What have you found interesting about the ways Brighouse presents the character of Maggie in act one of ‘Hobson’s Choice?’

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Tim Wroblewski        Radcliffe School        September 02

What have you found interesting about the ways Brighouse presents the character of Maggie in act one of ‘Hobson’s Choice?’

Maggie is the eldest of Hobson’s three daughters.  Of the three she is the most intelligent and most valuable to Hobson.  She has a very hardened appearance and almost mothers the other three, Hobson, Vicky and Alice.  In the beginning of the book, she works in Hobson’s shoe shop along with her two sisters.  She is a great sales woman and because of this, she is very valuable to Hobson, Hobson himself says ‘Maggie’s to useful to part with.’

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Brighouse has written Maggie into the play to be very forcefully and dominant.  She does not let a customer go out of the shop without making a purchase.  This happened when Albert Prosser came into see Alice, his girlfriend.  Maggie turned to him and exclaimed ‘This is a shop, you know.  We’re not here to let people go out without buying.’  These qualities make Maggie a very successful businessperson.  It is these qualities that make Maggie so important to her father, Hobson.  If Maggie were to leave then the business would cease and Hobson would be in a very ...

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