Men Should Weep Analysis

Question 1

Stage Directions:
“A space has been cleared, centre, for a mattress on the floor with pillows, blankets and old coats.”

Answer 1

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because the family have to cram a mattress on the floor with pillows, blankets and old coats showing they don’t have much room in their home or the money to buy thicker materials such as duvets to keep them warm.

Question 2

Dialogue:
“Livin in a slum an slavin efter a useless man an his greeting waens.”

Answer 2

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because of how Lily describes Maggie’s house, treating it as if it is something to be ashamed of because poverty is undesirable even though most don’t have a choice.
2. Role of women: this shows the role of women because Lily describes Maggie’s life to her as being a slave to a man and his children who do nothing to help out, not even saying that they are Maggie’s children even though she was the one to carry them for 9 months. This shows the under appreciation for what women do.

Question 3

Dialogue:
“Money disnae stretch.”

Answer 3

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through the families struggle with money. Maggie explains that money is tight for them and it isn’t something they can stretch to make it more workable for them and their needs.

Question 4

Dialogue:
“I’ve nae breeks.”

Answer 4

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because Edie has worn out underwear and explains to her Aunt that she has no others to wear. The family struggle to afford some of the most basic things a human needs and shows how stuck in poverty they unfortunately are.

Question 5

Dialogue:
“Your Alec’s street. The hooses has collapsed.”

Answer 5

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because it shows how poor the housing is that these people need to live in. Alec is the eldest son of the Morrison’s and lives with his wife Isa and whilst they were out their houses collapse, showing how little they have to settle for due to being stuck in poverty.

Question 6

Dialogue:
“I had enough o Ma waiting at the shop door every Friday closing time… asking for chipped apples an bashed tomatoes a disgracing me afore the hale shop.”

Answer 6

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because at the end of the week Maggie has to go to Jenny’s work to ask for the battered unsold fruit just to make sure she can feed her family properly. The family struggles with money so much they fail to fully fulfil their basic human needs and have to rely on food that wasn’t bought by those who have enough money to choose the nicest fruit from the grocers.

Question 7

Dialogue:
“Maggie aye bought a bit bacon wi ma pension.”

Answer 7

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because the family can only treat themselves to better food than things such as bread, fruit and beans with the help of Granny’s pension whilst she is living with them.

Question 8

Dialogue:
“It’s only rich folks can keep theirselves tae theirselves. Folks like us huv tae depend on their neighbours when they’re needin help.”

Answer 8

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because it shows how these families do not have the money to miss work when a child is sick, or pay someone to look after their children so have to rely on one another for help.
2. Community: this shows the theme of community because it shows the reliance neighbouring families have on one another when they are in a time of need. They can’t not be a community because each would struggle just as equally as the other if they didn’t have the extra hands to help out.

Question 8

Dialogue:
“Every time I’ve had tae say ‘no’ tae you a the waens it’s doubled me up like a kick in the stomach. Christ Almighty! A we’ve din wrong is tae be born into poverty! Whit dae they think this kind o life dis tae a man? Whiles it turns ye intae a wild animal. Whiles we’re a human question mark, aye askin why? Why? Why? There’s nae answer. Ye end up a bent back and a head hanging in shame for whit ye canna help.”

Answer 8

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through John’s guilt of not being able to provide for his family or treat his children to things they ask for. He explains how he hasn’t done anything to deserve this and cannot help it due to having been born into poverty to begin with.
2. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men through John’s guilt in not being able to live up to his expected role of providing for his family. He feels like he is going insane (like a wild animal) due to failing to do so as he only tries his hardest to make sure his family have the money to be fed, cleaned and clothed.
3. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment through John’s struggle to find a job and his guilt for it. He is ashamed that he can’t give his children everything they ask for because he hardly brings in enough money to give his family their basic needs.

Question 9

Dialogue:
“An then run across tae the baker an see if there’s ony stale tea-dried left.”

Answer 9

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through the families reliance on unwanted food from the bakers. The fact the family have to settle for stale bread because they cannot afford to buy fresh bread and instead wait for the bakers to close to ask for whatever was to be thrown out shows us the true struggle the family is having due to being stuck in poverty.

Question 10

Dialogue:
“Mammy seems tae think they’re letting Bertie hame; but they’re not. No here. No tae this, Mammy.”

