Exploring the play from the perspective of Willie Mossop’s Development.
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
Discuss the characters of Maggie and Hobson in their dramatic context. Comment on how they illustrate and highlight the roles of men and women in their Victorian social context.
English Coursework 20th Century Drama Discuss the characters of Maggie and Hobson in their dramatic context. Comment on how they illustrate and highlight the roles of men and women in their Victorian social context. The play "Hobson's Choice" is an invigorating character comedy set in Salford, a town near Manchester. It is also a biting commentary on the Victorian values that overhung into the early twentieth century, when it was written. It pits Henry Horatio Hobson, an alcoholic old shop owner, against his forceful daughter Maggie, who is determined to break out of the dull boot shop and the life of genteel spinsterhood that awaits her. "Hobson's Choice" looks at the Victorian class and gender stereotypes, and then blows them to pieces. Hobson himself has clear ideas about the place of women, which he frequently expresses. His view is that "a wife is a handy thing", yet that men who marry are "putting chains upon themselves". This shows him to be a sexist hypocrite, but perhaps he is a product of his time? His views on class are equally pronounced, since he declares Willie unfit for Maggie to marry because "his father was a workhouse brat", and similarly treats Mrs Hepworth with great respect, though she -being in the class well above Hobson- treats him with disdain. This shows that to some extent at least, Hobson is merely reflecting the attitudes of his society.
What does this scene reveal to the audience about the characters of Maggie and Willie? In what ways is it dramatically effective?
Hobsons Choice What does this scene reveal to the audience about the characters of Maggie and Willie? In what ways is it dramatically effective? The play Hobson's choice is set in Salford near Manchester in the north of England, in the 1880s. This scene takes place in the boot shop, which Hobson owns, he has four daughters the eldest is Maggie she pretty much runs the shop as Hobson, since his wife died, has turned into an alcoholic. The scene starts with Maggie saying "Dinner at half past one girls, We'll give him half an hour" this looks as if Hobson has gone to the pub but Maggie has told him that lunch is at One but he says its not. So Maggie appeases and says its at half one. From the words "We'll give him half an hour" it seems as if this argument is a regular occurrence. Maggie then proceeds to order Willie, a cobbler at the shop, up from the cellar/workshop this shows that Maggie is the boss which is unusual in the Victorians hierarchy style class structure. Willie would probably think at this point that he has done something wrong as workman where expected to stay in the workshop. The stage directions say that he stops halfway up the stairs meaning Maggie would be looking down on him as if to tell him off. Maggie then gives him another order "Come up, and put the trapdoor down" this again shows Maggie's dominance this would come through on stage. The stage
How is the historical context of 'Hobson's Choice' reflected in the portrayal of male and female characters in the play?
Hobson's Choice - Post 1914 Drama English literature course work How is the historical context of 'Hobson's Choice' reflected in the portrayal of male and female characters in the play? The play 'Hobson's Choice' was written in 1916 but set in 1870 in Salford. In the 1870's a woman's property was in law of her husband's property and 'she' had no vote. The play's events are set in Victorian times, but its ideas and attitudes were in a generation later when it was written and performed. The themes were base on the rights of women and also a link between rebellion of the younger generation. The moral of the story is shown as a conceited and self-centred old man when he is deflated, while a victim of his despotism, 'a backward lad', grows to his full potentialities, marries the boss's daughter and takes over the business. This shows quite a reckless image showing that the play chronicles a shift in balance of power between the generations and sexes. This just showed that hierarchy in the Victorian times was not obeyed by this family as Maggie and William tries working their way up. In the society men's roles were usually quite different to women's roles with the exception of Mrs Heptworth as she was from a higher status than most of the men in the play. The men in the play were more middle class going up to professionals. Henry Horcatco Hobson is a middle aged windowed man,
Hobson's Choice - How does Brighouse represent the character os Maggie in Act One?
Hobson's choice was written during 1914 - 1915 The story itself follows a middle-class family who own and run a boot maker in Salford, near Manchester, in Lancashire. This play is set in Victorian Salford in Manchester. A man called Henry Horatio Hobson who owns a shoe shop. He has 3 daughters who he wants married off Alice, Vicky and Maggie with the exception of the eldest Maggie who is 30 years old because he thinks she is too old to get married and she does all the house work and minds the shop while he goes to the Moonrakers and gets drunk. Maggie decides to propose to Willie to get wed Hobson does not like it at all so they walk out to open a rival shoe store with the help of a rich women called Mrs. Hepworth. The plot of the story begins with Hobson, a respected shop owner, sighting in his 3 motherless daughters. He attempted to stamp out this behaviour by threatening to find them all husbands of his choosing. Unfortunately for him they all decided to line up husbands for themselves with the eldest, Maggie, accosting a lowly boot hand called Willie Mossop, Alice tokening a lawyer by the name of Albert Prosser and the youngest, Vickey, seized Freddie Beenstock, the heir to a corn warehouse. This alone tells us about the standards and ambition of the three girls. Maggie, the elder more independent of the girls, picks a man whose only skill is to shape leather, but she
'Hobson's Choice'
'Hobson's Choice' A Hobson's choice is basically to offer the option of taking the thing preferred or nothing. So, it is not really a real choice at all. The phrase originated from a practice of a seventeenth century Cambridgeshire stable owner called Hobson whose customers had to take the horse nearest to the door, which was actually Hobson's choice. The phrase was passed on by many generations and is now a phrase used by a large number of people. In the play 'Hobson's Choice', Harry Hobson who lives in Salford above his boot shop with his three daughters, Alice, twenty-three, Vickey, twenty-one and Maggie, the oldest by seven years of Vickey. Hobson is a middle-class man who receives his income from the shop he owns. This shop of his is a boot shop. He, however, does not take any part of the operating. His eldest daughter, Maggie is his main source of income. Her talent in persuasion and a boot maker, Willie Mossop, go well as a partnership; his natural craftsmanship provides boots worth buying. Hobson, whilst the shop is in operation would usually his time in the Moonraker's Inn. He would usually meet with Jim Healer, his companion. Hobson creates an image of himself as a rather domineering character. His hypocrisy is a main ingredient of his bullying behaviour. The attitude and feelings immediately change when Ms. Hepworth, a first-class citizen enters his shop as he
Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse.
