John Key Quotes Flashcards
“You’s women! You’ve nae system”
Johns dialogue is criticising despite never dealing with the burdens of basic household tasks the way women are having to in this play suggests his lack of respect for women
“Puir lily! Goad help her… (sotto voce) the interferin bitch. Nae wunner she couldna get a man”
Johns dialogue shows he doesn’t recognise lilys efforts to support their family and instead mocks her suggesting he is an ungrateful character and undervalues women in his life
“You couldna knock doon an empty midden-bin”
Johns dialogue suggests he doesn’t have high expectations for Alec perceiving him as incapable/weak
“I can actually feel ma heart turnin intae butter”
Johns physical description of the heart has connotations of compassion this suggests his loving father figure
“Ye impident little bitch! What I ought tae dae is tak ma belt tae ye”
Johns dialogue highlights abusive relationships which shows that men at the time of the play often retreated back to violence to assert their dominance over women - he does not take things this far with Alec
“(Slowly and painfully locates the teapot)”
The stage directions show that John struggles to do basic household tasks which suggests he doesn’t do them very often which was the stereotype of men at the time
“Try. Try. As if I didnae try”
The dialogue shows that the repetition of try emphasises how sorry he is for himself which suggests that he thinks he is trying hard enough
“Shut yer mouth or I’ll shut it for ye!”
Johns dialogue highlights abusive relationships and male violence he doesn’t hit Maggie but isn’t afraid to act upon his temper
“I’m no turnin masel into a bloomin skivvy! I’m a man”
Johns dialogue shows the stereotypes of men and that cleaning was for women, he doesn’t want to be deemed less of a man by doing domestic work even under the circumstances they are suffering from
“I’d an idea I wis heid o this hoose”
Johns dialogue shows he wants to dominate the house suggesting he controls everything which was the stereotype of men at the time of the play
“Did ye ever provide me wi a hoose I could bring a decent fella hame to?did ye?”
Jenny’s dialogue once again highlights that John is a poor provided for the family and because of this Jenny’s future relationship could be affected as they are living In poverty suggesting he should be ashamed
