A Taste of Honey Essay

‘A Taste of Honey’ is a kitchen sink drama, set in the late 1950s. It follows the volatile relationship of a mother and daughter, and the problems that they have to overcome. ‘A Taste of Honey’ presents the harsh reality of what life was like for the working classes. The play explores a variety of controversial issues, which especially in the 1950s, only happened behind closed doors, and would have raised serious questions in society. In ‘A Taste of Honey’ Helen is portrayed as a bad mother, she cares more about drink and men than her own child and there are several preferences to Helen’s alcoholism throughout the play. In a strict and traditional society, it would have been almost unforgivable for a teenage girl to have a child and raise it on her own as Jo ends up doing and Helen did before her. Racism also plays a factor in the play as the father of Jo’s unborn child was black and people felt very strongly about this sort of thing at this time, including Jo’s mother. ‘A Taste of Honey’ shows an insight to the problems and strains that can be brought on by the above issues and those that the working class suffered. In the opening scene of ‘A Taste of Honey’ you are introduced to Jo and Helen’s new flat. It is a run down, dingy, old place and is all that Helen can afford. The optimism that Helen carries is shown right away as when Helen first walks in she is optimistic about the situation by saying, ‘Well! This is the place’. Which shows she has quite an easy-going approach to life as long as she has the necessities in life. Jo then replies with, ‘I don’t like it’, which straight away shows the conflict between the pair and how different their personalities are from one another. You can clearly see form the dialogue between the pair that Helen has never taken care of Jo properly, Jo: ‘I don’t owe you a thing’, and Helen: ‘Do you want me to carry you about?’ which is basically saying look after yourself. At this point Helen is already drinking and Jo says, ‘You make me sick’, in reference to her drinking, which shows that, she disapproves and that it sickens her. It also makes you ask the question, why does Helen drink? Jo also addresses her mum as Helen, this shows us that there is nothing maternal between the two and Jo obviously doesn’t see her as a motherly figure. They also both talk to the audience in third person about one another saying things such as, Helen: ‘Wouldn’t she get on your nerves’ and Jo: ‘She’d lose her head if it was loose’, you cannot see an inch of respect between them and although some people don’t always have a very good mother and daughter relationship there isn’t a trace of any bonding or caring between them. However you do see Helen show a genuine interest in Jo when she sees how good her art work is, although as she stumbles upon it by mistake it shows the distance they have from one another as Jo has never shown her the work before and Jo is quite taken aback by the interest from her mother and says, ‘Why are you so suddenly interested in me anyway?’ which reflects the lack of support that Jo has received. Though language, humor and sarcasm used between them you can see the lack of respect and their clear differences such as Helen being a lot more optimistic and wild to Jo’s more realistic and practical approach to life. You can see Helen’s wild side through her drinking problem, references to men, ‘ Handsome, long-legged creature – just the way I like ’em’, her outbursts of singing and the basic fact that she was obviously out doing her own thing when she should have been taking care of her daughter and not kicking her out of bed w hen she had male company! Also when Helen finds out that her daughter stole the bulbs she is happy and approves, this shows Helens true colours and how she goes about life; she doesn’t mind taking things that aren’t hers as long as she gets what she wants. Helen’s life runs along the same lines as you only live once, as she lets nothing set her back and she also makes regular comments about death and doesn’t look upon it as a big thing really. This contrasts to Jo’s comment in Act 2, scene 2 where she says, ‘We don’t ask for life, we have it thrust upon us’. I think that Jo’s out look on life is that it is hard and unfair; she has always had to fight for her self as Helen has never been there for her, and so she doesn’t expect the good things to happen in her life. Jo and Helen’s relationship about men in Act 1, scene 1 is also very strange, as Helen has clearly had many men in her life as when Peter is introduced Jo says in a very matter of fact way, ‘What’s this one called?’ Jo doesn’t seem to think of men as a necessary object in life and seems to think of men in a more romantic way than Helen and mentions love as well. However in Act 2, scene 2 she has Geoff and although she isn’t linked to him in a romantic way at all she still likes the stability of a man looking after her in her life and would rather have a man than a woman present at the birth of her child. In Act 2, scene 2 where the birth of Jo’s child is looming, Helen isn’t there but comes back before she has it and she shows a different approach towards Jo. Although she shows her true side by being nasty to Geof for no reason when she owes it to him to be nice as he has been taking care of her daughter, she does show genuine concern for Jo, ‘How are you, love?’ and makes enquires about the birth and her pregnancy. She has also made an effort to buy things for the baby and seems to be a lot more motherly towards Jo now. This time round it is Helen making the effort to make the place look nice, and Jo doesn’t seem to care about her living arrangements which is a mirror to the attitude of Helen in Act 1, scene 1. Helen’s effort that she puts into her relationship with Jo is much more motherly and dong things such as, stroking her hair, caring for her, also by saying things such as, ‘we’ll get morbid,’ this is showing a different side to Helen as in Act 1, scene 1, she is very open about death and talks about it on a regular basis. This is also ironic as she is usually the one that is being morbid, not Jo. Also by talking about the children outside shows a total change in character and you see the nice side of Helen. Whereas Jo seems to have turned more like her mum, by not really caring and expecting others to do things for her, such as Geof; although Jo is never nasty towards him. Although Jo and Helen don’t get on with one another in Act 1, scene 1 and Act 2, scene 2 you can see the differences between them. In Act1, scene 1, Helen is very distant from Jo, which Delaney shows through the dialogue and language used between them. She also shows this through the use of talking in the third person, ‘wouldn’t she get on your nerves?’ However in Act 2, scene 2 she seems to be trying to come closer to her daughter, by taking an interest in her and just genuinely being more caring. You also see a change in character with Jo, who in Act 1, scene 1 Delaney portrays her as the parent, with her doing things such as cleaning, but by Act 2, scene 2 when she is about to become a mother herself she is more childlike, this can be shown through the stage directions of Jo throwing the pretend doll that Geof gets her because it’s the wrong colour. She acts like a spoilt child who comes across as ungrateful and shows no maturity in her at all. I think that in Act 2, scene 2 their relationship has progressed form Act 1, scene 1 as Helen is more of a mother figure towards Jo. However I don’t think that they will have a good relationship, as Helen isn’t very supporting when she finds out about the colour of the baby. When she is asked what she’ll do she replies, ‘drown it,’ and she goes back to her old ways of drinking. This also suggests that she drinks to drown her sorrows. Also she leaves Jo on her own at a time that she needs her and there is some uncertainty about whether or not she is coming back. This sums up their relationship as one that is rocky and that there is no stability at all. ‘A Taste of Honey’ Essay Act two, scene one is an important part of the play because Jo is near the end of her pregnancy and Helen comes back to visit her but only because Geoff had asked her too. Previously in the play Helen had married Peter and had gone to live with him, Jo got engaged to a black boy in the Navy, she became pregnant but he didn’t come back after going away with the Navy. Jo didn’t have a very good relationship with her mother and they had moved about a lot as Helen ran every time she couldn’t pay the rent. Jo met Geoff who is a homosexual. He hasn’t had sexual relations with a man but he knows he is gay because he has had liaisons with other men. Jo has left school and was going to work in a pub part-time. The play is ‘A Taste of Honey’ and I am doing part of Act two scene one where Jo, Helen and Geoff are the main characters. This play is mainly set in Jo and Helen’s flat where the time is around the 1950’s. Helen and Jo weren’t very well off so the flat is in a poor condition. It is dirty and there is a lot of dust. The house looks like it is uncared for because clothes are on the floor and the bed isn’t made. It is a comfortless flat. If I was in the audience I would see the settee in the middle of the flat with Geoff’s bedding on it, to the left of the stage would be Jo’s unmade bed it might have some clothes lying untidily on top of it. To the right I would see the kitchen, the sink full of dirty plates and cups, and there would be lots of things scattered about the kitchen sides. In this section of the play the characters use actions in different ways to portray their emotions and feelings. For example: at the beginning of this section Geoff says ‘Let me kiss you’ this lets us know that Geoff likes Jo as more then a friend unfortunately she does not feel the same way. This is shown when she struggles as Geoff forces himself on her. Another show of Geoff’s feelings towards Jo are when he asks her to marry him, Jo just dismisses the idea and tells Geoff ‘†¦I’m not marrying anybody’. When Helen arrives she tries to be motherly towards Jo but Jo doesn’t really want to know as Helen hasn’t really been there for her whilst she has been growing up. I don’t think she understands why Helen suddenly wants to be a proper mother so Jo starts an argument by saying ‘what blew you in’ as soon as Helen comes in to the room. But Helen still tries to by friendly by asking about Geoff, she also tries to change the subject at that point when Jo asks her how she came to know about her pregnancy she replies ‘Come on, aren’t you going to introduce me to your boy friend? Who is he?’