Genre: Drama
Focus Text: Men Should Weep. Edition published 1983 by 7:84 Publications.
ISBN 0906074207
Contents:
Introduction
Section 1: Getting the play in context
Section 2: Approaches to teaching and learning

Activities on Act 1, scene 1

Activities on Act 1, scene 2

Activities on Act 2, scene 1

Activities on Act 2, scene 2

Activities on Act 3
Section 3: After reading activities
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


Maggie Morrison
Other women in the play
John Morrison
The theme of poverty
Section 4: Practice in Textual Analysis

Two extracts for practice in textual analysis
Section 5: Appendices



Full synopsis of the play
Further suggestions for Folio writing topics
Marking Instructions for Textual Analysis
Introduction
How to use this resource:
These resources offer practitioners ways into exploring and analysing Ena
Lamont Stewart’s play ‘Men Should Weep’. The aim of the resource materials is
to offer approaches to learning and teaching which will develop learners’ skills
tested in the final assessment, Critical Reading of Scottish texts.
Working with these materials will develop learners’ skills in



Understanding the content of the play
Analysis of the techniques used by the playwright
Evaluation of the effectiveness/impact of the text
Ena Lamont Stewart
Ena Lamont Stewart (10 February 1912, Glasgow - 9 February 2006) was a
Scottish playwright. Although she wrote three other plays, Men Should Weep is
the play for which she is remembered. Men Should Weep was a major theatrical
landmark for the representation of Scottish, class and gender issues.
Commenting on what inspired her to write the play, Lamont Stewart said, “I
asked myself what I wanted to see on the stage and the answer was life. Real life.
Real people.” Glasgow Unity Theatre first performed the play at the Athenaeum
Theatre, Glasgow, on 30 January 1947. After the company closed in 1951, the
play fell into obscurity. Stewart revised her play in the 1970s, rewriting the
ending to make it more hopeful, and it was revived for the 1982 Clydebuilt
Season. In 2011, the play toured Scotland with the National Theatre of Scotland.
Synopsis
Men Should Weep is set in Glasgow, in the 1930s, when Scotland and the UK were
in the grip of a severe economic depression, leading to mass unemployment and
poverty. The play tells the story of the Morrison family, John and Maggie and
their seven children, all living in a one-bedroomed tenement flat in Glasgow’s
east end. The play’s central character is Maggie, and the events of the play focus
on her struggle to live happily in the face of such grinding poverty.
For a full synopsis of the play, see appendix 1.
Suggested learning and teaching approaches
Section 1: Before reading: getting the play in context
Task 1: Research skills
While the main focus for study is the play, it is useful for learners to research the
context against which Men Should Weep is set.
Suggested research topics
•
The Depression of the 1930s and how it affected Scotland
•
Tenement life in Glasgow in the 1930s
•
Poverty, ill-health and unemployment in Glasgow in the 1930s
•
Working class life in Scotland in the 1930s
Using the library (or as homework), learners should access the following
websites – or find some other relevant websites on their own – and take notes in
either spider chart or bullet point form.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/depressionre
v1.shtml
http://www.ourladys.nlanark.sch.uk/OLHSDepartments/OLHSenglish/drama/coursenotes/Higher/Me
n%20Should%20Weep%20booklet.pdf
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/call-this-a-crisis-scots-revealhow-1090301
http://www.theglasgowstory.com/story.php?id=TGSEA
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/words-pictures-exposedglasgows-slums-1815740
http://wrvsmorayheritagememories.wordpress.com/first-jobs-2/glasgowtenement-life/
Film and Audio material:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XQUfZx7IXM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqpNcHTG4uM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/bad-housing-in-scotland-18801939/5665.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC8dkSDPUHU
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/subjects/history/britainsince1930s/society
/slum_conditions_2
Learners should use the information they have found to write a report of
between 400 and 700 words on one of the following topics:
• Tenement life in Glasgow in the 1930s.
• How Scotland was affected by the Great Depression.
Further study topics:
Learners who are particularly interested in this topic might like to do further
independent research and produce essays on some of the following topics:
• How gender roles have changed in Scotland since the 1930s
• To what extent does poverty still exist in Scotland?
• The health of the nation: is Scotland a healthier country now than it was in the
1930s?
If practitioners wish, they could make a formal connection between the work
learners will undertake to acquire an understanding of the play in context and
the Discursive essay for the Folio. Further suggested topics for learners to
consider are detailed in appendix 2.
Practitioners may want to finish this work on context by showing learners some
clips from the National Theatre’s recent production of the play. These can be
found at
http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_Men
ShouldWeep
Section 2: During reading activities
Practitioners could adopt a number of strategies for reading the play: whole class
reading with assigned parts, group reading with assigned parts, active
performance of selected parts after group preparation, reading at home….
Act 1, scene 1
The play is set in the 1930s and it's a winter evening in the kitchen of the
Morrisons’ home in the east end of Glasgow. The play opens on a disordered
tenement household where six of the seven children (Jenny, Edie, Ernest, Bertie,
Marina, Christopher), two parents (John and Maggie) and Granny of the Morrison
family live. The chaos of family life, held together by Maggie, is clearly depicted
but the overall tone is lighthearted and the audience can see that the family is
quite a happy one. Maggie tries to put Granny to bed. Then Maggie’s sister Lily
comes in; she helps with the children and talks to Maggie about Maggie’s everdemanding situation. Topics covered include the role of women, the role of men,
and Bertie’s worrying ill-health. When John comes in, the sparring between John
and Lily ends with her storming out of the house. The tone of the scene begins to
darken when neighbours bring news of the Morrisons’ troublesome son Alec and
his wife Isa whose home has collapsed.
Activity 1: Establishing the Morrison family’s situation
From their work on the social context of Men Should Weep, learners should have
a sound understanding of life in some Glasgow tenements in the 1930s.
In this task, learners should consider how the playwright establishes what dayto-day life is like in the Morrison household. They should make detailed notes,
including quotations, after considering
 The stage directions and comments made by Lily which refer directly
to the family’s poverty
 Lily’s observations about the state of the house
 Maggie’s interactions with her children
Practitioners may want to ask students to work individually or in pairs to
complete this task. Alternatively, learners in groups could take responsibility for
one of the above and then present their findings to the class/other groups.
Activity 2: First impressions of Maggie and Lily
Learners should work in pairs and will need post-it notes. The focus is the
opening section of the play, until John’s arrival home. (Page 7-21)
In pairs, learners should consider their first impressions of Maggie and Lily in
this opening section of the play. They should come up with 3-5 adjectives to
describe each woman and write each of these on a post-it note. Teachers may
want to discuss possible adjectives with the class, such as downtrodden, weary,
forceful, truthful…
On two class flip-charts, one for Maggie and one for Lily, learners should post
their ideas about each character. Alternatively, an IWB could be used and
learners could write up their adjectives. The practitioner should then lead a class
review of the words, with each pair being asked at least once to justify and
elaborate on their choice of word(s). The review might involve eliminating any
less relevant/useful words.
The pairs should then re-convene and agree on 3 adjectives for each character
before deciding who will work on each character. One should work on Maggie,
the other on Lily. Each learner finds evidence for each adjective and reinforces
this with a supporting quotation from the opening section of the play.
Their work can then be photocopied, scanned or photographed and shared.
Alternatively, learners could present their work (making use of the IWB, if
possible) to the rest of the class. Presentations offer the practitioner the
opportunity to address skills required for the Creation and Production unit, and
to assess learners at this stage, or, more likely, later in their study of the play
when further opportunities for presentation arise.
