Scottish Set Text - MSW - Act One Scene Two Flashcards
Summary - towards midnight of the same day
John brings Alec and Isa home: they have escaped injury in the tenement collapse as they were at ‘the dancin’. Alec has had too much to drink and is angry at Isa for flirting with other men. John wants to throw his drunken son out of the house, but Maggie’s distress prevents this. He helps Isa put Alec to bed and then returns to a nervous Maggie. He speaks of his disappointment in Alec and blames himself for not being able to support his family properly. Maggie reassures him, and it is clear that she and John still love each other deeply.
They share a tin of beans brought by Lily and speak of the difficulties which come from living in poverty. Bertie is heard coughing in the background. John realises that Jenny (their eldest daughter) has not come home yet. He hears noise in the close and goes down to look for Jenny. He returns with a furious Jenny, who tells him that she is old enough to take care of herself. After an angry row, Jenny tells her mother and father that she has had enough of living in ‘a midden, and that she intends to move out. A shocked and frustrated John hits her. Jenny remains defiant and goes to bed. Maggie quietly watches a devastated John staring out of the window.
“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 twist him roon ma little finger”
Isa’s dialogue shows her manipulative personality and how she controls Alec suggests men throughout the play are weak
“(Wiping her cheeks with her hands)”
Maggie’s stage directions suggest that her relationship with John is still in a good place and despite being drained by her life in poverty she continues on
“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
“She’ll no bring me naethin frae the shop noo… that feart the girls think onythin”
Maggie’s dialogue shows how much Jenny cares about what others think of her and sacrifices her Own families well being
“That’s nane o your business. Im grown up noo”
Jenny’s dialogue shows her independence which suggests some women were trying to break stereotypes and know their self worth
“Im no wantin ony trouble atween the three o us”
Maggie’s dialogue shows her motherly nature which suggest women often were responsible for keeping peace in the family
“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
“(He drags her over to a mirror, then propels her…holding her head under his arm, he scrubs of her makeup)”
Johns stage directions suggest that despite being a loving father he doesn’t tolerate when others disrespect him and wants to be in control which was the stereotype of men at the time of the play
“It’s no ma job to keep your weans. It’s yours”
Jenny’s dialogue highlights how poor the families living conditions are that Jenny is providing for the family instead of John having an actual job
“Some man gets on and makes money, depression or no. Ithers hasna the brains”
Jenny’s dialogue highlights that she looks down on her father for being jobless and lazy yet demanding others to do as he says which again relates to the stereotype of controlling men at the time of the play
“(John hits her across the face)”
Johns stage directions show he resorts to threats and violence to establish his dominance
“I didnae ask to be born. No intae this midden”
Jenny’s dialogue suggests her frustration and how she is unhappy with her lot in life
