when it comes to being the leader and important in a certain role. Maggie is not only in control of the shop and accounts but also of the household’s welfare and her father’s lifestyle. She reminds him that, “dinner is at one.” Here we see Hobson’s chauvinistic and old fashioned ways. “It’s one o’ clock dinner because I say it is, and not because you do.” Maggie is not weak enough to give into her father and keeps the time the same, but then again is smart enough to compromise the time, “Dinner at half-past one, girls. We’ll give him half an hour”. These are all important qualities.
Early on Hobson’s character is very discourteous in his manner towards Maggie and her age of marrying. In all the talk of Hobson disciplining his “bumptious” girls’ marriage comes into the conversation. Maggie asks, “I f your dealing husband’s round, don’t I get one?” He says that,
“You’re a proper old maid, Maggie, if there ever was one.”
We would expect Maggie or any other woman to be infuriated by this stereotypical statement, but she takes this only as another reason to wed Willie and make her life better. This is one of Maggie’s more important qualities throughout the play.
Maggie seems to be thinking of events that have taken place since the play began. While her father is away at the Moonraker’s public house, she takes time to speak with Willie that shoe maker. It may have seemed that Maggie was resigned to life as a spinster, running her father and his business. When she summons Willie, we see that maybe this action for the future had been an old idea expanding in her mind. However her direct approach, which can be seen as an attribute, works well to make Willie understand her intentions. To wed Willie a working class man is a very great and brave step from Maggie yet she is reassured that she is in the best interests of both of them. She posses the very unique quality of self-confidence and faith in her self. Maggie throughout this scenario has had full confidence in herself and a sense of domineering character about her. “But I have. My brain and your hands ’ull make a working partnership”. She is loyal and ambitious enough to try the wedding with Willie Mossop, as he says, “without there’s love between us, lass”. She knows that her plan is going to work. She expresses this immensely when she says,
“When I make arrangements, my lad, they’re not made for upsetting”.
Her strength in character and her belief in her own ability to achieve what she wants are apparent when she eliminates the threat of Ada Figgins. Willie says he is, “tokened” and helpless” with Ada. Ada Figgins to her is of no actual threat. She makes remarks about Ada without knowing her. Her best interests are for Willie, or this is what we learn from her speech. She asks Ada of the future, and if Willie is goin to do well. Maggie is persistent and narrow minded. This is not a bad comment. It is actually a quality. Maggie is not narrow minded enough not to take advice or be selfish, but to see her own future and what is best for others. So when she confronts Ada all se is doing is,
“I want a word with you; you’re treading on my foot young lady.”
The ‘proposal’ goes quite Maggie’s way. She succeeds in dismissing Ada and being engaged to Willie and convincing him that it would be best for him to marry and her and be her partner.
He realises there is “no escape” after she tells him,
“Willie Mossop, you take orders from me in this shop.
I’ve told you, you’ll wed me.”
As Maggie reveals to the sisters about the marriage, we see at once a distinct disgust portrayed by the two girls of having Willie, a working class man, as a brother-in-law. As Hobson protests Maggie defiantly stands her ground and “makes terms” with Hobson. Yet again, we have seen her domineering personality protrude to give her what she wants. From Hobson at the moment she wants, “You will pay my man, Will Mossop, the same as before.” And then for her self, “and you will pay me fifteen shillings by the week.” He tries to beat Will with his belt to stop the marriage, but Willie shows a new strength and stands up against Hobson and kisses Maggie. Maggie has now achieved the ‘first part of her plan’ and says,
“Willie! I knew you had it in you, lad.”
When she says this it is like she never expected him to stand up like this, but when Willie does she is perceptive enough to praise him.
Maggie approaches her wedding with a very no nonsense method, which we have seen displayed in the opening scenes. We see her hearing of her father’s mishap, from Albert Prosser. But at this point Maggie is sorting out the wedding. She arranges for the ring. A normal woman of that period and even now would like to possess gold, or some other valuable material, for their ring. Maggie chooses and ordinary brass. This is because her sense of purpose outweighs any romantic notions that women may have seen about marriage. She sees the symbol of long term success and love. “A ring out of stock!” Maggie retorts, “They’re always out of someone’s stock”. She is aware of the current hierarchy of the classes even though she does not agree. This is a very special quality of Maggie which progresses through out the play. The same approach is taken when furnishing her cellar. Maggie finds it needless to waste valuable money on furniture and materialistic things, when a simple and cheaper option would, suit much better.
“I’m not getting wed myself to help the furnishing trade along.”
But despite the way Maggie herself could be seen as overassertive on Willie and the girls she still tells Vickey, “you’ll be respectful to my Willie”, and that she and Alice must kiss him their “brother-in-law to be. This shows that Maggie is a mix of strong woman but one nonetheless conforms and respects Willie.
