Men Should Weep By Ena Lamont Stewart Question 2

The Question Choose a play in which there is a scene which provides a clear turning point in the drama. Explain why it is a turning point and go on to discuss the importance of the scene to your appreciation of the text as a whole.

Introduction Ena Lamont Stewart’s “Men Should Weep” is a morose, hard-hitting emotional drama set in 1930s Glasgow. The play centres on the trials and tribulations of The Morrison family; a poverty stricken household struggling to cope with the deprivation of the Depression.

Paragraph 1 Before Act 3,the Morrisons financial situation is bleak; John is unemployed. Conflict is rife in the Morrisons family between Maggie and John, Alec and Isa. “Money disnae stretch” This extract clearly shows that the family are struggling to make do with the tight money situation in the home.

Paragraph 2 By the time Christmas comes in Act 3 things have made a turn in the right direction for the Morrison family; John has a job, some conflicts have been resolved, John has bought Maggie a red hat to symbolise the early days of their relationship. This shows a clear turning point in the play. “Maggie: I didna pick it. It was John. (Shy, reminiscent) When me an him wis coortin, I’d a red hat and he fair fancied me in it. Use tae meet at the corner o Renfield and Sauchie… Mrs Bone: Simpson’s Corner. Maggie: Aye, Simpson’s Corner. Said he could see ma red hat bobbin through the Setturday nicht crowds…” Here Maggie is reflecting back on the relationship when it was merely starting out.

Paragraph 3 Later, Isa returns to her temporary home to pack up and leave Alec for good, until she is caught in the act by the man himself. “Alec: (near hysteria) So ye’re back are ye? Whaur wis ye last night? Isa: (scared but bold) Oh, did ye miss me?” Here we see Alec confronting Isa about her not coming home the previous night, he thinks she has been out seeing Peter Robb (her man on the side, a man with more money than good looks by the sounds of things). This brings a foul mood into the house, which lurks like a ghost even after Alec pursues Isa on her mad dash for Peter Robb.

Paragraph 4 Maggie and Lily return home from browsing the town shops shocked to find the knife with which Alec threatened Isa prior to Maggie and Lily’s reappearance. “Maggie and Lily come in. They look around the room, then at each other. Maggie: Whit’s been gaun oan here? She looks towards open door of bedroom, crosses and goes in: we hear her opening and shutting drawers. Lily takes off her coat and hat and rights the fallen chair. In doing so, she sees the knife on the floor and exclaims, runs to pick it up: examines it fearfully. Lily: Aw, thank God! (She looks at it with an expression of disgust and flick the blade back) Maggie comes out of the bedroom. Lily has quickly put the knife into her handbag.” Here Maggie and Lily are fearful that Alec has made a love-drunk decision to kill possibly kill Peter Robb as well as Isa. They are relieved to find the blade blood-free. This continues the foul mood created by Alec’s confrontation with Isa.

Paragraph 5 Jenny comes home to talk to Maggie (and she was hoping John, but he was out at first). This is unexpected as Jenny left home some months before, complaining about living conditions and her parents general attitudes. “Lily opens the door and reveals Jenny. They look at each other, Jenny uncertainly, Lily with a hard appraisal of Jenny’s nice, but not tarty clothes, her hatless, blonded hair. Lily: Well, I didnae recognize yer ladyship efter a this time. She drops Jenny a curtsy and stands aside. Jenny has a swift look around the room before rushing into Maggie’s arms. Maggie: Oh Jenny, Jenny! The times I’ve dreamt o this!” Shows Maggie’s relief of her daughter’s unforeseen return to the family home. However, she is not staying long.

Paragraph 6 John now returns to find Maggie, Lily and jenny discussing moving into a flat, that Jenny is providing them with, so that Bertie can be released from the hospital into a cleaner home. John clearly does not approve of this idea, nor does he approve of Jenny’s situation with her boyfriend; living together and clearly having sex before marriage. This is quite hypocritical of John as Maggie reveals that when her and John were going out when they were younger they were doing the same except they were not living together. “John: Ye can tak that back tae yer fancy man. We’re wantin nane o yer whore’s winnins here.” John calls Jenny’s money “whore’s winnins”, implying that she got her money from her boyfriend/fiancé even though they are not married to one another. Maggie reveals that John was exactly the same when he was Jenny’s age.

Conclusion In conclusion to men should weep by Ena Lamont Stewart explores poverty effectively through the experiences of the Morrison family. Their necessary dependence on their neighbours, unemployment, the stress of providing for and raising a family all contribute to their problems shown in the turning point where the Morrison family find fortune and luck with John’s new job only for the high spirits to be wiped away from them yet again.