How does the first act of the play prepare us for what follows? Essay

The play – Hobson’s Choice sets in late 1880s the Victorian times. If you knew about how do things look like and how people act, you can tell there are lots of differences and things have changed between now and the past. In the past, most of the women were indeed conservative, you can tell that from their costumes. For example, they used to wear very tight, grow bumptious and narrow neck costumes which show that they had no freedom, sometimes they were not even allow to choose their own dresses. However, they were willing to give up their freedoms for beauty. On the other hand, they also emphasized their deportment. Nowadays, women have more freedom, they can wear whatever they want to, and they do not have to wear tight and narrow neck dresses. Furthermore, the marrying age in the old days is around early 20s, but these days the marrying age is between late 20s and early 30s. The play is set in Salford, Lancashire, and the north of England. Hobson is of middle class background but has been running his show shop set in Chapel St, successfully, for some year. Hobson’s shop is quite big. It shows that he has the money to buy a better quality shop. The Hobson’s family is well educated. Also, the trap door shows the social status. Hobson is a really selfish and immature man. He does not care about his daughters’ and he leaves all the works to Maggie and relies to her. He lets her to run the shop and the house, all he cares is when he should goes drinking. He usually goes out at night and stay over until the next morning he comes back for lunch and goes out again. â€Å"He can go on waiting.† This quote shows us that Hobson is an unpunctual man. He doesn’t care how people feel, he cares about only himself. Also, he is extraordinarily lazy. He is so arrogant and he thinks he is better than everyone else. He hates lawyers because its wastes of money and they help people who are supposed to be send into jail. The author tells us that he hates lawyers so this gives us a clue that one of his daughter might marry a lawyer or start a relationship with a lawyer. â€Å"But I’ll tell you this, you’ll none rule me.† This quote demonstrates us that Hobson has a very bossy characteristic. â€Å"You’re pretty, but you’re bumptious, and I hate bumptiousness like I hate a lawyer.† And â€Å"You can lie like a gasmeter.† These quotes tell us that Hobson does not care about his daughters’ feelings; he says whatever he wants to say. Also, he never tries to choose Maggie a husband and he told Alice and Vickey that he is choosing their husband himself. Hobson’s eldest daughter – Maggie, she is 30 and single because of the selfishness of Hobson, he would not let her to find a husband herself but he did not find her a husband. He wants to keep her in the shop to work for him; he does not want to take to responsibility to manage his shop. Hobson often laughs at Maggie’s age as she has already passed the marrying age. â€Å"We’re not here to let people go out without buying.† This quote shows that she is a strong and powerful woman and she is an intelligent business woman. Her character also shows that she is not afraid of her father. Maggie is also Hobson’s favourite daughter. He thinks that Maggie is the most useful to him compare to Alice and Vickey. Maggie is well educated and behaves in a good manner which shows that she is a respectable woman. She takes good care of her sister and cares about them. However, she also cares about Will, but in a different way, this shows that she has feelings for him. As Maggie has a really strong personality, she might have a fight with Hobson later on. Hobson’s second daughter – Alice, she is 23 and with Albert. She helps Maggie to cook and to clean the house but not the business. She despises people; she also often scorns Maggie and reminds her that she has passed the marrying age. This shows that she maybe doesn’t get on really well with Maggie. â€Å"Mr. Prosser didn’t come in to buy boots.† This quote tells us that Maggie has a special relationship with Mr. Prosser, and she assumed that Maggie knew it. Hobson’s youngest daughter – Vickey, she is 21 and with Fred. She is a bit impatient and fidgety, she is the bad one in the family. If things are bad and negative to her, she gives bad comments and tries to make it bad. Vicky also despises people and full of herself. â€Å"Father, have you heard the new about out Maggie?† This quote shows that Vickey wasn’t being very nice to her sister, Maggie. As she knows that if Hobson knows about Will and Maggie, he will definitely stop them. To conclude, I think since the author provides enough clues for us, it prepares us really well for the next chapter. Therefore, this makes me really want to read on as I wanted to know what is going to happen next, and also makes me got really interested in this book.