them. Alec’s actions show his emotions controlling him, this shows his vulnerability as a character and the aggression he is capable of, this furthers to the conflict between him and Isa as his anger only progresses.
Men Should Weep – Poor Housing
Repetition of “midden” – connotations of untidy, unclean which shows the poor living conditions in which the Morrisons find themselves in. As this is dialogue which is repeated throughout the play it further enhances that the Morrison’s living conditions are very poor.
“Nappies hang on a string across the fireplace and table, dresser etc., are in a clutter” – Stage Direction – nappies are very dirty and by having them across their fireplace it highlights the dirtiness of the Morrison’s home. The clutter of the table and dresser further emphasise this point.
“Livin in a slum” – A slum is a very crowded place inhabited by very poor people. The use of this word totally sums up the poor housing situation of the Morrisons and how crammed their house is.
“Your Alec’s street. The hooses has collapsed” – This plot point makes it clear that the flats in which many people of this time and area stayed in were poorly built and some fell down themselves after just a few years of being constructed.
Infidelities: Alec and Isa
They have reversed roles in the relationship:
Isa is ruling over Alec. This is explored through Isa’s dialogue;
“Aww shut up! I’m sick o yer jawin” Pg 40
“Aww shut up (she pushes him away) ye’re aye wantin tae slobber ower me. If ye wis onythin decent tae look at it wouldna be sae bad, but ye’re like somethin that’s been left oot a night in the rain. Go’n blow! I canna staun ye’re fumbling aboot – unless I’m canned. Get oot ma way. I’m gonnae get dressed.” Pg 42
This is effective in proving that there is a reversed relationship between Alec and Isa. The short sentence “Go’n blow!” is effective in portraying Isa’s anger towards Alec. This enhances the role reversal as a woman would not normally say this to a man in a 1930’s relationship or marriage.
Isa is unfaithful. We discover this when Isa is flirting with John;
“My! Your eyes when we laugh…” Pg 46
“Whit for, Daddy?” Pg 47
This is effective in portraying Isa being unfaithful to John as she is flirting with his dad which gives the audience an idea as to how much Isa does not like the current relationship she is in. Word choice > “Daddy” denotation: A child’s word for father. Connotations: someone who has a higher status, someone who is dominant
John
He is unfaithful when he takes Isa’s side rather than her wife, Maggie: “(to John) And I like a man – (her voice breaking) – tae stand up for his wife.”Pg 45
The use of stage direction “(her voice breaking)” insinuates that Maggie is struggling to tell this to John as she is perhaps anxious about how he may react.
“He smiles at her. They both laugh.” Pg 46
This stage direction shows that John feels a bit of attraction towards Isa as he smiles at her, and they both partake in a laugh about John’s son, Alec. This is a clear showing of John being unfaithful – not only to Maggie – but to Alec and himself.
Men Should Weep – The Character of John
“John comes in carrying books under his arm. He is a big, handsome man”
-Stage Direction: This highlights to the audience that John is a well-educated man who enjoys reading and learning new things. – Page 13.
“You get intae bed, Maggie, and rest yersel. (Pause) If ye can.”
-Dialogue: This indicates to the audience that John loves his wife dearly and understands that she is always busy so he tells her to relax and that he will help out. – Page 20.
“He drags her over to a mirror, then propels her, resisting, to the sink, where, holding her head under his arm, he scrubs off her make-up.”
-Stage Direction: This portrays John’s character to be a very angry and bad tempered man, it also highlights to the audience that he does have another side to him, he is not only a loving husband to his wife but he is also a strict and has the potential to be violent. – Page 25.
“Hundred o us, Maggie, beggin for the chance tae earn enough for food and a roof ower our heids.”
-Dialogue: This shows the audience that John isn’t a lazy man because he is trying his best to provide for his family by attempting to get a job but as John said to Maggie, there is loads of men trying for the same job, just to provide for their families. This further emphasises that John is a hard-working man.
“An I couldna mak enough tae gie her a decent hame. So! She’s left us! She’s as guid as deid tae us”
-Dialogue: This highlights to the audience that John blames himself for his daughter Jenny leaving, it also emphasises the theme of Poverty as he said: “An I couldnae mak enough tae gie her a decent hame”, this explores poverty as he refers his on home to not being decent thus the reason to why Jenny left home.
Gender roles
There are three main females in the play that are affected by the theme of gender roles. Maggie, who is always on her feet, is constantly running after her family. Lily is helpful to the Morrisons and brings food for the family such as beans. Lily also brings medicine for Bertie as he has TB. Jenny walks out on the family only to return months later with money to make amends with her family. These characters are busy trying to improve their lives in the play and have many hardships to face within the play.
The men in the play contrast with the females, Words like “feeble, wilting, morosely and pleading” are frequently used to describe Alec and this word choice shows that he is a weak character, whilst john is portrayed several times with “his head in his hands.” Alec spends his days trying to win Isa’s affection, gambling and drinking, John spends most of his time looking for a job. Alec’s lifestyle is not particularly admirable or impressive. Whilst John’s character is more admirable, he still fails to provide for his family.
During the play, it is made evident that it is the role of the females to cook, clean and look after the house, Maggie earns money from cleaning and when she is at home, she is also expected to clean her own house.
At the beginning of the play, it is made evident that men make the decisions because it was their right to be head of the house. Act three however, presents John as weak and Maggie takes Jenny’s money and John is left ashamed because a women has stood up against him. This reveals that John is not as powerful against Maggie as he thought and he is left speechless at Maggie’s confidence to stand up against him.
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