Is it true to say that women dominate men in Hobson's Choice? Why is this significant in the context of the play? Give examples to support your view.

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Laura Scopes        Page        16/06/00

Hobson’s Choice

Is it true to say that women dominate men in Hobson’s Choice? Why is this significant in the context of the play? Give examples to support your view.

In the play Hobson’s Choice I believe that women do dominate the men greatly, although it is Maggie Hobson who strengthens this theory, throughout the play.

        Maggie Hobson is confident and has a very strong-minded character. Throughout the play she stands up for herself against everyone who does not believe in her, especially her arrogant father, Henry Horatio Hobson. She is unlike her two younger sisters, Vickey and Alice, who are very flirtatious, proud and snobbish.

“It’s the fashion to wear bustles”

“We shall continue to dress fashionably, father”

They are also very näive, particularly towards their father’s business. It is Maggie who runs the shop and generally keeps the house in order and the business going. Hobson takes advantage of his daughters and does not pay them any wages.

“Wages? Do you think I pay my own daughters wages? I’m not a fool”

Hobson also does not want his daughters to marry if it means paying settlements.

“From the moment you breathed the word ‘settlements’ it was dead off”

Hobson is a drunk who spends the earnings of his boot shop on drink every lunchtime and at every other available opportunity. He has become an alcoholic.

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        Even at the beginning of the play, it is not fair to say that the men dominated the women, because they ran both the house and business without any financial or moral support from their father. To some extend even Hobson’s life was run for him by his daughters. When Hobson offended his

eldest daughter Maggie, the role that she had played in his life for so many years is clearly shown after she leaves him and the family home. He said to Maggie that she was too old to marry, and that no one would want to ...

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