Answer 10

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through the state of the families house. Bertie, one of their children, is in the hospital sick with TB and the hospital do not find their home to be safe for him to go back to to ensure full recovery and staying well. The family cannot afford to fix things and keep the house completely cleanly.

Question 11

Dialogue:
“It’s rotten, this house. Rotten. Damp. Ye ken yersel. It’s a midden looking out on ither middens. It’s got rats, bugs.”

Answer 11

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through Jenny’s description of her parents home during a talk about Bertie not being able to get home due to it. Their house isn’t pleasant and is damp, uncleanly and not appealing to live in, attracting rodents and insects. the lack of cleanliness show their struggle with money because they are unable to build the funds to fix leakage problems or properly clean their home to get rid of pest attractions.

Question 12

Dialogue:
“A man’s got nae right tae bring waens intae the world if he canna provide for them.”

Answer 12

1. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men through how men are meant to provide for their family. In this moment John is ashamed of how he is unable to live up to his one responsibility as a father which is providing for his family and states he finds people unfit to become parents if they cannot.

Question 13

Dialogue:
“An I couldna make enough tae gie her a decent hame. So! She’s left us! She’s as guid as deid tae us.”

Answer 13

1. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men through John’s guilt for being unable to give his daughter Jenny enough to make her stay with him. He is ashamed for not having enough money to have a good home which left his daughter ashamed of it and caused her to leave.
2. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through the families poor housing. Due to them not having a decent house and being stuck in poverty their eldest daughter left to try and make a better life for herself.

Question 13

Dialogue:
“Hundred o us, Maggie, beggin for the chance tae earn enough for food and a roof ower our heids.”

Answer 13

1. Unemployment: this shows the theme of poverty through how common it is in this area. There are crowds of men desperate to find a job so that they too can provide for their family but there are simply not enough jobs available. The commonness of unemployment shows how great an issue it is and leaves too many families in poverty, struggling for food and warmth.

Question 14

Dialogue:
“Some men gets on and makes money, depression or no. Ithers hasnae the brains.”

Answer 14

1. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment through the mention of the depression. During this time men were struggling for work and with that their families were also struggling due to men being the main wealth earner.

Question 15

Dialogue:
“This is the first Christmas I’ve had a decent job for ten year; it’s gonna be the best.”

Answer 15

1. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment through the effect it has. Here we see how positively it impacts the family that John has finally found a job, allowing them to look at Christmas with hope. We now see how unfortunate the family are without John earning money and how much joy there is now that they see the hope of a Christmas where they can afford gifts. This can also be linked to the negative impacts of poverty and how it can affect the mentality of the families as well.

Question 16

Dialogue:
“[Lily] If John wid gie hissel a shake…
[Maggie] You leave John alane! He does his best for us!”

Answer 16

1. Role of men: this shows the role of men because it relays the responsibility of having to look after the family onto the man of the family. Lily dislikes how John isn’t providing for his family as and complains about how he doesn’t seem to be trying enough.
2. Family: this shows the theme of family through how Maggie protects her husband. It is the fact she even defends him against the word of her sister, showing how strong their love is. It is the contrast of one family bond to another.

Question 17

Dialogue:
“That’s just talk. If onythin wis tae happen tae ony o the waens, John would tak it bad. They canna staun up tae things like a wumman. They loss the heid and shout.”

Answer 17

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women through how they are expected to handle the tougher half of things. Women are left with what men can’t handle, for example dealing with issues with their children. Contrastingly they also talk about how men do not handle thing as composed as women do, losing it and shouting instead of dealing things calmly. This portrays the difference of men and women.

Question 18

Dialogue:
“There ye are! That’s whit ma feyther thinks o me. Ye’ve aye been the same tae me. Despisin… despisin.”

Answer 18

1. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men through John and Alec’s relationship. John has always looked down at his son, disliking him for not being ‘manly’ enough. Alec doesn’t live up to the stereotypical masculinity all men are supposed to have.

Question 19

Dialogue:
“Mammy’s bit tumphy! G’on ye big lump o dough!”

Answer 19

1. Role of men: this shows the role of men through Isa’s insulting towards Alec’s masculinity. Typically a man ‘wears the pants’ in the relationship but Isa does in this relationship, bragging about the control she has over him. Here she insults Alec as portraying him as a ‘softy’ and a ‘Mummy’s boy’. These incidents show the role of men because of how Alec doesn’t fit them and is insulted for it.

