Khan: This has been made here, in this shop.
Mama H: (To Minaal) *binty*, you tend to look mature enough to answer me. Well can you?
Minaal: I think so, I’ll try. Well…I’ll make sure who made it for you? (Walks to the right hand side, going to the back door. Opens the door and yells) Raj!
Khan: You wanted to see the worker himself mama?
Mama H: I said so.
Khan: Well, any work done here is my responsibility, so I’m responsible.
Mama H: I never said you weren’t.
Raj Malayalam opens the door and pop’s his head out. A black haired man with a grey chest, with his first button undone. He has a watermelon paunch with stick like legs, he’s wearing a blue cotton shirt with black cotton trousers which have holes and are filthy. He always wears these clothes as if they were his uniform.
Raj: Yes madam? (Still with his head out of the door)
Mama H: Aye you, did you make this material (walking towards him)
Raj: No, mama.
Mama H: Then who did? Did I come here to play the game of twenty questions? I don’t think so.
Raj: Suraj made this. I’m sure he did.
Mama H: Then tell Suraj, I want to talk to him.
Raj: Your orders mama, (he goes back to the back door and calls) Suraj!
Mama H: Who’s Suraj?
Khan: It’s Suraj Fernandez, mama. But if his cloth gave you a rash, I’ll-
Suraj Fernandez walks from the right hand side, coming out of the back door. He is a thirty year old man who has been abused when he was young. He’s been sold for Dhs.1000, by his parents. In his childhood he was teased and bullied at. His lack of education affects his personality. He is a very good man with a good sense of respect. His self-confidence is very low. His clothes are even worse than Rajs’. He comes and stands in front of the door.
Mama H: Are you Fernandez?
Suraj: Yes mama.
Mama H: Did you make this cloth?
Suraj: (taking a quick glance at it from the tip of his eye) Yes, I made this 2 weeks ago.
Mama H: Take that.
Suraj ducking down, expecting a hit or a slap. By surprise he raises his head and sees her holding a card with her name and address on.
Mama H: See, what’s on it?
Suraj: (bending over the card) uhh…writing. Yes, English writing or is it French?
Mama H: Don’t be ridiculous you know it’s English, just read it.
Suraj: (Moving his lips trying t read) Ma-
Mama H: For goodness sake can’t you read?
Suraj: Oh yes me can! It’s just that the writing is too bold.
Mama H: Suraj. (Starring at him) It’s the usual fonts of an address card. Now listen carefully. I am allergic to most cloths so I’m very Picky on what I wear. The reason I come here is because of you.
Khan: And I’ll assure you that we’ll never use this material again.
Mama H: What material?
Khan: (looking confused) I-I-yah the one you’re allergic to. (Grinning and nodding his head)
Mama H: When you don’t have a clue of what I’m saying then hold your tongue. Suraj, I have tried every textile shop in Dubai and you do the best, it seems that my body likes it. Never the less the colours are very elegant. From now on, all my material will be coming from you. You hear that Khan?
Khan: Of course, mama. I’ll make sure he does his work extra well.
Mama H: Suraj, keep that card in a safe place and whenever you move, you wouldn’t dare not to tell me.
Khan: Oh, you don’t worry mama he won’t move to any other place.
Mama H: How do you know? The boy is a jewel, and as I suspect you treat him like one of your items.
Khan: Suraj, that’ll do, you can go now.
Suraj: Yes, sir. (He exits going to the back door, back to work. Minaal is following him)
Mama H: He’s a mouse so eager to go back to work.
Minaal: (coming back from the workers area) can I take your order for another meter of cloth, mama.
Mama H: No thank you. I have enough for now. But mind you I’ll send in my daughters and relatives back here and I expect Suraj to make to make the cloth they need. (Khan rushes to the front door so eager to open the door for mama Hessa)
Mama H: Ma Salamah.
Khan: Ma Salamah, it was an honor serving you.
Glossary
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Shisha Café → a place (café) where you would go and smoke a pipe (shisha), with friends. Mostly men tend to be there as it was a common place to talk, a bit similar to a pub.