Activity 3: the impact of John’s arrival home
John’s arrival home and his ensuing conversation with Lily and Maggie develops
our understanding of one of the central concerns of the play: attitudes towards
women and expected gender roles.
The practitioner should key learners into the task: they will, after taking part in a
group discussion, write up notes in response to the question:
“What is revealed about attitudes to women and expected gender roles in Act 1,
Scene 1?”
Learners should form discussion groups of five. The practitioner should ensure
that everyone is familiar with how to take part in a successful group discussion
and that appropriate roles have been assigned to each group member. In
addition, each group member should be assigned responsibility for taking
detailed notes on the group’s responses to ONE question. It would be helpful for
learners to have a copy of the discussion questions. They will need a copy of the
play, too.
If necessary, learners should re-read the opening section of the play until the
point when Lily storms out of the house.
Discussion questions:
1. What is John’s attitude towards women and how they manage the house?
2. How do Maggie and Lily react to his comments?
3. After she storms off, John comments about Lily, “Nae wunner she couldna
get a man”. What do you think he means by this, and what is revealed
about how he believes women should behave?
4. What is revealed about women’s attitudes towards men in these
comments from early in the scene:
“Jist like him! Leave a the dirty work tae the women!” (Lily)
“They canna staun up tae things like a wumman. They loss the heid and
shout.” (Maggie)
“If ye’ve got weans, ye’ve got tae pit up wi the fella that gied ye them.”
(Maggie)
5. Consider attitudes towards women and expected gender roles in our
society. In what ways have our attitudes changed? In what ways have they
stayed the same?
Learners should then form ‘expert groups’ (all those with responsibility for Q1
etc. join together, and share their group’s ideas). These ‘expert groups’ then
present their responses/ideas to the rest of the class. The practitioner should
end the presentations and ensuing class discussion with a summary of key points
about what the audience learns about attitudes towards women and expected
gender roles at this stage of the play.
Learners should then complete the task by writing up their ideas, including
quotations, about what they have learned about attitudes towards women and
expected gender roles.
Activity 4: Alec and Jenny
There are important references in this opening scene to Alec and Jenny, the
Morrisons’ older children. Practitioners could lead a discussion in response to
the following questions, or could assign pairs to consider what is revealed about
these characters in Act 1, Scene 1, and to take notes of their findings.
What is revealed about Jenny?
What is revealed about Alec?
Act 1, Scene 2
Alec and his wife, Isa, arrive late at night to stay with John and Maggie after their
flat, along with the rest of the tenement block, has collapsed. Their arrival is the
start of the conflict between Isa and Maggie, and Alec and John. After they’ve all
retired to bed, Jenny arrives home. She has been drinking and ends up in an
argument with John, who finds his daughter’s behaviour hard to accept. The
scene ends with John losing his temper and striking Jenny across the face.
Activity 1: Developing our understanding of the characters of Alec and
Jenny.
Alec (Ref. P29-31)
 What do we learn about Alec as a character?
 What do we learn about Alec’s relationship with John?
 What do we learn about Alec’s relationship with his wife, Isa?
Jenny (Ref. P36-39)
 What do we learn about Jenny as a character?
 What is Jenny’s attitude towards the family’s situation?
 What is Jenny’s attitude towards her father?
Task: Think, pair and square share.
Learners are given the questions about Alec and Jenny and asked to consider
them individually, writing down their responses. They then share their ideas in
pairs, adding to their notes if necessary. The pairs then make up a four, and share
their ideas in a group. They should add any final points to their notes.
Learners could then assimilate their ideas about each character on a mind map,
or write up more detailed notes, including quotations.
Activity 2: Rounding up ideas about Act 1 and making predictions.
Having read and considered Act 1 of the play, practitioners should lead a
discussion about what knowledge and understanding learners have acquired
about the characters and their situations, and what thematic concerns they think
the playwright is exploring through her characters and what happens to them.
Learners should also consider how the ideas presented so far in the play might
develop.
Suggested areas for discussion:
The presentation of women so far in the play: what are the concerns/ideas
raised through their portrayal?
The presentation of men so far in the play: what are the concerns/ideas raised
through their portrayal?
What thematic concerns have been introduced through the characters and their
situations so far?
How do they think the playwright will go on to develop her ideas in the next Act?
Class feedback could be displayed on the IWB or other device.
Alternatively, learners could consider one or more of these questions in pairs or
groups and feed back to the whole class, using the IWB or a flip chart to display
their ideas.
Act 2, Scene 1
The scene opens a week later with Granny being sent away to live with John's
sister, Lizzie, who is portrayed as a hard-hearted character, and greedy for
Granny's pension. After Granny's bed is taken by the removal men, Maggie
arrives, grief-stricken as Bertie has been kept in hospital because of
Tuberculosis. Everybody sympathises, even Lizzie. In the midst of this, Jenny
packs her bags and leaves, as John arrives. John complains bitterly about being
born into poverty and the scene closes dramatically with an emotional speech.
Activity 1: Considering the impact of humour in Men Should Weep
In 1947, when the play was first performed, The Scotsman newspaper observed,
“The audience felt at times that they were eavesdropping, so natural were the
comings and goings and the see-sawing between comedy and tragedy.”
Throughout the play, Ena Lamont Stewart uses humour to leaven the tragedy of
the Morrison family’s situation. Act 2, Scene 1 is a good example of the way the
mood in the play shifts between comedy and tragedy, because it opens with the
humorous interplay between the characters as they wait for Granny’s ‘flittin’ and
ends with John’s climactic speech about being born into poverty.
Learners should work in pairs to make notes on how effective the use of humour
is in the opening section of the scene. (Page 41-50, until Maggie arrives home.)
They should consider the following points and make reference to such features
as characterisation, dialogue, tone, innuendo, stage directions…

The interplay between Mrs. Bone, Mrs. Harris and Granny.




Granny’s maudlin mood
Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Bone’s attitude towards Lizzie
Jenny and Isa’s impudence towards the older women
The removal men’s canny humour and their behaviour towards Jenny and
Isa
The practitioner should then draw together learners’ ideas about the
effectiveness of humour in the play. Alternatively, learners could lead the
feedback session.
Activity 2: Practice in textual analysis
Learners should be given a photocopy of the final section in the scene, from
John’s speech starting “I ken, Maggie. I ken…” (P54) to the end. They will need a
highlighter pen.
Practitioners should key students into the skills required for textual analysis.
They may want to revise such concepts as commenting on the ideas of the
extract, including links to theme; specific language features such as word-choice,
imagery, delivery of lines, tone; the importance of stage directions…
Learners should then prepare an annotation of John’s speech, using their
highlighter pens to highlight significant ideas and language features, and making
comments on these in the margins.
The practitioner should then lead a class annotation on the IWB, gathering
responses from learners to produce a definitive annotation of this key speech.
Alternatively, learners could lead the plenary by presenting an annotated section
of the speech and then inviting additional ideas from others in the class.
Act 2, scene 2
The scene opens a month later with Alec and Isa (still living in the Morrison
household) arguing. Isa threatens to leave Alec for another man named Peter
Robb. At this point Alec strangles her but quickly releases his hold in a panic. The
argument concludes with Isa storming into the bedroom. A tired Maggie then
arrives home complaining that no one does anything around the house, but also
does her best to comfort Alec, who takes advantage of her attention. John arrives
in the middle of a conflict between Isa and Maggie and crucially, takes Isa's side
rather than his wife's. Maggie leaves in a rage and Isa flirts with John. The
children enter and Maggie returns with some chips. At the sight of Ernest's
scuffed boots, Maggie cracks, flying into a rage at the rest of the family. The scene
calms down and concludes with a speech from Maggie, which indicates perhaps
her growing sense of despair but also her growing lack of willingness to put up
with things as they are.