Richard Tandy June 2003 Buile Hill High School Centre Number 33321 English Coursework Post 1914 Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse Assignment: With close reference to the text, explain how audiences past and present would react to the comedy in the play. Examine the cultural and historical contexts. Refer to the film version to further support your comments on the drama. Introduction Harold Brighouse Although a prolific and popular playwright and novelist during his lifetime, the reputation of Harold Brighouse today rests almost entirely on his play Hobson's Choice. Born in Eccles near Salford on 26 July 1882, his mother was a teacher and his father was in the cotton business. Despite gaining a scholarship to Manchester Grammar School, Harold was not a keen student; at seventeen he left school to start work in the textile industry. However, during his lunch breaks at work, Brighouse discovered no fewer than ten music halls and theatres near his workplace. They provided a form of escape from his job, and he soon became obsessed with the theatre. Theatre-going had made Harold dissatisfied with his work and, following a visit to London to see a play that he later described as 'outrageously bad', he was determined
Hobsons Choice.
Hobsons Choice was written in 1915 by a cotton industry salesman named Harold Brighouse. He was born in 1882 in Eccles, Salford in Lancashire. His father also worked in the cotton industry. Brighouse only wrote plays in his spare time away from his hectic job as a salesman. He wrote about local working class people. He later resigned from his cotton industry job and became a full time playwright once he realised his potential. At the time of publication it was fashionable to write about northern people because of the unique humour that they posses. The play was performed in local theatres at first but later toured Britain in order to give the British public a chance to see Brighouse's work. Hobsons choice is set in the early 1880s, this is at the main time of the Victorian era, and it was set in Salford, Brighouse's hometown. It shows the audience how much people have changed in such a short period of time. The 1915 audience would find the characters of the play amusing because of their 'silly' old-fashioned ways. Hobson is a symbol of an old Victorian man. His old fashioned ways would entertain the audience of the time. Maggie is a symbol of a modern Victorian woman; she breaks all of the 'rules'. The way a woman behaves differently than she should have done would amuse the audience. In the Victorian era it was normal for men to be the 'boss' of the family. Men chose their
Hobsons Choice.
As part of my English coursework I am going to look at the well presented comedy story of Hobson's choice. The book was written by Harold Brighouse and he wrote it in 1916, the first book was published in 1956. The story is basically about "a battle of wills between Hobson, a hard headed and domineering cobbler and his daughter Maggie, who defies him by marrying his most talented but timid and downtrodden worker Will. She helps Will to develop his potential and together they turn the tables on Hobson himself". In this essay I am going to show how the characters like Henry Hobson the option to deploy the use of comedy. I believe that Harold Brighouse wrote this specific book to show the relationships between working class families and the general attitude they present to each other. There are three main characters in Hobson's choice that I am going to write about, one of which is Henry Hobson- this character is a very successful fifty-five year old business man he is very large, grey haired, he has a very selfish attitude towards each one of his three daughters, he thinks that they are only good for one job and that would be to work in his shoe shop for the rest of their lives. He is rude and abrupt to his daughters and he treats them with no respect, which is why he finally ends up with absolutely nothing. Hobson does not realise how lucky he is and I feel that that is
Maggie can be described as a woman of many qualities"What aspects of the play verify this statement?
"Maggie can be described as a woman of many qualities" What aspects of the play verify this statement? Maggie can be described as a woman of many qualities; there are many aspects of the play that can verify this statement. The scene starts with Maggie saying "Dinner at half past one girls, we'll give him half an hour" This looks as if Hobson has gone to the pub but Maggie has told him that lunch is at one but he says its not. So Maggie says it's at half one. From the words "We'll give him half an hour" it seems as if this argument is a regular occurrence. Maggie is a very dominant character and because of this, she makes a great saleswoman. "This is a shop you know. We're not here to let people go out without buying." In this scene, we also meet the other main character of the book, Hobson. He is an old man, who likes to show that he has money, by the clothes and the jewellery that he wears. Towards the end of this scene, we meet Willie Mossop. He plays an important part of this play. When we first meet him, he is a shy fellow. "I'm not much good at owt but leather." As the play progress, Maggie marries Will and they start up a business together. By the end of the play, Willie is a completely different person, he is no longer shy, but he is a very confident character who is not afraid to speak his mind. Thanks to Maggie Willie had changed in character. Maggie