Maggie first becomes aware of Willies talent, when a customer, Mrs Hepworth, visits the shop and demands to see Willie. We find out here how little faith people have for Willie, as when Mrs Hepworth wants to see the maker of her shoes, Hobson tries to apologise as he thinks that Willie has done something wrong.
"I assure you it shall not occur again, Mrs Hepworth."
By the time Mrs Hepworth has left the shop, she has complemented Willie, insulted Hobson and Maggie has made up her mind that Willie is the man for her.
A short while after, Hobson decided to go to the Moonrakers. While he had gone, Maggie took the opportunity to tell Willie her proposal and so she yet again calls him up to the shop. He is still shy and so he doesn't want to come right up. Maggie tries to builds Will's confidence, by telling
1
him how clever he is and how he could do much better.
"You're a natural born genius at making boots."
This makes Willie feel a little bit better around Maggie as he now knows that she has confidence in him. This is an important factor to help him grow as a person. Maggie then proceeds to question Willie about his future plans. She asks him when he plans to Leave Hobson's, he replies
"Nay, not me. I've been at Hobson's all my life and I'm not leaving till I'm made."
Maggie tries to make will say that he would like to work somewhere else, where he would be on larger wages and he would be making more extravagant shoes. Will does not want any of this. He is happy where he is and he lacks the ambition and confidence that he requires to start somewhere new.
"Nay, I'd be feared to go in them fine places."
Maggie and Willie start to get on quiet well together. They start to talk about how good each of them is at their trade. Willie tries to get away from the conversation by heading back towards his stool, but Maggie will not allow him to go back just yet. She says to him,
"Everything that I've seen, I've liked. I think that you'll do for me."
This shows that Maggie is a very confident character and being confident is one of her qualities.
This makes will feel uneasy around Maggie, as he is not sure if he has heard her right. He tries to see if he has,
"What way, Miss Maggie?"
Once Maggie tells him that he is the man for her, Will starts to feel nervous and starts to stutter slightly. He feels intimidated by Maggie, as she is his boss's daughter.
I'll sit down. I'm feeling queer-like. What dost want me for?"
Maggie tells Willie her plans to start a business. Will acts relieved for a brief time.
Partnership! Oh that's a different thing. I thought you were axing me to wed you."
Maggie then proceeds in telling him that she does. This comes as a shock to Willie and yet again, he feels extremely tense and awkward
2
around Maggie. He has never really spoken to her that much and there is definitely no love between them, yet Maggie has just asked him to marry her.
As Maggie wanted to marry Willie Mossop, it shows that she must me clear thinking as she no’s that if she wanted to get out of Salford she cant wait for a rich person to marry her. She is determined to make the relationship work as being a failure to her would be out of her league. Being a clear thinker and being ambitious are definitely two main qualities that Maggie has.
Maggie and Willie are both successful; Maggie is successful at whatever she does and Willie at making boots. They as a partnership are a very successful team. One of Maggie’s qualities is to do what she wants, she doesn’t really care what other people are going to say, she does what she wants. Another very interesting quality of Maggie is that she has a very good head for business and so she and Willie can make a big profit with her head for business and his superb talent at making shoes. She is a good seller of boots which Willie is the good maker. She is very persuasive to the customers to make them buy the boots. She somehow made Albert buy boots and laces which show that she is good at selling.
Maggie’s and Willies relationship has become stronger and Willie no longer feels intimidated by Maggie. I think that through this play, Willie has changed physically, mentally and emotionally. At the end of the play, Maggie is really please as she has accomplished what she originally set out to do and not only has she gained respect for Willie, but she to has also gained her fathers respect. This shows that she is also clever enough to gain not only Willies respect but Hobson’s respect.
Maggie and Hobson have a very strong relationship, not only their family relationship but their business relationship. I feel they were stronger in the business relationship as Hobson was a stingy man; he never even paid Maggie and Wages. When Hobson was told about her relationship with Willie he was angry, but Maggie was strong enough to over come what he had to say.
In conclusion the qualities that I think Maggie had were that she was slightly Bossy, faintly determined, very Dominant, extremely Clever, incredibly Strong, unbelievably persuasive, to some extent Ambitious and clear thinking.
3