Set Text - Men Should Weep Flashcards
Themes:
Poverty
Role of women
Gender/Gender stereotype
Community
Male Violence
Love
Family
Poverty Quotes:
Jenny: “I didnae ask tae be born. No intae this midden.”
Mrs Wilson: “Your Alec’s street. The hooses has collapsed.”
John: “Christ Almighty ! A we’ve din wrong is tae be born intae poverty !”
Maggie: “Lily, money disnae stretch. Ye pit oot yer haun for yer change and whit dae ye get? A coupla coppers.”
Maggie: “We’ve no very much this side o repectability, but there’s aye soap
and water.”
John: “Hundreds o us,Maggie, beggin for the
chance tae earn enough for food and a roof ower our heids.”
Role of Women Quotes:
Maggie: “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.”
Lily: “Jist like him! Leave a the dirty work tae the women!”
Maggie: “I havena time tae look in nae mirrors and neither would you if ye’d
a hoose an a man an five weans.”
Lily: “Livin in a slum and slavin efter a useless man an his greetin weans.”
Maggie: “Nae work for the men. Aye plenty for the women.”
Gender/Gender Stereotype Quotes:
John: “Yous women! Ye’ve nae system.”
Maggie: “And I like a man - (her voice breaking) - tae stand up
for his wife.”
Lily: “Jist like him! Leave a the dirty work tae the women!”
Lily: “Your daddy disnae work.”
Jenny: “Some men gets on a makes money, depression or no. lthers hasna the brains.”
Mrs Harris: “Aye, they men! But if their nebs is rinnin, they think they’re deein.”
Community Quotes:
Mrs Wilson: “Your Alec’s street. The hooses has collapsed.”
John: “Get Mrs Harris tae go wi ye- or Mrs Wilson.”
Mrs. Harris: “there’s a thing or two aboot the dunny stairs no
being washed when it’s a certain party’s turn.”
Maggie: “Ma Edie says the teacher says your Mary’s
got beasts in her heid.”
Maggie: “I’ll need tae buy her aff now wi some tattie scones or snowballs - or something.”
John: “Whit’ll the neighbours think, you comin hame at this time o night an staundin in the close wi a man.”
Maggie: “Folks like us hev tae depend on their neighbours when they’re needin help.”
Male Violence Quotes:
Ernest: “(nodding towards the ceiling) That’s him bashin her.”
(Alec): “(He gets hold of her by the throat: she makes strangling noises. He panics and drops her.)”
Maggie: “If ye’ve got weans, ye’ve got tae pit up wi the fella that gied ye them”
Marina: “Mammy, is ma daddy drunk?”
“(John hits her across the face)”
Mrs. Harris: “(She peers at Mrs Bone ‘s mahogany-coloured eye) Och, it’ s no near as bad as the last yin ye had.”
Isa: “Oh aye … You’re the yin that lives up the stair? Ye lost the battle years ago, hen.”
Love Quotes:
Maggie: “It’s because
things have aye been right atween you an me that I can struggle on.”
Isa: “Love! Hee-haw ! There ‘ s nae sich a thing.”
Maggie: “No in wages- I’m paid wi love.”
John: “I can get that mad at Jenny I could … then she looks up at me wi that wee smile o hers an I can feel - I can actually feel ma heart tumin intae butter.”
Maggie: “Ye’re breakin yer daddy’s heart, that’s whit ye’re daein!”
“Alec is play-actingfor all he ‘s worth, leaning on her and half-whimpering”
John: “It’s gonnae be somethin for Maggie and me tae remember when we’re a coupla toothless aul has-beens.”
“She gives him a kiss, almost in tears. He puts his arms round her”
Family Quotes:
Lily: “I hope the bottle I brought him’ll help.”
Maggie: “It’s weel seen you never had a faimly, Lily. Once they’ve been laid in yer airms, they’re in yer heart tae the end o yer days, no maitter whit way they turn oot.”
Lily: “I brought ye a tin o baked beans the night.”
John: “You couldna knock doon an empty midden-bin.”
Alec: “Ye’ve aye
been the same tae me. Despisin … Despisin.”
John: “A man’s got nae right tae bring weans intae the world if he canna provide
for them.”