Question 20

Dialogue:
“Tae hell wi this Jessie business every time I’m oot o a job! I’m no turning masel intae a bloomin skivvy! I’m a man!”

Answer 20

1. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men through how men (John in this case) do not want to be involved in domestic work because it isn’t ‘manly’. The negligence of household work by men shows that their role is to do the out of house work, working to earn money whilst the role of a woman is to run the house and raiser the children, cook and clean and all other things domestic, yet the men are still supposed to be the ‘head of the house’.

Question 21

Dialogue:
“Goad! Yon wis rough, Alec! That’s mair like a man!”

Answer 21

1. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men through how Alec apparently doesn’t ‘act’ like a man and fit the stereotypes set for being one. At this point Isa and Alec have been arguing and Alec strangles her which makes her comment on this being ‘manly’. Men are portrayed as strong, short tempered and hard working, out during the day working to them come home to food cooked by their wife. They are also typically seen as violent due to their short temper and likeliness to lash out.

Question 22

Dialogue:
“The kitchen’s aye like a pig-sty… there’s never ony decent food, an if there wis, ye’d hae nae appetite for it… an sleepin in a bed-closet in aside a snorin aul wife. Naw I’ve had enough. I’m gonna live ma ain life.”

Answer 22

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through the lack of cleanliness of the house and how the do not have decent or nutritious food to eat. Jenny find that the state of the house would put people off whatever food they would have available and that shows how affected by poverty this family is, struggling to keep their house in a good state where it would do them benefit.
2. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women because currently Jenny is arguing about wanting to leave home and not wanting to lead a lifelike her mother where she slaves around the house doing chores and looking after an entire family. That is the expected role of a women especially when they are married and have a family, women are not typically independent nor go out working because they husband earn money for the house.

Question 23

Dialogue:
“He’ll dae whit I tell him, that’s mair than you can say. I can twist him roon ma little finger.”

Answer 23

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women because they are stereotypically portrayed as the obedient ones in the relationship. But with Isa and Alec it is the opposite way which also does contrastingly show the role of men due to their reversed gender roles in this case. Isa takes control in the relationship and likes to brag that she has Alec in a way that she can make him do whatever she wants because she knows he will come running after her.

Question 24

Dialogue:
“Yer mammy’s just tired. She’s been oot a day cleanin’ ither folks’ houses, and mebbe we ought tae have helped mak things a bit easier for her.”

Answer 24

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women through the hardship of taking on the responsibilities of a woman during this time period. Women were expected to take on all domestic tasks, including cooking, cleaning, and looking after the family. Furthermore some women went out to do female dominant jobs such as cleaning to earn money for their families when it was tough to do so with many men struggling for jobs.
2. Family: this shows the theme of family through the love the family have for one another. Here John explains to his children that they should help out around the house - including himself - to help out Maggie who does excessive amounts for them.

Question 25

Dialogue:
“You can take that back tae yir fancy man. We’re wantin nane o yir whore’s winnins here.”

Answer 25

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women because of the expectation of marriage when dating a man. Here John shows his distaste to the money Jenny has brought them to help because she is not married to this man. Women are expected to get married and become a house wife but here Jenny does not abide to this and lives with a man whom she is not married to and does not wish to pursue the job of a house wife.

Question 26

Dialogue:
“Aye I’ve seen yous men looking for work. Haudin up the street corners, ca’in doon the government - telling the world whit you’d dae if you wis rinnin the country.”

Answer 26

1. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men because many men comment on the workload of others and how they could do it better - earlier in the play John comments on how he could do domestic work better than women because he would have a system - and yet they do not try and take on these heavy workloads.
2. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment because at this time unemployment rates were and due to the governments failing attempts to fix this as they were not creating jobs only places to advertise jobs. This explains why men are blaming the government and commenting on how they could fix it better because they understand the issue and what is needed unlike the rich men stood in parliament.

Question 27

Dialogue:
“I wish you could pit yersel tae bed. Ye’re as much bother as anither waen.”

Answer 27

1. Family: this shows the theme of family because even though looking after Granny puts further pressure onto Maggie and her family, having to help her and feed her and make space for her in their already cramped house, they love her and make sure she is okay even though it feels as if Maggie has another child to look after even when she already has so many.

Question 28

Dialogue:
“It’s awfu tae be aul an kicked aboot frae yin hoose tae the ither.”