Activity 1: The presentation of male violence
One of the notable features of this scene is the audience’s developing
understanding of the prevalence of male violence as an accepted part of Scottish
working class life. In this scene, we see how quickly John and his son resort to
physical violence as an expression of their dominance. This violence is expressed
through other characters in the play as well.
Learners should work in groups of four, split into pairs, to consider the
presentation of male violence in this and earlier scenes in the play.
One pair should consider and make notes on Mrs. Bone’s relationship with her
husband (reference P19, P20, P27, P41) and Alec’s attempts to control Isa by
physically dominating her in this scene (P57). They may want to consider Isa’s
attitude towards male dominance as expressed on P57, P61 and P62.
Another pair should consider and make notes on John’s physical behaviour
towards Jenny in Act 1, scene 1(P36, P37, P39) and John’s bullying attitude
towards Maggie as illustrated in this scene (P61).
Each pair should share their findings with the other. Their notes could be
photocopied, scanned or photographed.
As a group, they should summarise the key points being made about male
violence in the play. The practitioner should then lead a plenary session where
each group shares its summary points.
Activity 2: The turning point in Maggie and John’s relationship.
This is a key scene in developing our understanding of Maggie’s character and
the ways in which she changes in the play, and how this impacts on her
relationship with John.
After careful rereading of P58-63, learners should work individually to identify
and comment on at least 5 key quotations which reveal Maggie’s changing
attitude and behaviour.
Practitioners could then invite learners to share their evidence with the whole
class by displaying their quotations and comments under the visualiser (or
scanning them for display on the IWB) and asking learners to present their
findings and justify their selection and comments.
Act 3
The scene opens in a cheery Morrison household prepared for Christmas. John
arrives with a red hat, reminiscent of courting days, for Maggie, who is delighted.
However, others criticise the gift, including the arriving neighbours. Lily arrives,
shortly followed by Alec who is looking for Isa. The mood darkens as he disrupts
the atmosphere. There are mentions of Jenny who seems not to be doing too
well.
Soon after the neighbours leave there is a time lapse. Isa is now packing her bags
to leave without telling anyone. As she reaches the door, she meets Alec who is
hysterical, and realising her plans attacks her. Isa, however, manipulates Alec
and manages to escape with Alec hot on her heels. Maggie and Lily discover the
evidence of the struggle.
Jenny returns looking like she's met with success but tells of how she nearly
committed suicide. She has returned to try to get the family out of their dreadful
living conditions so that Bertie can come home again (using money from a man
she is living with). However, John arrives and wants nothing to do with her
"whore's winnins". Maggie counters this by bringing up their own early
relationship to show John's hypocrisy. The scene, and play, ends on an emotional
climax but with a note of hope: Maggie has taken command of the situation and
sees a much brighter future.
Activity 1: Creating the change of mood at the start of Act 3 (Ref. P69-84)
Although Act 3 is not divided into scenes, it does have three obvious sections.
The first section of Act 3 runs from the start of the Act up to the point when
Maggie and Lily go out shopping. Dramatically, this section represents a
significant change of mood, both from the previous scene and from the darker
sections to come in this act.
Questions to consider:



In what ways does the situation in the Morrison household seem much
improved from the previous scene?
How does the playwright give this opening section of the act a much
lighter mood? Learners should consider - in some detail and with close
reference to particular parts of this section – such features as dialogue,
use of humour, tone, characterisation, stage directions, physical action,
topics of conversation, interplay between characters…
How effectively does the playwright use the character of Alec in this
opening section to darken the mood somewhat and to prepare the
audience for the serious sections to follow in this act?
Learners are given the questions about this section and asked to consider them
individually, writing down their responses. They then share their ideas in groups
of three or four, adding to their notes as required.
If possible, on the second question – about the creation of a lighter mood –
learners should select parts of the text that exemplify this lighter mood, assign
parts within their mini-group and either read through this together or act it out.
This would give learners some insight into the dramatic process. If successful,
some of these mini-groups could perform for the whole class.
Activity 2: the climax of the play (Ref. p92 “John comes in.”-p96)
Task: learners’ consideration of the shift in power which takes place at the end of
the play.
The climax of the play involves Maggie taking control of the family’s affairs,
leaving John a rather broken and defeated figure.
Questions to consider:
•
•
At the climax of the play, what significant part does each of the women
play in undermining John’s position? Learners should look closely at key
arguments and at the stage directions in answering this section. This
scene is full of both subtle and dramatic shifts in the balance of power and
candidates should attempt to trace these movements.
Contrast the presentation of Maggie and John at the very end of the act. By
considering both dialogue and stage directions, learners should assess the
importance of the ending in understanding the play as a whole.
Format: Individual work followed by mini-group discussions.
Learners are given the questions about this section and asked to consider them
individually, writing down their responses. They then share their ideas in groups
of three or four, adding to their notes as required.
Alternatively, if they are working with their own texts, learners could highlight
or annotate directly onto the text which would help them to trace the subtle and
dramatic shifts in the balance of power. Alternatively, a photocopy of this section
would also allow learners a more visual overview of this part of the Act.
NB: No particular activity has been assigned to the middle section of this act
(Isa’s escape from Alec). If they wish, practitioners may choose to create their
own activities on this section, perhaps looking in particular at its effectiveness as
a section of dramatic physical action, a section with theatrical impact as opposed
to a scene of great thematic importance.
Section 3: After reading: activities on character and theme
Activity 1: The character of Maggie Morrison
Maggie is the central character in Men Should Weep and the one who undergoes
significant changes in response to the events of the play. It is important that
learners understand how – and why – she changes.
Learners should work in groups of 6, split into 3 pairs.
One pair should focus on Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 and how Maggie is presented.
One pair should focus on Act 2, Scene 2 and the beginnings of change in Maggie.
One pair should focus on Act 3 after Jenny arrives home.
Each pair should prepare detailed notes, including quotations, on the
presentation of Maggie in their scene(s). It might be helpful for them to construct
their notes around this framework:





Start by summarising what happens in their scene(s), finishing with a
summing-up statement about Maggie at this stage in the play.
Take detailed notes about what is revealed about Maggie. They should
make close reference to what Maggie says and does; her interactions
with other characters; and what other characters say about/to her.
Make evaluative judgements about the way Maggie is and why she is
like this.
Comment on the use of stage directions, if appropriate.
Make any relevant links to the development of theme through
Maggie’s presentation. Relevant themes could be
 the role of women
 the demoralising impact of poverty
 the importance of community
 the importance of self-determination as opposed to passive
acceptance.
Learners should present their findings to the other pairs in their group.
Their respective notes could be photocopied, scanned or photographed for
shared use.
Learners could then use their notes to write an extended response to the
question:
Maggie Morrison changes throughout Men Should Weep. Describe some of the
key aspects of this change and discuss how her development adds to your
understanding of a central concern of the play.
Activity 2: The role of women: Lily, Jenny and Isa
Maggie is without doubt the most important character in Men Should Weep and it
is through her character that we learn most about the role of women in 1930s
Glasgow. In order to develop their understanding of the central concerns of the
play, learners should attempt first some of the activities described in Activity 1:
The character of Maggie Morrison.
However, this is a play where women are very much the focus. As well as
providing some light relief, Granny gives us insight into the plight of the aged and
infirm during this period. Lizzie shows us a different kind of woman: resourceful
but rendered hard, greedy and pitiless by her demanding economic situation.
Even Maggie’s neighbours give us insight into the community spirit that kept
women going in these troubled times.
However, learners will add to their appreciation of the play through closer study
of three other female characters: Lily, Jenny and Isa.
