Exploring the play from the perspective of Willie Mossop’s Development.

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Hobson’s Choice

Exploring the play from the perspective of Willie Mossop’s Development.

‘Hobson’s Choice’ by Harold Brighouse is a play set in Salford, Manchester in the 1880’s. Throughout the play we see Willie Mossop’s constant development from a lowly shoehand in Hobson’s shop into its successful and confident owner.

The title of this piece of coursework ‘Exploring the play from the perspective of Willie Mossop’s Development’ is very appropriate because it is evident that Willie Mossop does not change as a person. He gradually develops and improves himself with the help of others though mostly through his own ambition. Willie Mossop’s rise is of great importance and is actually the backbone of the play as all the characters can be measured against his actions and change.      

Will Mossop’s first appearance in the play is in Act 1 when Mrs. Hepworth, an affluent high-class lady, comes to praise Willie for the boots he has made. Our introduction to him gives us an immediate impression of a poor and lowly worker, a somewhat “stunted” individual, which is hinted to us using the imagery of Willie coming up “like a rabbit” from a trapdoor in the floor. We can also gather that he is uneducated in that he is unable to read and cannot talk properly. However, despite all this we see that Will Mossop has potential as Mrs. Hepworth points out that “The man’s a treasure”.

        Hobson’s 30 year old and eldest daughter Maggie then summons Will from the cellar and he nervously comes up. She tells him that she has been watching him for the last six months and that “everything I’ve seen I’ve liked”. She suggests that together they could make an excellent partnership. “My brain and your hands will make an excellent partnership”. Will is totally unresponsive to the message that Maggie is trying to convey to him. After a while Willie realizes that Maggie is proposing to him, and shocked at the progress of events he begins giving Maggie reasons why he is unable to marry her. The main reason being that he is “tokened” (engaged) to Ada Figgins, a girl from a similar background to Willie’s. Maggie’s persuasive character and Will’s lack of one combined easily manages to get Ada and her mother out of the picture. Will cannot find any more objections so Maggie considers that he agrees and sets the date for the wedding. It is interesting to note that during the conversation Will calls Maggie by her real name as opposed to the respectful “Miss Maggie” he called her up until this point.

        In his anger at hearing the news of the engagement, Hobson removes his belt and threatens to “beat the love” out of Willie. Will’s response to this is the first major incident where he shows his hidden and strong self. He stands up for himself and tells Hobson that “it’s her that’s after me, but I’ll tell you one thing…if you touch me with that belt I’ll take her quick and stick to her like glue”. Upon hearing Will’s audacity Hobson hits Willie who instantly kisses Maggie and threatens Hobson rashly that if the strap is raised once more they will move away and set up a shoe business elsewhere. At the end of Act 1 the audience and Hobson himself are amazed at the sudden transformation of this man, but Maggie who recognised his potential from the start responds with the words “I knew you had it in you”.

        In Act 2 Maggie and Will purchase a cellar in Oldfield Road which they set up as a shoe shop in competition with Hobson’s. They furnish it with second hand furniture and use part of the cellar as a shop and part of it as living quarters. Brighouse is again using imagery to portray the fact that Willie and Maggie are poor but they are constantly improving. Willie has become his own master as written on his business card “Willie Mossop, master bootmaker’.  We find out that his new shop has taken business away from Hobson and that Willie is becoming very successful.

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In Act 3 after the wedding there are some celebrations in Oldfield Road where Will makes a speech thanking his guests for coming. Maggie’s influence and teaching has taken effect on Will. His vocabulary has become more extensive and he has begun to use more formal words. Although he is slightly anxious his confidence has been boosted and his shy side has almost disappeared.

        During the wedding celebrations a distraught Hobson comes to Maggie for advice about the trouble he has got himself into. In his drunken state he has fallen into Beenstock’s (Vickey’s suitor) cellar and is being ...

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