Granny: “Ye ken I cannae bide. Alec an Isa’s needin the room.”
“Alec gets up and crosses to his mother, sits on the arm other chair and pats her back.”
Commonality Structure:
In this extract, Ena Lamont Stewart explores…(refer to question). She shows us that/presents us with… (brief description then examples- how the issue/character affects the story). She also explores how… (brief description then example).
Maggie Quotes:
“I can manage him . . . I can aye manage him.”
“Aye, I wis your whore. An I’d nae winnins that I can mind o.”
“Look at yer new boots ! (She seizes him, shakes him and hits him)”
“We’ve no very much this side o repectability, but there’s aye soap and water.”
”(turning on himfiercely) Who earned that money? You or me?”
“I havena time tae look in nae mirrors; and neither would you if ye’d a hoose an a man a five weans.”
“I’m sorry for you, Lily. I’m right sorry for you”
“(hovering anxiously, placating) Are ye a right, Alec?”
“I didna pick it. It wis John. (Shy, reminiscent)”
John Quotes:
“Ye can tak that back tae yer fancy man. We’re wantin nane o yer whore’s winnins here.”
“Every time I ‘ ve had tae say “no” tae you a the weans it’s doubled me up like a kick in the stomach.”
”(to himself) Try. Try. As if I didnae try.”
“You ‘re no the maist important pebble
on ma beach. (He grins across at Maggie)”
“Hundreds o us,Maggie, beggin for the
chance tae earn enough for food and a roof ower our heids.”
“John, as if he had been shot, drops Alec and turns away, slumps down in a
chair and puts his head in his hands”
“Ye impident little bitch! What I ought tae dae is tak ma belt tae ye.“
“Whit’ll the neighbours think, you comin hame at this time o night an staundin in the close wi a man.”
Granny Quotes:
“Oh, it’s a terrible thing tae be aul wi naebody wantin yae. Oh, it’s time I wisna here!”
“It’s awfu tae be aul a kicked aboot frae yin hoose tae the ither.”
“I’m nae that dottled that I dinna ken I’m no
wantit.”
“They’ll no miss me. But they’ll miss ma pension”
“Wait till she’s aul hersel wi nae teeth.”
“Ye ken I cannae bide. Alec an Isa’s needin the room.”
1st Man: “H ‘ ya Granny ! For the road again, eh? My, the rare time you hae tae
yersel.”
Alec Quotes:
“(He gets hold of her by the throat: she makes strangling noises. He panics and drops her.)”
“Alec craftily sneaks some of Maggie ‘s cash and slinks out”
“Ye’ve aye
been the same tae me. Despisin … Despisin.”
“She shoves me aff but she disna shove him aff.”
“Alec gets up and crosses to his mother, sits on the arm other chair and pats her back.”
“I jist see red when ye talk aboot Peter Robb.”
“I’ll get ye onythin ye want”
“Alec is play-acting for all he ‘s worth, leaning on her and half-whimpering”
Jenny Quotes:
“Naw. I’ve had enough. I’m gonna live ma ain life.”
“(holding out her fat roll of notes) I’ve got the cash. Ca it a loan if ye like.”
“Well ma duty’s finished. From noo on, what I earn is mines. It’s no majob tae keep your weans. It’s yours.”
“When I leave this rotten pig-sty I’m no comin back.”
“This little birdie’s flyin awa frae the nest… Pit that in yer pipe an puff it
oot tae the neighbours.”
“It’s whit gied me the courage tae come. Least- it was ma daddy’s
face … in the water”
“I was meanin tae let it tak me alang wi it.”
“Isa and me, we were that rotten tae ye, the things we said.”
Lily Quotes:
“Look at ye! Dae ye never rin a comb through yer hair?”
“How you ever find onythin in this midden beats me.”
”Livin in a slum and slavin efter a useless man an his greetin weans.”
“Men! I’m wantin nae man’s airms roon me. They’re a dirty beasts.“
“I went oot respectable! No wi the the riff-raff o the toon, an a dressed up like a bloomin tart wi peroxided hair.”
“I brought ye a tin o baked beans the night.”
“I’m yer sister. Family type, me.”