Lily
Learners should look again at the scenes in which Lily plays an important part:
Act 1, scene 1 and Act 3. Working either individually or as part of a pair or a
group, learners should make notes on what is revealed about Lily before
answering the following questions:
•
•
•
•
In Act 1, scene 1, what criticisms does Lily make about the way Maggie
runs the house, and about John in particular and men in general?
In Act 3, how does Ena Lamont Stewart suggest a warmer relationship
between Maggie and Lily?
In Act 3, what is revealed about Lily’s attitude to Jenny, and what is
confirmed about Lily’s attitude towards John?
Describe some of the ways in which Lily helps the Morrisons throughout
the play?
Optional extension work on Lily: some essay topics
•
•
In the play, there is a clear contrast between the characters of Maggie and
Lily. Describe some of the key aspects of this contrast and discuss how
this contrast adds to your understanding of a central concern of the play.
In the play, in what ways does John’s relationship with Lily help to clarify
his attitude towards women?
Jenny
Learners should look again at the scenes in which Jenny plays an important part:
Act 1, scene 2; Act 2, scene 1; and Act 3. Working either individually or as part of
a pair or a group they should make notes on what is revealed about Jenny before
answering the following questions:
•
•
•
•
Make a list of all the things Jenny does in Act 1, scene 2 with which her
father, John, finds fault.
Jenny is representative of a younger generation in the play. In Act 1, scene
2, what criticisms does she make of each of her parents?
In Act 2, scene 1, what does Jenny do and say to show her rebellion
against the older generation?
With reference to Act 3, how influential a part does Jenny play in bringing
about Maggie’s positive action?
Optional extension work on Jenny: some essay topics
•
Discuss some of the ways in which Maggie and Jenny’s values differ in the
play and discuss some of the values they share?
•
Explain what we learn about John’s relationship with Jenny when she was
a child, then discuss the changing nature of their relationship over the
course of the play?
•
To what extent do you regard Jenny as an admirable figure in the play?
Isa
Learners should look again at the scenes in which Isa plays an important part:
Act 1, scene 2; Act 2, scenes 1 and 2; and Act 3. Working either individually or as
part of a pair or a group they should make notes on what is revealed about Isa.
Learners should now consider the following quotations and discuss what each
one tells us about Isa’s character and/or values:
•
“Ach, he was a rotten tattie lang afore I was daft enough tae get landed wi
him.”
•
“If you think I’m gaun on like this a ma life, ye’ve anither think comin…If
you want tae keep me, it’s time you wis makin a bit o dough again. I canna
live on air.”
•
“Love! There’s nae sich a thing…No roon aboot here, onyway.”
•
“A woman disnae respect a man that’s nae a man.”
•
“I’m speakin tae you and why should I no? Ye’re a man as well’s ma
faither-in-law.”
Optional extension work on Isa: some essay topics
•
Describe the nature of Isa and Alec’s relationship in the play. Neither is
particularly likeable but to which character do you feel more
sympathetic?
•
To what extent does Isa’s manipulation of men reinforce some of the
ideas about men suggested in the play?
•
Compare Isa’s ideas about love and Maggie’s ideas about love in the play.
Optional extension essay on all three women:
•
How does a consideration of one or more than one of the following
characters – Lily, Jenny, Isa – influence our understanding of Maggie, the
central character in “Men Should Weep”.
Activity 3: The character of John Morrison
John is the key male character in Men Should Weep. Understanding John is vital to
learners’ understanding of the play as a whole. The play is set at a time when the
established role of men was under threat. Male dominance and authority were
the accepted norms but these concepts were being challenged in the 1930s
world depicted in the play.
It is important that learners understand the beliefs, attitudes and values John has
at the start of the play; how these are challenged in the course of the play; and
the extent to which John has changed by the end of the play.
Learners should work in groups of 6, split into 3 pairs.
• One pair should focus on Act 1 and how John is presented in the two scenes.
(Some key aspects to consider in these scenes: John’s relationship with Maggie;
what John’s argument with Lily tells us about him; what John sees as his areas of
responsibility in life; the economic situation faced by men at the time; what
John’s behaviour both before and during his confrontation with Jenny tells us.)
• One pair should focus on Act 2 and how John is presented in the two scenes.
(Some key aspects to consider in these scenes: John’s view of fatherhood; John as
a man in times of economic hardship; John’s relationship with Maggie; John’s
view of male responsibility; John’s ambiguous relationship with women; any
signs of changing attitudes in John.)
• One pair should focus on Act 3.
(Some key aspects to consider in these scenes: John’s relationship with Maggie at
the start of the scene; the values and beliefs espoused by John towards the end of
the scene and how these are attacked by Jenny, Lily and Maggie; how John is
presented at the very end of the scene and how important this is to our
understanding of the play as a whole.)
By this stage, learners will probably already have summaries of what happens in
each scene. Each pair should concentrate, therefore, on preparing detailed notes,
including quotations, on the presentation of John in their scene(s).
It might be helpful for them to construct their notes around this framework:




Take detailed notes about what is revealed about John. They should
make close reference to what John says and does; his interactions with
other characters; and what other characters say about/to him.
Make evaluative judgements about the way John is and why he is like
this.
Comment on the use of stage directions, if appropriate. These are
particularly important to our understanding of John’s character.
Make any relevant links to the development of theme through John’s
presentation. After all, one of John’s functions in the play is to
symbolise working-class men in the 1930s. Relevant themes could
include:
 men’s view of marriage and the established roles of men and
women within a marriage
 men’s view of the role of women in society
 men’s view of the role of men in society
 men’s response to the economic situation of the time
Students should present their findings to the other pairs in their group.
Their respective notes could be photocopied, scanned or photographed for
shared use.
Formal essay topics
If practitioners wish learners to produce more formal essays on John, some of
the following topics could be considered:
• Explain the nature of John and Maggie’s relationship at the start of the play, and
discuss the extent to which their relationship changes over the course of the
play.
• Explain John’s view of gender roles in society and discuss the extent to which
his view changes over the course of the play.
• Compare the presentation of John at the beginning and at the end of the play.
Discuss how important his transformation is to our understanding of the central
concerns of the play.
• By studying the character of John, what do we learn about both the economic
situation faced by men and the beliefs of men in 1930s Scotland?
• How important do you consider Ena Lamont Stewart’s use of stage directions
to be in helping us form an opinion of John’s character in the play?
• Consider one of the following relationships: John and Isa; John and Jenny; John
and Lily. Discuss in what ways this particular relationship adds to our
understanding of the character of John as a whole.
Activity 4: The theme of poverty
“Men Should Weep” provides a harrowing insight into the effects of poverty on a
Glaswegian family during the depression of the 1930s.
Using evidence from the play, learners should make notes on the various aspects
of poverty revealed in the play. Learners should also write down key quotations
for use in extended writing pieces. Having assembled these notes – either
working individually and/or in groups – learners should write an essay on the
following topic:
How effective do you find Ena Lamont Stewart’s portrayal of poverty in the play
“Men Should Weep”?