Answer 28

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because Granny’s children struggle to keep her for long periods of time due to money struggles so they take turns in looking after her, using her pension to make sure she stays fed and clean.
2. Family: this shows the theme of family because even through the hardship with money the Morrisons still take her in and look after her. Contrastingly Lizzie does not seem pleased with having to take Granny to look after her and is very persistent that Granny has to use her pension to look after herself.

Question 29

Stage Directions:
“John takes Jenny by the shoulders and shakes her.”

Answer 29

1. Violence: this shows the theme of violence because after Jenny comes in drunk, she and her father end up in an argument. During this argument John discovers she is drunk whilst escalates the argument and it does turn physical, staring with John shaking his daughter.

Question 30

Stage Directions:
“John hits her across the face.”

Answer 30

1. Violence: this shows the theme of violence through John slapping his eldest daughter. Unlike other households John is shocked by his actions and tries to apologise for what he has done because he did not mean to do it. This highlights how common male violence is in these times.

Question 31

Dialogue:
“If I wis you, Alec, I’d wallop that impudent wife o yours till she wis black an blue.”

Answer 31

1. Violence: this shows the theme of violence through how common male violence is, especially in domestic settings. Here shows it because Lily tells Alec he should abuse his wife because she is not obedient like wife are expected to be at this time.

Question 32

Dialogue:
“Hoo’s yer keeker the day? Ooh, it’s no near as bad as the last yin ye had. Whit did ye bump intae this time?”

Answer 32

1. Violence: this shows the theme of violence through Mrs Bones domestic violence. Her husband abuses her and the neighbours know about it, having to hear it from times through the walls. The fact they don’t do anything about it shows how common it is and that it isn’t frowned upon like it is today.
2. Community: this shows the theme of community through the neighbours support of on another, specifically the women. They know about Mrs Bones situation and even though they don’t anything they silently support her by not forcing her to talk about it and leading into her unbelievable cover stories.

Question 33

Dialogue:
“I’ll kill ye! I wull! I’ll kill ye!”

Answer 33

1. Violence: this show the theme of violence because even though Alec is not physically harming Isa in this moment he is angry enough to be threatening to end her life.

Question 34

Dialogue:
“I’ll learn ye tae ca me a bitch (she slaps Isa’s face)”

Answer 34

1. Violence: this shows the theme of violence through Maggie’s slap. Isa insults her and calls her a bitch which infuriates Maggie further - Maggie does not like Isa as she doesn’t treat her son well and also does not fit into the stereotypical wife profile and is insulting towards the family - and so she slaps her.

Question 35

Dialogue:
“Whaur d’ye think I’ll find the money for anither pair? Oh, I cannae staun ony mair o this… I cannae staun it! (shouting at John) Leave me alone!.. I hate ye! I hate the hale lot o ye!”

Answer 35

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through Maggie’s stress of Ernest already ruining his new football boots that he has gotten. After a hard day of work this stress makes her snap.
2. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women through the workload put onto women. After a hard day of working to earn money for her family we see Maggie finally break as everything in the house is still left to be done and her son has scuffed his new boots. Her repetitiveness shows us how exhausted she is because she cannot find words to describe her feelings and this relays to us how tiring it is to take on all the responsibilities of a woman in this time.

Question 36

Dialogue:
“Mark ye? Whit makes ye think I’d stop at spoilin yer face for ye?”

Answer 36

1. Violence: this shows the theme of violence in two distinct ways. First it is through Alec’s violent threats against his wife, threatening to not only ruin her face with his knife but take it further. Secondly it is shown show his physical threats of a knife, using it to frighten his wife, backing her into a corner during an argument.

Question 37

Dialogue:
“Nae hot water, nae place to dry the waens’ clothes, nae money.”

Answer 37

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through the families lack of meeting their basic needs. They don’t have any hot water for making hot food or cleaning themselves, they don’t have anywhere to dry warm clothes which could cause sickness and uncleanliness, and they don’t have any money to even try and fix this.

Question 37

Dialogue:
“Right enough, if a woman did everythin that ought tae be done aboot the hoose, she’d go on a day an a night till she drapped doon deid.”

Answer 37

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women through the workload that is left for a woman. Women are expected to complete all the domestic tasks in a day and this here shows just how much that really is, explaining that they wouldn’t sleep and most likely collapse of exhaustion before they were finished.

