A Taste of Honey was first performed in 1958. It was set in Manchester.

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A TASTE OF HONEY.

        A Taste of Honey was first performed in 1958. It was set in Manchester. Manchester at that time was an industrial town. There were lots of working class people like there is today as well as poverty. The play is about a mother and daughter relationship, Helen and Jo, their problems and their attempts to cope with life. The play is controversial because Helen is a semi-whore which at that time was maybe wasn't unusual, but wasn't acceptable. She is divorced and a single parent, according to statistics in 1958 1 in 100 marriages ends in divorce. It was difficult to get divorced and divorce was frowned upon. In the 1950's single parents were a 'tiny' minority of the population because divorce at that time was  uncommon. Helen had Jo at a young age. The community would of thought bad about Helen. Conversation between Helen is like verbal sparring. Helen is very self-centred. Jo becomes increasing central to action. Helen is a whore, she goes out for sex in return for money. She is thoughtless, poor and unromantic. We can tell this from act 1 scene 1 because she only thinks about herself, she is need of money and she doesn't marry for romance, but for money. This shows she is poor and unromantic. Jo is argumentative, mature and responsible at times She is arrogant, she can get angry, she has feelings. Jo is also stubborn, poor, serious, negative, insecure and self-sufficient.

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        The flat is in a poor condition. When Helen and Jo go in to the flat, Jo's first impression is bad. She doesn't like it.

" well! this is the place"

 "and I don't like it"

   

This quotation shows us that she doesn't like the flat. Helen says that

 "that's all I can afford"

This shows us that Helen is poor. They have to share the bathroom with the community (the people in the building). This takes away a source of privacy. It is very cold and has no heating.

 "God! ...

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