In preparing to answer this question, learners should consider some of the
following ideas:
Negative effects
•
•
•
•
details of set design given (cramped conditions, overcrowding, outside
toilet, no real bed for adults)
the role of Granny and what this tells us about the treatment of elderly in
1930s Scotland
the impact of poverty on women trying to bring up a family (exhaustion,
desperation, self-sacrifice, despair)
the size of family units at this time
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the portrayal of the younger children in the play (clothing, hygiene,
hunger, diet, deprivation, acceptance)
reliance on hand-outs (Lily’s vital contributions), acts of charity
endemic ill-health (rickets, Bertie’s TB, medicine has to be bought)
slum conditions: lice, rats, no hot water, hygiene, damp (find key speeches
by Lily, Jenny)
lack of money, inability to make ends meet
hunger, appreciation of even the most basic foods, desperation for food
no-one else wants, meagre resources
desire of younger people to escape, unwillingness to accept that life can
only be bad, resentment at expectations of older generation
impact on men (tremendous competition for few jobs available, transitory
nature of work, resignation, failure to fight, despair at failure to provide,
change to their status, reduction in their authority, bitterness, alcoholism,
domestic violence, willingness to blame government, sense of being
trapped, lack of self respect, unwillingness to help out domestically)
the importance of Lizzie, symbolising someone who has become hard,
greedy and acquisitive in order to survive
temptation to fall into criminality to survive (Alec, Isa)
differing reactions of men and women
difficult moral choices faced by women because of poverty
terrible impact of poverty also demonstrated by the dramatic
improvement in many elements of the Morrisons’ lives when John
manages to get secure employment
Positive effects
•
•
•
•
response of women (resilience, determination, willingness to work and
shoulder domestic burden, positivity)
community spirit, women seeing the need to band together as neighbours,
family unity
willingness to share
desire to maintain certain standards (e.g. of cleanliness) despite
overwhelming difficulties
Section 4: Practice in Textual Analysis
Textual Analysis Practice 1
The question is worth 20 marks.
You should spend about 45 minutes on this question.
Read the extract carefully and then answer ALL the questions below the
extract, using your own words as far as possible.
SCOTTISH TEXT (DRAMA)
Read the extract below and then answer the following questions.
Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart
In this extract, Maggie’s sister Lily has dropped in to see the family.
Extract from Act One, Scene 1 (starting stage direction, “Edie comes in and goes
across to the window” to “...the teacher taks it in tae her impudent heid tae look
the morn.”)
Questions:
1. By referring closely to lines 1–11 (“Edie comes in...I’ve nae breeks”),
discuss how the playwright creates humour in the dialogue between Edie
and Lily. (4)
2. By referring closely to lines 12–26 (“Maggie comes in…We’re flesh and
blood.”), discuss what we learn about Lily’s attitude towards Maggie’s
husband John. (2)
3. By referring closely to the extract as a whole, explain what we learn about
the impact poverty has on the Morrison family. (4)
4. Explain what differences are established between Maggie and Lily in this
scene, and discuss to what extent these differences are maintained in the
rest of the play. (10)
Textual Analysis Practice 2
The question is worth 20 marks.
You should spend about 45 minutes on this question.
Read the extract carefully and then answer ALL the questions below the
extract, using your own words as far as possible.
SCOTTISH TEXT (DRAMA)
Read the extract below and then answer the following questions.
Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart
In this extract, Maggie has left the house after John has upset her by taking
Isa’s side in an argument.
Extract from Act 2, scene 2 (starting Isa “Oh ho! Ye’ve done it on yersel noo,
Daddy… to John “Don’t ca me daddy.”)
1. With close reference to lines 1-22 (“Oh ho! Ye’ve done it on yersel noo…”
to “My! Your eyes when ye laugh.”), discuss the tactics Isa employs to
attract John’s interest in her. (2)
2. With close reference to lines 22-51 (“Listen don’t you bother…” to “I mean
aboot whit she looks like.”), discuss what we learn about Isa’s attitude
towards Maggie. (4)
3. With close reference to lines 52-75 (“The kids has tae come first.” to “But
thanks a the same, Isa.”), discuss what is revealed about the different
attitudes Isa and John have towards life. (4)
4. Explain what is revealed about Isa’s attitude towards men in this scene,
and discuss to what extent her attitude towards men differs from that of
any one other woman in the play as a whole. (10)
Section 5: Appendices
Appendix 1: Synopsis
Act 1
Scene 1
The play is set in the 1930s and it's a winter evening in the kitchen of the
Morrisons’ home in the east end of Glasgow. The play opens on a disordered
tenement household where six of the seven children (Jenny, Edie, Ernest, Bertie,
Marina, Christopher), two parents (John and Maggie) and Granny of the Morrison
family live. The chaos of family life, held together by Maggie, is clearly depicted
but the overall tone is lighthearted and the audience can see that the family is
quite a happy one. Maggie tries to put Granny to bed. Then Maggie’s sister Lily
comes in; she helps with the children and talks to Maggie about Maggie’s everdemanding situation. Topics covered include the role of women, the role of men,
and Bertie’s worrying ill-health. When John comes out, the sparring between
John and Lily ends with her storming out of the house. The tone of the scene
begins to darken when neighbours bring news of the Morrisons’ troublesome
son Alec and his wife Isa whose home has collapsed.
Scene 2
Alec and Isa arrive drunk at the Morrison household with conflicts immediately
escalating between John and his son. As the drunken pair goes to bed, John and
Maggie discuss children. John realises Jenny isn't home and gets quite angry.
Soon he hears her in the close mouth with a man and an argument ensues as he
drags her in. Jenny is becoming more independent but John is uncomfortable
with this and her growing sexuality. Jenny, who is fed up with the conditions the
family has to live in, speaks of plans to leave.
Act 2
Scene 1
The scene opens a week later with Granny being sent away to live with John's
sister-in-law Lizzie, who is portrayed as a hard-hearted character, and greedy for
Granny's pension. After Granny's bed is taken by the removal men, Maggie
arrives, grief-stricken as Bertie has been kept in hospital because of
Tuberculosis. Everybody sympathises, even Lizzie. In the midst of this, Jenny
packs her bags and leaves, as John arrives. John complains bitterly about being
born into poverty and the scene closes dramatically with an emotional speech.
Scene 2
The scene opens a month later with Alec and Isa (still living in the Morrison
household) arguing. Isa threatens to leave Alec for another man named Peter
Robb. At this point Alec strangles her but quickly releases his hold in a panic. The
argument concludes with Isa storming into the bedroom. A tired Maggie then
arrives on the scene complaining that no one does anything around the house,
but also does her best to comfort Alec, who takes advantage of her attention.
John arrives in the middle of a conflict between Isa and Maggie and crucially,
takes Isa's side rather than his wife's. Maggie leaves in a rage and Isa flirts with
John. The children enter and Maggie returns with some chips. At the sight of
Ernest's scuffed boots, Maggie cracks, flying into a rage at the rest of the family.
The scene calms down and concludes with a speech from Maggie, which
indicates perhaps her growing sense of despair.
Act 3
The scene opens in a contrastingly cheery Morrison household prepared for
Christmas. There is a wireless and the children have presents. Granny is back.
John arrives with a red hat, reminiscent of courting days, for Maggie, who is
delighted. However, others criticise the gift, including the arriving neighbours.
Lily arrives, shortly followed by Alec who is looking for Isa. The mood darkens as
he disrupts the atmosphere. There are mentions of Jenny who seems not to be
doing too well. Soon after the neighbours leave there is a time lapse. Isa is now
packing her bags to leave (without telling anyone). As she reaches the door she
meets Alec who is hysterical, and realising her plans tries to kill her. Isa,
however, manipulates Alec and manages to escape with Alec hot on her heels.
Maggie and Lily discover the evidence of the struggle but Lily hides the knife to
keep Maggie calm. Jenny returns looking like she's met with success but tells of
how she nearly committed suicide. She has returned to try to get the family out
of their dreadful living conditions so that Bertie can come home again (with
money from a man she is living with). However, John arrives and wants nothing
to do with her "whore's winnins". Maggie counters this by bringing up their own
early relationship to show John's hypocrisy. The scene, and play, ends on an
emotional climax but with a note of hope: Maggie has taken command of the
situation and sees a much brighter future.
