In Act 2 when Alice tells Maggie " I don't know what your aiming at..." she answers " The difference between us is that I do. I always did." Explore the differences between Maggie and her sisters in " Hobson's Choice."

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In Act 2 when Alice tells Maggie “ I don’t know what your aiming at…” she answers “ The difference between us is that I do.  I always did.”  Explore the differences between Maggie and her sisters in “ Hobson’s Choice.”

Hobson’s Choice is a play written by Harold Brighouse and it is set in Salford in 1880.  In those women were victims of the conventions of the day which meant they had to stay at home, cook their masters tea and were generally ordered about during their lives.  However, in this play Maggie is a victim of no one and nothing.  We see her as an individual, very strong headed and also very different from her sisters.  Maggie transcends convention in order to get exactly what she wants, not only for herself but also for those around her.  In this essay, I am going to explain what I feel the main differences between Maggie and her two sisters are and how I think they are portrayed in the play by closely studying Hobson’s Choice.

        The play opens in Hobson’s Boot Shop, Chapel Street, in Salford.  We are introduced to Alice and Vickey who are sat behind the counter when Maggie enters.  As the reader, I learn that Alice is expecting Albert Prosser that morning to come in and attempt to “woo” her.  Alice is a very anxious character at this point in the play as her Father hasn’t left yet for his daily trip to the Moonraker’s, due to a late Mason’s meeting the night before.  Alice knows that her Father hates anything to do with the law, especially a lawyer so he would be furious and very disappointed if he knew they were courting.  Alice and Albert are resultantly very scared of Hobson whereas Maggie has had enough of the pair pussyfooting around.  Using her persuasive skills, she persuades Albert Prosser to pay a pound for some new boots he never intended to buy.  Maggie knew why he came in every morning but decided to tease the pair of them to prove her point that she knows.  The fact that Alice is scared of her Father shows that the sisters won’t stand up to their Father on more significant matters such as marriage.

        However, the sisters are willing to stand up to their Father on more relatively trivial matters.  When Hobson brings up the topic of Alice and Vickey dressing in his mind what he calls inappropriate, they think that it is nonsense and are not really afraid to stand up to him.  

        

Hobson here was referring to the bustle on the girls dresses and claiming,

Vickey starts to stand up for herself and sister by saying,

I think here Vickey is trying as hard as she can to convince her Father, but the sisters together, as a pair still sound scared as their arguments are weak.  If Maggie were having this conversation with Hobson, it would be a different situation altogether.  I think that already, so soon into the text, a huge difference in character between Maggie and her sisters is noticeable.  Minor issues such as continuing to dress fashionably seem much more important to Alice and Vickey compared too much more significant matters such as marriage.  This to Maggie would surely be the other way round.

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        Later on in the text, where Maggie has left to marry Will, the sisters show a severe lack of strength when it comes to running the business. Without Maggie, the business is a shambles.  Alice or Vickey can’t make decisions, take initiative or give commands even though they watched Maggie for years running the business.  When Tubby is implying that the shop is a mess and he doesn’t know what work to do, as none seems to be set for him anymore, Alice worriedly replies, “ Oh dear! What would Miss Maggie have told you to do?”  Alice is still ...

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