We see Maggie’s authoritarian and domineering side once again when she makes a respected young lawyer, cart a load of second hand chairs to her cellar. Maggie with this no nonsense method has quickly finished the complicated affair of marriage and
house furnishing. The next key scene where even more of Maggie’s qualities come into play is the manipulation of Hobson. Henry Horatio Hobson has fallen into the cellars of Beenstock & Co, where they have sued him for spying on company secrets. Maggie knows this and Hobson does not. This is a very ironic scene as only Hobson is unaware that Maggie knows his predicament. Maggie at this point is having a marriage party with her sisters and their intended. Willie is also their making speeches, with his new education from Maggie. But Maggie has not only called them there for that specific reason. She knows that Hobson is going to come to her with this problem and therefore has involved Albert the lawyer. As Hobson explains the dilemma she says, “I got them her because I expected you.” Hobson only wants to keep the name of his shop out side the scorn of the public eye. She deals with the situation allowing the case to be solved outside of court with less publicity. She realises Hobson’s liability once more and extorts potential once more. As the fine was of one thousand pounds, Maggie halves it with her business sense,
“Counter action for personal damages due to your
Criminal carelessness in leaving your cellar flap open.”
As Hobson thinks he is of the hook she takes the other five hundred to help the two girls Alice and Vickey in their marriages. We see her after all those years set her father straight. She dismisses the couple only to be left with, frightened Willie. Leading to their marriage and past it we see her strength and ability to help Willie, the less fortunate, in his education of reading and writing, which I consider a very empathetic and compassionate thing to do. I think that Maggie is beginning to soften, but this change is very slight, I do not see her softening as a disadvantage. She has virtually attained her goal and is becoming more feminine and relaxed. This was predominantly seen when Maggie keeps a flower from the bouquet. Maggie who is “caught in the act of sentiment and apologetically,” says,
“I thought I’d press it in my bible for keepsake, Will.”
At this point we see the real affect of the Maggie on Will. As he is finishing his copying, he fells intimidated at the thought of the first night with Maggie. This scene with much comedy ended “with Maggie leading Will to the bedroom by the ear.”
This situation, even though comical, this is quite symbolic, it shows Maggie’s strength as a woman. Being in control of this act of nature while being a woman is fairly unanticipated. It is expected for the male to be the dominant sex, especially in this situation.
As time progresses we see Hobson and his health deteriorating. He is still his own persistent, stubborn self. The doctor can only think of one thing for Hobson. Someone to look after him who can be in control and in charge at all times, and these point to Maggie. “One prescription is one the table Mrs Mossop. The other two are total abstinence and –you.”
The other two daughters Alice and Vicky are also asked, but they give feeble excuses. Maggie the worst treated child looks aster her father. The other two only think of the will and money. “He might leave them his money.”
“It would be most unfair on us.”
But through all this Maggie expects the best for Will. Before Will’s arrival she expects her father to put on a collar to treat him with respect.
“Father, either I can go home or you can go and put a collar on for Will.
I will have him treated with respect.”
When Alice and Vickey leave a conversation strikes up where we can see the true magic of Maggie and her qualities. They are not expressed by Maggie but by Will. All her hard work in teaching him and building their business has come through. She is now happy to sit back and allow Will to take control. Her wifely skills have been excellent as Willie is now more assertive. He talks to Hobson of arrangements. He even talks of further planning for the future. He suggests a new name for the shop, “Mossop and late Hobson.” Eventually Will changes the name to “Mossop and Hobson”, and tells Maggie that that is the name, and it is left alone. This is a remarkable change in the relationship.
“Mossop and Hobson or its Oldfield road for us Maggie.”
At the very end see one last glimmer of dominant Maggie. Will says, “I’m afraid I bore on him to hard. Maggie dismisses his worrying thoughts and says, “Don’t spoil it will. You’re the man that I made and am proud of. We see Maggie filled with true love as she will not let Willie replace the symbolic meaning of the brass ring. The moment is captured and the Maggie has now achieved her goal.
We can only be certain that Maggie and Will go on to bigger and better things all due to the abundant qualities possessed by Maggie. She has a strategical brain with the power to extract the smallest amount of potential. But overall Maggie is a unique woman of her day. “Hobson’s Choice” emerged to the public around the time when women were treated as a lower form to chauvinistic men such as Hobson. Maggie therefore is a woman that can be used as an example of what a female can be. I believe that Harold Brighouse was a feminist and feel that by using Maggie and her qualities he has projected the view that women can be as strong as or stronger than men. Yet with the touch of femininity, she has shown a quality to see past the stereotypical classes, to see what people really are for there heart and aptitude.