Appendix 2: Suggested topics for extended writing pieces.
Practitioners could choose to explore any one or more of these with
learners as they study the play. Ideally, learners should experiment by
producing several shorter pieces of writing, one of which could then be
chosen for further development in preparation for submission to the SQA
as part of the Folio.
Creative/Personal
Conflict between generations
Contrasting members of the same family
Writing in Scots
A piece in which learners make a genuine attempt to incorporate dialogue; the
rhythms of speech; the ebb and flow of argument
The arrival of someone/ a character who disrupts normal life
A story in which dominance plays an important part, where one character tries
to dominate another
A story in which a character is on the edge of despair
A story in which an older person reflects on the past
A story in which a character is under verbal or emotional attack
A story in which the moral values of two characters differ
A story in which a character feels betrayed
A story where a character’s anger is conveyed strongly
A story involving a mysterious parcel/package/present
Write a character study in which you try to capture the personality and impact of
someone important in your life
How do we really talk to each other? Listen to a lunch-time conversation or a
family conversation (or record it): what made it funny? What made it different
from writing? What were the topics discussed? How are silences filled? Are
sentences always completed? Try to write a piece of prose or drama which
captures the real rhythms of conversation.
Discursive
Scotland: the health of the nation
Young people and alcohol
What are the health issues facing our generation?
What do we mean by poverty in 21st Century Scotland?
The loss of hunger: do we really appreciate food any more?
The Morrisons have so little which makes them really appreciative of the
smallest things. Have we lost the gift of appreciation? Is affluence all it’s cracked
up to be? Does money really make us happy?
The importance of humour in Scottish culture.
Gender roles: in 21st Century Scotland; in schools; in the media; in learners’
lives; in sexual politics; on the Internet; in learners’ families; in modern
romance… to what extent have gender roles changed?
Community: do neighbours matter any more?; does the idea of community still
exist?; can a virtual world or virtual friends really replace a community of
people?; does your community matter to you?
Domestic violence in Scotland
The art of manipulation
Interviewing older people/relatives and writing a report on Scotland as it was in
another generation (gender roles, women in work, poverty, making ends meet,
domestic arrangements)
Should we be more willing to bring older relatives to stay with us? Perhaps some
learners have experience of this and could write personally or discursively.
Aspiration: do young people believe they can have a better life than their
parents?
Appendix 3: Marking Instructions for practice textual analysis extracts.
Marking Instructions for textual analysis practice 1
Part One: General Marking Principles for Higher English
This information is provided to help you understand the general principles you
must apply when marking candidate responses to questions in this Paper. These
principles must be read in conjunction with the specific Marking Instructions for
each question. The marking schemes are written to assist in determining the
‘minimal acceptable answer’ rather than listing every possible correct and
incorrect answer.
(a)
Marks for each candidate response must always be assigned in line with these
general marking principles and the specific Marking Instructions for the relevant
question.
(b)
Marking should always be positive, ie marks should be awarded for what is
correct and not deducted for errors or omissions.
Part Two: Marking Instructions for each question
Questio
n
1
Expected response
There should be a clear
discussion of how the
playwright creates humour in
the dialogue between Edie and
Lily in lines 1–11.
Reference alone = 0
For full marks, at least two
separate aspects of the creation
of humour must be discussed.
NB Learners who carry out a full
analysis of the “suspenders –
garters – breeks” section will
inevitably cover at least two
aspects of humour so full marks
could certainly be gained for
consideration of this section
alone.
Max
Additional guidance
mark
4
Possible answers include:
Edie’s transparent desire to cast
herself in a good light, while
establishing Ernest as the villain. The
repetitive nature of her language - to
make her point pellucid - adds to the
comic effect:
“Auntie Lily, Ernest’ll no come in. I
came in when Mammy shouted on me;
but Ernest’ll no come in, so he’ll no.”
Lily’s contrastingly terse, ironic, mockserious response undercuts Edie’s
deadly seriousness. It emphasises the
difference between the adult view of
the situation and the childish view:
“Fancy that! Aren’t you a wee clever?”
Various aspects of the “suspenders –
garters – breeks” section could be
commented on:
the repetitive nature and parallel
structure of Lily’s questions creates a
build-up in the humour of the
situation, as Lily becomes increasingly
exasperated and incredulous:
“Have ye nae suspenders?”, “Well, have
ye nae garters”, “Well, have ye nae
elastic in yer breeks?”
Each of Edie’s answers plays a part in
the build-up of humour:
“Suspenders? No.” The question
emphasises Edie’s incredulity at the
very idea that she would wear
something as exotic as suspenders. The
definitive “No” suggests Lily has rather
taken leave of her senses.
“No, Auntie Lily.” suggests Edie is
becoming almost patronising in
dismissing what she regards as
outlandish ideas on Lily’s part. She
feels she is sparing Lily’s
embarrassment by going into as little
detail as possible.
“I’ve nae breeks.” In its stripped-down
simplicity, Edie’s categorical reply acts
as a beautiful climax to this section of
dialogue, emphasising as it does Edie’s
exasperated bafflement at her aunt’s
failure to grasp the obvious, and the
futility of Lily’s whole line of
questioning.
2
Learners should discuss what
we learn about Lily’s attitude
towards John in lines 12–26.
Reference alone = 0
A clear explanation of any one
aspect of Lily’s attitude will be
2
Possible answers:
Dismissive, thinks he is full of
excuses, too ready to blame others:
as soon as Maggie mentions John’s
views on capitalism, Lily immediately
cuts her off, suggesting Lily is
dismissive of John’s views, has heard
worth 2 marks; more basic
explanations will be worth 1
mark each.
them all before and doesn’t think much
of them.
“Ach, I’m no wantin tae hear what John
says aboot they bliddy capitalists.”
Thinks John is all talk and no action:
“I’ve heard it a.”
Accusatory, thinks John is
irresponsible: Lily thinks having too
many children is Maggie’s biggest
burden and that John, not any aspect of
the system, is at fault. “It wisnae they
bliddy capitalists gie’d you a the weans,
wis it?”
Overall, takes a very dim view of
John, doesn’t think much of him:
“John should think shame o himself.”
3
Learners should cover four
aspects of the impact of poverty,
as revealed in the extract.
One mark for each point.
4
Any of the following for one mark
each:
the children are poorly clothed
the children have very low aspirations
the family is partly dependent on handouts
making ends meet financially is an
ongoing struggle; they are always short
of money
the family has a sense of helplessness
and hopelessness, financial matters are
beyond their understanding
ill-health among the children is
inevitable
people lose their self-respect, no longer
care about appearances, begin to lose
their sense of identity
hygiene-related problems are
inevitable
poverty has not destroyed them
altogether: Maggie still has standards
of cleanliness, Maggie retains quite a
positive outlook, Maggie still relishes
her loving relationship with John, Edie
is a cheery, sparky individual
4
Learners may choose to answer
in bullet points in this final
question, or write a number of
linked statements. There is no
requirement to write a ‘mini
essay’.
Up to 2 marks can be achieved
for identifying elements of
commonality as identified in the
question, ie differences between
Maggie and Lily.
A further 2 marks can be
achieved for reference to the
extract given.
6 additional marks can be
awarded for discussion of
similar references to at least one
other part of the text by the
writer.