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Punjabi → a traditional Indian “dress” clothing until your knees with cotton trousers with the same material as the dress worn underneath.
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Mama → An Arabic word meaning Ma’am or madam. But mama for children means mother.
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Salaam wa alaykm → An Arabic (Islamic word) meaning good day or hello.
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Wa Alaykm AL salaam → An Arabic (Islamic word) word meaning, and a pleasant day to you.
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Binty → An Arabic saying to show love for a girl even though she isn’t your daughter, which “binty” mainly means.
Commentary
Studying the Victorian period from Hobson’s choice, I rewrote a section of the play in modern times.
I have set my play in the year 2005, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As this is where I am from. Instead of making the characters from the U.A.E., I made them Indian this is because, in my point of view, I think their culture relates more to the Victorian culture. Also because the population in the U.A.E. is about 2, 4000,000. The majority of the population are foreigners, and many of the population living in Dubai are Indians. They generally work as builders, drivers or own textile or tailoring shops. The reason I chose Hobson’s modernized family to be Indian is because, the Indians are like the middle class in the Victorian period. They both have similarities in their culture. For instance when one of your daughters wants to get married, the daughters’ father or family has to give the dowry to the man, which is a bit old fashioned because as time changed traditions change. But many of the Indians still have this tradition. They appreciate their culture and background and always try and keep it the same for example celebrating cultural ceremonies or days, like Diwali. This relates to Hobson as he also respects his culture and background, which is the middle class. Hobson also keeps his tradition of marriage, which is that the daughters’ family or father must pay the settlements or dowry.
The part that I rewrote was when Mrs. Hepworth entered Hobson’s shop asking about the boots she was wearing. Firstly we shall look at characteristics:-
They both go to a place where men would go and discuss life. For Henry it’s the pub and for Kumar it’s the shisha Café. Both of them are not very fond of the latest fashions. For instance, Henry, the bustles and Kumar, tight fittings that show off your body parts. They both relate with each other as anything that attracts attention is forbidden.
They have both lost their wives and have 3 daughters helping them at their shops. At the beginning of the play Kumar turn’s out to be a typical “parent of the period”, but at the end he turn’s out to be just like Hobson ending up with no choice other than “Hobson’s Choice”. As both of them have lost their wives they think they can boss their daughters around and stay out till late yet the mothers “ladies” can hit their daughters. They do this as they think this is the way of looking after their daughters’ reputation.
Both of them want to enjoy life and not take it seriously. They are both single and twenty three years old and are fashion addicts. They think they could disobey their fathers.
- Verishna Khan-Vicky Hobson
They are both very proud of their selves and are always making excuses for not doing work, like reading a magazine or a book. But as now there is technology Verishna text messages her friends. They both are young and are twenty one year sand have a high opinion of themselves and try always not to get in trouble with their fathers.
- Minaal Khan-Maggie Hobson
They are both the eldest in their family and are clever. They both try and manipulate people and make them better. For example, when Maggie Hobson made Willie Mossop literate as he was semi-literate. She also raised his confidence and educated him. They both are very good at their job which is sales women. Both of them are past their marrying age, for Maggie she is known as an old maid and “shelved”. As for Minaal there is no specific name for women past their marrying age but there is a belief that the lady is being punished by God and has no luck in life. They are both almost always in control and traditional.
- Suraj Fernandez-William Mossop
They are both low class people and come from a poor family. Willie was abused and brutalized in his childhood were as Suraj was bought, in other words sold for Dhs1000 from his family. As most Indians would do for money. Here in Dubai we had young children who were sold by their parents to be camel racers. Those children were hit and bullied around if their job wasn’t done well. Both these men are semi-literate at the beginning of the play and turn out to be charming men at the end.
- Raj Malayalam-Tubby Wadlow
They both are workers and are poor. Raj has black hair yet Tubby has white. They both have a paunch and stick like legs.
They are both high class people in their times, and are rich. They are both old aged women who are very fussy.
The reason I described the daughters of the Hobson and Khan is because in my opinion they are very important people in the play even though they are not all in the scene that I converted. This is because it shows how the characters change from the first impression of the readers and at the end.