Question 38

Dialogue:
“Puir Lily! Goad help her… (sotto voice) the interferin bitch. Nae wunner she coudlna get a man.”

Answer 38

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women through how women are expected to marry during their life. It is never expected that a women does not want a husband as the role of a woman is to want to marry and carry children, and so a woman is blamed for ebbing undesirable instead of wanting to be independent and not wanting marriage.

Question 39

Dialogue:
“I brought ye a tin o baked beans the night. They’ll mebbe dae yer dinner the morn.”

Answer 39

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because Lily helps out her sister and her family where she can by bringing them food so that they are fed. Another example is bringing medicine for Bertie when he is ill, using the fact she lives alone and earns her money only for herself to her benefit for helping her sisters struggling family.

Question 40

Dialogue:
“I didnae ask tae be born. No in this midden.”

Answer 40

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through how Jenny is ashamed of her family home and the state it is in. She refers to the house poorly because it isn’t well kept and she is ashamed because they do not have enough money to afford a decent home especially for the size of their family.

Question 41

Stage Directions:
“(She takes him with a practiced hand by the back of his collar and jerks him off his chair.)”

Answer 41

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women because Isa does not fit in the stereotypical obedient wife role because she instead has it that her husband Alec is obedient to her. He tries to stand up to her in this instant and claim the seat as his but she pulls him from the chair and takes it to sit in. Her control over her husband contradicts the role of women.

Question 42

Dialogue:
“I wull go; but I’ll hae tae bother Mrs Harris tae mind Granny and the waens.”

Answer 42

1. Community: this shows the theme of community because the neighbours rely on one another to help out. Maggie has to take her sick son to the hospital but then needs to leave Granny and her other children unattended but knows she can ask her neighbours to help out.

Question 43

Dialogue:
“If ye’re comin tae bide wi me, ye’re no tae bide aff me.”

Answer 43

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty because of Granny’s constant movement between houses and how Lizzie doesn’t want her to be living off her money so demands she has her pension book to compensate for her staying.
2. Family: this shows the theme of family through the contrasting treatment of Granny from Lizzie and then Maggie and her family even though she is a financial burden to them. Even with that they seem to love and care for her much more than Lizzie does as her main focus is getting her hands on Granny’s pension book.

Question 44

Dialogue:
“Seems I’m no sooner in ma bed than I’ve tae rise. It’s a right for you wi naethin tae dae but sit there an gant.”

Answer 44

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women through how Maggie is losing out on sleep due to how much she has to do. Also she is so exhausted that the time she spends in her bed feels like nothing as it isn’t long until she is getting up to work around the house again.

Question 45

Stage Directions:
“She collapses in a storm of weeping.”

Answer 45

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women because of how exhausted Maggie is that when a heavy wave of emotion hits her she can’t even hold herself up. Maggie works hard day and night inside of the house and whilst out cleaning other people houses, and when she comes home after a stressful day to find no one has done anything to help in the house she becomes infuriated and upset and begins to cry. Her upset and anger shows to us how difficult it is to keep up with the constant demand of household chores and tasks and shows us to responsibilities of women are heavy to take on.

Question 46

Dialogue:
“I mind when oor Wullie had the pewmony. I wis up a day an a nicht. No a wunk o sleep did I get till he’d past the crisis… and there wis his feyther, lying snoring his heid aff.”

Answer 46

1. Role of women: this shows the theme of the role of women through how even when their children become ill and they still have all other tasks in the house to do their husbands still will not help. Women are expected to deal with all things domestic and family related whilst men get to go out and ignore it at their workplace. This shows the role of women through how they are left to do whatever work a man cannot be bothered doing because it is dirty, not manly or tiring - in this case the woman losing sleep to tend to her sick child.

Question 47

Stage Directions:
“He gets hold of her by the throat: she makes strangling noises. He panics and drops her.”

Answer 47

1. Violence: this shows the theme of violence through how during an argument Alec begins to strangle Isa. Violence is more common in this time than it used to be as today it is highly frowned upon and more likely to be punished.
2. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men because Alec’s panic also shows how he doesn’t play into the stereotypical role of a man where they are meant to be angry, short tempered and violent. Even though he is short tempered and does lash out at Isa, he is quick to realise what he is doing, panics and drops her, chasing after her for an apology which isn’t the ‘manly’ way to go about this.