In practice this means:
Identification of commonality
(2) (eg: theme, characterisation,
use of imagery, setting, or any
other key element…)
From the extract:
1 x relevant reference to
technique /idea/feature(1)
1 x appropriate comment (1)
(maximum of 2 marks only for
discussion of extract)
from at least one other text/part
of the text:
as above (x3) for up to 6 marks
OR
More detailed comment x 2 for
10
Maggie and Lily in the extract
Learners will probably first establish
the complete contrast in Maggie and
Lily’s situations in life. Maggie is a
married woman with seven children
and an unemployed husband; they are
living in dreadful housing and Maggie
struggles desperately to make ends
meet. Lily is unmarried, has a job and is
relatively comfortable, certainly
compared to Maggie.
Lily is critical of Maggie as a homemaker: the children are poorly clothed,
somewhat unwashed and she thinks
Maggie handles her money badly.
Maggie, on the other hand, thinks Lily
has no real understanding of the
impossibility of her situation: how the
family is dependent on hand-outs and
that the simple fact is there is just not
enough money to go round. Maggie
understands, in a way she believes Lily
never will, that her situation at the
moment is more or less impossible and
so she just has to make the best of it. As
she says, with remarkable
understatement, “Bringing up weans is
no as easy as it looks.”
Maggie and Lily also disagree about
John. Lily thinks he is full of talk not
action, and she blames him for the
number of children Maggie is burdened
with. Maggie takes a much more
positive view of the number of children
they have, seeing it as a natural
outcome of the love they have (“He’s a
man and I’m a wumman. We’re flesh
an blood.”) Maggie refers to John in an
affectionate way throughout and there
is no sense of her echoing Lily’s critical
up to 6 marks
view.
Thus, the final 6 marks can be
gained by a combination of 3,2
and 1 marks depending on the
level of depth/detail/insight.
The aim would be to encourage
quality of comment, rather than
quantity of references.
Maggie and Lily also disagree about
women’s role in life. Maggie thinks
being married and having a man is
women’s natural role (“Old maids are
awfu good at criticisin”), whereas Lily
disputes this and probably feels she is
better off on her own. (“I hope ye don’t
think I’m envyin you because you
managed tae get haud o a man”.)
Although made in jest, the description
of Maggie as “flesh and blood” and Lily
as “jist skin an bone” is pertinent.
Maggie is presented as passionate,
vibrant and cheerful (despite her
circumstances), whereas Lily is
presented as being critical, negative,
dried-up and somewhat unforgiving.
Maggie and Lily in the rest of the
play
In dealing with the play as a whole,
learners may choose to make some of
the following points, backing up their
points with suitable references. All
points, however, must be considered
on their merits.
Possible answers:
Lily remains critical of Maggie as a
home-maker; it could be argued that as
the play progresses Maggie does come
to understand that she has to be more
proactive and certainly less accepting
of her lot in life and the extent to which
she has some control over her own
destiny.
Lily remains highly critical of John
throughout with this criticism reaching
a climax in the final act. Without doubt
Maggie’s attitude towards John
changes in the course of the play. Her
love for him remains but certainly she
is much more aware of his
shortcomings and weaknesses. By the
end of the play, she is the dominant
figure in the marriage and no longer
subservient, so to some extent she
does move closer to Lily’s point of
view.
Lily remains a fierce defender of her
independent state. She is critical of
men throughout the play, seeing them
as patronising, impractical,
complacent, lustful, full of talk but
lacking in action... Again, Maggie is
certainly a figure of much greater selfdetermination by the end of the play.
She is much less dependent on John
and takes control of her own situation.
She is going to the new house with or
without John.
The fundamental character differences
established in the extract remain to
some extent throughout the play.
Maggie remains the warmer and more
vibrant figure, although she is much
less accepting of her situation at
various points throughout the play and
comes very closing to cracking up
altogether. Lily remains quite a critical,
austere, practical figure who often goes
aggressively on the attack (for
example, with John and with Jenny).
However, what is only hinted at in the
extract are the much softer, more
sympathetic and caring aspects of her
character which are developed at
points in the rest of the play. For
example, she always tries to help the
Morrisons out with food, medicine and
stockings for the children at Christmas;
she defends the house against Lizzie;
she and Maggie are quite carefree as
they prepare to go Christmas
shopping; she tries not to worry
Maggie by hiding the knife when they
come back from their shopping.
Overall, as with Maggie, Lily emerges
as a strong individual and a force for
good.
Marking Instructions for textual analysis practice 2
General Marking Principles for Higher English
This information is provided to help you understand the general principles you
must apply when marking candidate responses to questions in this Paper. These
principles must be read in conjunction with the specific Marking Instructions for
each question. The marking schemes are written to assist in determining the
‘minimal acceptable answer’ rather than listing every possible correct and
incorrect answer.
(a)
Marks for each candidate response must always be assigned in line with these
general marking principles and the specific Marking Instructions for the relevant
question.
(b)
Marking should always be positive, ie marks should be awarded for what is
correct and not deducted for errors or omissions.
Part Two: Marking Instructions for each question
Questio
n
1
Expected response
For full marks, learners should
identify and comment on two
tactics used by Isa to attract
John’s interest in her for 1 mark
each.
Reference alone = 0
Max
Additional guidance
mark
2
Learners should make reference to
specific tactics used by Isa. General
reference to her flirtatious behaviour
will only be worth 1 mark.
Possible answers:
Her use of ‘Daddy’ suggests an
intimacy which has sexual undertones
of an older man with a younger
woman.
She encourages a physical intimacy
and invites him to confide in her by
moving closer to him. “Isa comes up
close.”
Her brazen references to Maggie
punishing John by withholding sex
attempt to encourage John to
acknowledge his physical desire. “Ye’ll
get the cold shoulder in bed the night,
eh? Nae fun and games!”
She oversteps the boundaries of an
accepted father/daughter-in-law
relationship by suggesting that she can
speak to him first and foremost as a
man, and not as her father-in-law. “I’m
speaking tae you and why should I no?
Ye’re a man as well’s ma faither-inlaw.”
She flatters John by commenting on his
attractiveness. “My! Your eyes when ye
laugh…”
She is playful and encourages a shared
understanding between them. “He
smiles at her. They both burst out
laughing.”
2
For full marks, learners should
comment on aspects of Isa’s
attitude towards Maggie.
A single insightful comment
about one aspect of Isa’s
attitude, supported by
appropriate reference, could
score up to 2 marks.
Reference alone = 0
4
Possible answers:
Isa’s matter-of-fact statements about
the way Maggie feels suggest she
couldn’t care less about Maggie’s
hostility towards her. “She cannae
staun the sight o me. Never could.”
Her dismissiveness of Maggie’s mollycoddling attitude towards Alec
suggests she thinks Maggie is
sentimental and weak. “They’re a the
same, mothers. The first yin’s aye his
mither’s big tumphy.”
She thinks mothers like Maggie have a
lot to answer for by bringing up weak,
spineless sons who make pathetic
husbands. “…Goad help the wife that
gets stuck wi the tumphy.”
She is dismissive of Maggie’s resilience,
preferring to switch the focus back to
John. “Aye…well…but she’s been lucky.
Lucky wi her man.”
She thinks Maggie doesn’t deserve John
because he could have done better
(“Ye’ve an air aboot ye”) and that John
is the reason why Maggie has any
worth at all in Isa’s eyes.
She thinks Maggie is a millstone
around John’s neck and responsible for
holding him back in life. “If you wis
single, you could get a job in
Canada…but ye’re stuck; pinned doon
here wi Maggie and the weans.”
She is critical of Maggie’s lack of
interest in how she looks, believing it
to be lazy. Isa believes a woman has a
duty to look good for her husband. “Of
course, that’s her life…she disnae
care…I mean aboot what she looks
like.”
3
For full marks, learners should
discuss each character’s attitude
towards life.
A single insightful comment
about one character’s attitude,
supported by appropriate
reference, could score up to 2
marks.
