Maggie's Role in Hobson's Choice

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Maggie has a crucial role in the play. Describe her character,

With reference to the text, and show how she

Influences those around her.

In my essay I will be looking at Maggie's role in the play and her character. I will also look at how she influences the other characters.

Hobson's Choice is set in 1880 (Victorian times) is Salford, Manchester but was written in 1915. With the play being set in Victorian times it has Victorian Values, like women have no independence and men are in charge of everything.

The character Maggie has a crucial role in the play. She has a major role in the shop, she runs it literally on her own but gets help off her sisters. Her father thinks that he is in charge but really Maggie is a she runs everything.

Maggie influences others in the way that she is very bossy, for example Albert Prosser goes in the shop to see Maggie's sister (Alice). Maggie tells him that he should by something or Hobson’ll throw him out of the shop. So he says that he’ll have a pair of bootlaces “I’ll just have a pair of bootlaces, please” but Maggie gets him to buy boots, “What size do you take in boots? It’s time you had a new pair” (page 2). Through this though she is also helping her sister.

Maggie is a very determined woman. A good example of this is on page 16. She calls Willie up from the cellar and tells him that he’ll be her husband, she doesn’t ask him she tells him “I’ve seen, I’ve liked. I think you’ll do for me.” Her personality is very domineering, she is always in charge and she is the boss.

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On the outside she doesn’t show her feelings towards Willie. But she does come to love Willie as she makes her sisters and Hobson respect him “either I can go home or you can go and put a collar on for Will. I’ll have him treated with respect” (to Hobson).

Romance is really not a strong point of Maggie’s but she does have a soft spot. She gives up her free time to help Willie learn to read and write, “Now then, you can sit down here and copy that.” Also on her own wedding night she is throwing ...

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The student clearly has a very thorough knowledge of the events of the play. The references to the events are well selected. The structure of the essay is the weakest area. Try to plan an essay before writing. With character essays such as this, have three or four significant points about the character's personality that could be made, and then make reference to at least two different examples from the play at different points to support them. Ensure after you have given reference you link it back to answering the question about what it shows about the character