men should weep - character guide

men should weep

by ena lamont stewart

alec

children

Maggie

character profile

• maggie works to support her family, completes all the household chores, and takes care of everyone. her work ethic is in stark contrast to the men of the family who are bone idle, leaving maggie frustrated and tired.
• she represents the sacrifices women had to make for their families, characterising the traditional gender roles of the time, in contrast to lily, isa and jenny.
• maggie often relies on any support she can get, from lily, the neighbours, or 'the mission'.
• she represents the effect of poverty, and the treatment of the poor. she buried her head in the sand about berties condition, worried how things would turn out. the overcrowding, unsanitary living conditions, lack of income & basic necessities are all highlighted through maggie.
• the accumulation of the events eventually take thier toll on maggie in the climax of the play, forcing her to take control of the situation.

jenny

character profile

• jenny is the changing voice of the youth. her views on life differ from societies standards for her and this is frowned upon by the older women in the play.
• in the beginning of the play she shows no sympathy for her families situation and no appreciation for the efforts being made to improve it. she refuses to help out, as she thinks its not her responsibilty.
• she leaves the family home, to live unwed with a man, a major taboo at the time which brought up significant issues with her family.
• upon her return we see the struggle of mental health displayed through her character, but we also see how she has matured.
• she represents hope for the family when she returns.
• despite the unfair treatment she is subjected to, she still offers her help improve their living situation, showing that she is also a strong role model for her younger siblings, proving that people can change and better themselves.

isa

character profile

• her and alecs relationship is in stark contrast to maggie and johns, but despite the differences they both still have to pick up the burden of their lazy men.
• isa highlights the change of womens expectations, but for her, independence does not come from gender equality, she is prepared merely to leave one marriage to find another man who can provide for her financially.
• she reverses the traditional relationship stereotypes of her time, not being scared to stand up to alec and refusing to let him take control of her.
• her character is used to highlight the effects of poverty. she despises alec for not making enough money for her liking and constantly threatens to leave him for someone who makes more.
• she turns to crime as a way to make money, proving the consequences of their desperate situation.
• She is disliked by most and is constantly rude to Maggie. Her sexual appetite is apparent, and we are perturbed by the advances she makes towards John, her father-in-law.
• Unlike his mother, Isa does not submit to Alec’s demands and is constantly admonishing him.

alec

character profile

• he is an example of someone who has been broken by poverty, he gave into the pressures and turned into a slovenly, selfish character.
• his weakness in comparison to the strength of the women around him highlights the theme of female empowerment within the play.
• he doesnt care for anyone in the family, or show any sympathy for the effects of his selfishness. he shamelessly steals from his mother and exploits her fondeness for him for his own benefit.
• his infatuation with isa shows how easily men are manipulated by women, and this toxic relationship provides an essential sub-plot.

john

character profile

• john sees himself as the head of the household, and attempts to conform to stereotypes, but he often fails to fill this role leaving him feeling frustrated and dependant.
• he attempts to refuse help from jenny because of his pride, but ultimately maggie takes control of the situation and does whats best for the family, showing that men only care about themselves.
• he represents the masses of umemployed people at the time, and highlights the stigma of signing on, or being on the dole.
• his relationship with maggie is loving, but he does little to help her out around the house, and doesnt tend to meet her emotional needs either.
• john blames being born into poverty for his families situation, refusing to personally take any of the blame.
• he is angered when jenny doesnt give him the respect he commands as her father, despite his failure as a parent.

lily

character profile

• she is the polar opposite of her sister maggie, she is an independant spinster with no responsibility to care for anybody. this allows for exploration of themes such as womens attitudes to work, men, and children.
• she is extrememly cynical about men, and their intentions toward women, and expresses a clear view which would now be seen as femenist.
• she is supportive of maggie, bringing food and medicine for the family, but sees only the worst in john. she encourages maggie to assert herself and is proud when maggie humiliates john at the end of the play.
• she is portrayed as rather cold and forbidding but it is possible that she relies on her family just as much as they rely on her.
• although she is critical of maggies lifetyle choices, she wants the best for her sister and tries to help her improve her life.

granny

character profile

• granny highlights the burden of the elderly, and the inconvenience of sacrifices that families have to make in order to properly care for them.
• her character helps display the theme of poverty in the way that her pension is directly used as a source of income for the family.
• she is virtually voiceless. her opinions are not considered and she has no choice in the matters that concern her.
• granny also allows insight into the other characters. maggie treats her like a child, lizzie is only interested in her money, and isa is extremely disrespectful towards her.
• she also manages to offer comic relief, even in moments of trouble or despair.

the neighbours

character profile

• they represent the sense of community that we expect from tenament life, always helping eachother out and offering support to eachother.
• although having a tight knit bond with the others in their area, they are equally as judgemental of eachother.
• they emphasise the social control exerted by men and we see themes of domestic abuse portrayed through these characters.
• they also help to display the themes of stereotypes and the changing view across new generations.

lizzie

character profile

• lizzie is grannies daughter in law, and proves that despite no longer having any real family connection, they still stick together and help eacother out.
• she helps develop our understanding of the treatment of the elderly, and is a contrast to the kind, helpful nature of the neighbours.
• her character also helps bring out the theme of community when the neighbours stand up to her on maggies behalf.
• she helps our understanding of the morrisons poverty, when she has to fight for the pension money that the morrisons had already spent out of desperation.

the morrison children

character profile

• the children help to highlight the significance of poverty within the family, with the lack of food, and essentials.
• berties tuberculosis proves the unsanitary and poor housing conditions that the children are subjected to.
• they survive on cast offs, and charity.
• the children tend conform to gender stereotypes, and represent a majority of youth with struggling families during this time period.