Reference alone = 0
4
Possible answers:
John’s attitude
In general, John is defeated in the face
of the reality of his poverty and grimly
accepts the limitations of his life. There
is no fun in life; it is a grim, unremitting
uphill struggle, largely devoid of
pleasure.
John believes that parents need to
make sacrifices in order to provide for
their children. They need to think of
their children’s needs before their own.
“The kids has tae come first.”
John recognises that the pressures of
family life inevitably mean that women
don’t have the money or the time to
care about what they look like. “Ye get
intae the way o thinking that it’s nae
worth botherin.”
John is realistic about how far his
money can go when he’s unemployed.
“When ye’re on the dole, Isa, ye’re
lucky if ye can skin a packet o
Woodbine.”
John accepts that the short-term
oblivion of drinking and gambling isn’t
something he can live with and still be
a decent family man. “Aspirins is for
sair heids; no for bad coansciences”
The stage direction “For a moment the
light…he looks at his boots.” reveals
John’s struggle to stay on the straight
and narrow, and his defeated stance
reinforces the idea that his life is
characterised by his need to limit and
confine himself on a daily basis.
John’s angry reaction to Isa’s remark
that he’s in his prime (Shut up, Isa, will
ye? Juist shut up.) reveals how bitter he
is about his lack of opportunity and
success.
His delivery of these lines (“I’ve had
nae prime. I got married. Nae training.
Nae skill.”) with the series of staccato
sentences suggests a flat, weary tone
which reflects John’s bitter acceptance
of his lot.
Isa’s attitude
In general, Isa’s attitude is that life is
for living; she takes no responsibility
and is happy to live beyond her means.
Isa believes that fun and pleasure
should be part of life, not an
unattainable goal.
Isa has a shallow existence. She thinks
that a good night out would make John
live a little and forget his problems.
“It’s a night oot on the toon you’re
needin”
Isa is happy to take risks and gamble
what little money she has. “D’ye no hae
the odd win at the dugs?”
Isa is dismissive of the need to be
responsible. She lives for the moment
and doesn’t look beyond her
immediate gratification. “Och, a coupla
aspirins and a guid dose…”
Isa’s superficial way of life, which
demands nothing more than instant
pleasure, means she has no
understanding of John’s situation. Her
comment “And you in the prime o life.
It’s a right shame, so it is.” reveals her
lack of interest in John’s life and her
inability to consider other ways of
living as valid or even necessary.
4
Learners may choose to answer
in bullet points in this final
question, or write a number of
linked statements. There is no
requirement to write a ‘mini
essay’.
Up to 2 marks can be achieved
for identifying elements of
commonality as identified in the
question, i.e. Isa’s attitude
towards men.
A further 2 marks can be
achieved for reference to the
extract given.
6 additional marks can be
awarded for discussion of
similar references to at least one
other part of the text by the
writer.
In practice this means:
Identification of commonality
(2) (eg: theme, characterisation,
use of imagery, setting, or any
other key element…)
From the extract:
1 x relevant reference to
technique /idea/feature (1)
1 x appropriate comment (1)
(maximum of 2 marks only for
discussion of extract)
from at least one other text/part
of the text:
as above (x3) for up to 6 marks
OR
10
It is likely that learners will choose to
compare Isa’s attitude with Maggie,
Jenny or Lily. Depending on which
character learners choose, they could
argue that Isa has a very different
attitude towards men than Lily, or a
similar attitude to Jenny’s, or they may
identify and discuss points of similarity
and difference with Maggie.
The following points could be made
but in a wide-ranging question such as
this, all points made by learners must
be considered on their merits.
Isa’s attitude towards men in this
extract:
It may be, that in answering on Isa in
this extract, learners will expand on
points by making reference to Isa’s
attitude towards men elsewhere in the
play. For example, greater discussion
of her attitude towards Alec may be
germane. Such amplifications should
be treated sympathetically.
Isa wants men to be men. She criticises
Alec for being Maggie’s ‘wee boy’ and
pities the woman who – like her - ends
up married to the ‘tumphy’ who’s yet
to cut the ties of his mother’s apron
strings.
As much as Isa despises weak men, she
still defines herself through her
relationship with them. Consequently,
she believes a woman’s role is to flirt
with her man and flatter his ego. “My!
Your eyes when ye laugh…”; “Whit sort
o trouble had ye in mind, Daddy?”
More detailed comment x 2 for
up to 6 marks
Thus, the final 6 marks can be
gained by a combination of 3,2
and 1 marks depending on the
level of depth/detail/insight.
The aim would be to encourage
quality of comment, rather than
quantity of references.
Isa sees men as being easily
manipulated and sexually-driven. As
well as being attracted to John to some
extent, there is also a sense that Isa
enjoys trying to get John to succumb to
her sexual charms. She is happy to
drive a wedge between John and
Maggie, and she is also used to men
falling under her spell (for example,
Alec is completely in thrall to her).
Maggie’s attitude in the play as a
whole:
Maggie believes men are weaker than
women in certain ways. She comments
that John, like all men, doesn’t cope
with adversity with the same strength
as women. “They canna staun up tae
things like a wumman. They loss the
heid and shout.”
Maggie believes that women work
much harder than men. “Nae work for
the men. Aye plenty for the women.”
Maggie is critical of men who she
thinks are all talk and no action. “I’ve
seen yous men looking for work.
Haudin up the street corners, ca’in
doon the government – tellin the world
whit ye’d dae if you wis rinnin the
country”
Maggie believes that men should
support their wives and stick up for
them against outsiders. “And I like a
man tae stand up for his wife.”
Maggie believes a man has to earn
respect from his wife. “Ye can close the
doors o yer heart on him, and once
ye’ve done that tae yer man, batterin
wull no get him back in.”
However, Maggie’s attitude is not
totally different from Isa’s. She likes
men, still believes (for most of the play,
at least) they should take the lead in a
marriage, and also values the love and
desire that should exist between a man
and a woman. “He’s a man and I’m a
wumman. We’re flesh and blood.”
Lily’s attitude in the play as a whole:
Lily is unrelentingly critical of men.
She believes they are lazy wasters who
take advantage of their wives. “…slavin
after a useless man an his greetin
weans”
Lily believes men indulge in sex but
take no responsibility for their
children. “It wisnae they bliddy
capitalists gie’d ye a the weans, wis
it…John should think shame o himself.”
Lily believes men are interested in one
thing only: sex. “Men! I’m wantin nae
man’s airms roon me. They’re a dirty
beasts.”
Lily thinks men are work-shy. “Jist like
him! Leave a the dirty work tae the
women!”
Lily thinks men never accept
responsibility for their situations and
always try to pass the blame. “Nae
man’s ever tae blame. It’s they dirty
rotten buggers in Parliament, or they
stinkin rich bosses…”
Unlike Isa (and Maggie), Lily seems
only to condemn the warmth, love and
desire that can exist between men and
women. In her world, men are
sexually-driven, while women are not.
Jenny’s attitude in the play as a
whole:
Jenny has more in common with Isa. As
one of the younger generation, she has
a more pragmatic attitude towards
men and knows that she has to play the
game to a certain extent in order to
achieve what she wants. “You seem tae
ken yer Bible, Auntie Lily. I never
pretended tae. But I’m happy, an I’m
makin him happy. We’ve a nice wee flat
in a clean district, wi trees an wee
gardens.”
Jenny is contemptuous of men, like her
father, who lack the ingenuity to get
jobs and hold onto them. “Some men
gets on and makes money, depression
or no. Ithers hasna the brains.”
Jenny believes men should take
responsibility for their families and
provide for them. “It’s no ma job tae
keep your weans. It’s yours.”