. I think at that point Helen hadn’t come to argue with Jo and had come to see if she was alright. When Jo and Helen are angry they both speak their mind and tend to shout when arguing. Jo talks in a steady voice and when speaking to Geoff she talks in a soft voice but her voice is stern when she is speaking to Helen as I feel she is resentful towards her. Helen talks to Jo as if she regrets having her and wishes she’d aborted her like all the others, in this scene though Helen starts off friendly but finishes by chasing Jo around the room trying to hit her. Geoff is the calm one; he doesn’t stand up for himself much but tries to protect Jo. When Geoff is told to do something he does it without complaining. This play is important to theatre history, as it was the first play ever seen about real life and the problems that came with it like poverty, racism, teenage pregnancies and homophobia. This play had them all in. At the time this play was written Britain was just recovering from shortages and rationing, the rationing ended in 1952. Housing was scarce so many people had to live in flats even if they could afford better and bomb sites were still derelict. Shelagh Delaney was the author of this play and she was 19 years old when she wrote it. It was written in 1956 and censorship from the stage was removed in 1963. ‘A Taste of Honey’ is what you would call a ‘kitchen-sink’ drama because it is based on real life, problems, poverty and the working class. A Taste of Honey Essay This essay is about a young woman called Jo. Jo has a mother known as Helen and her boyfriend peter; Jo also has a boyfriend called Boy and a close friend called Geoff who is gay. Jo is pregnant with her boyfriend Boy, Boy is a black sailor, and it was common in those days for sailors to have girlfriends for a short while and then leave them as they go on to other places, and as Jo says â€Å"He’s gone away. He maybe back in six months, but then again, he may†¦Ã¢â‚¬  here she gave the impression that he may not be back. In this case he left her pregnant as well which just adds to Jo’s problems. At the beginning of the play all Jo could think about is the condition of the flat and Jo’s first words were â€Å"And I don’t like it† as Helen said, â€Å"Well this is the place.† At the beginning their opinions of the flat are very different as Helen tries to see the better side as Jo just keeps on criticising the flat, which in way brings th em closer together rather than further apart, they just need to respect each other more. Jo is really serious about her thoughts of the flat whereas Helen is trying to look at the good side although she knows its horrible and even gives into Jo later and says, â€Å"It is a bit of a mess isn’t it.† The author uses Helens cold to revel Helens character by the words that she uses like â€Å"Its running like a tap† she says about her nose. Both characters rely on men to get affection as they don’t really get it from each other. Helen does care about Jo’s future as she shows when she discovers the drawings that Jo had drawn; she says, â€Å"I didn’t realize I had such a talented daughter.† As Peter enters Helens reaction is an unwelcoming one, and she even says, â€Å"Look what the winds blown in. † Helen wants Jo to go away now that Peter had entered and she said to Jo â€Å"Turn yourself into a bloody termite and crawl into the wall or something.† The first impressions of peter are that he’s very arrogant and he treats Jo like a slave as he is telling her what to do as soon as he walked through the door. Jo’s behaviour tells us that she doesn’t like Peter. Helen thinks that Jo is jealous of her because she has a man as Helen says, â€Å"she’s jealous†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They then admit that they never given each other affection as Jo says, â€Å"You’ve certainly never been affectionate with me.† Act two, scene one. Jo suspects that Geoff wants to move in as he said, â€Å"Isn’t this place a bit big for one Jo?† but I think Jo wants Geoff to move in as she invites him to stay the night. Jo later denies the fact she wants marriage as Geoff asked, â€Å"You want taking in hand† an she replied with, â€Å"no, thanks† even though she’s been asked. When Jo told Geoff about the baby he kept asking questions like, â€Å"how are you going to manage then† he says this to suggest that he wants to help. Jo has changed since the start of the play as she is beginning to let some of her feelings out to Geoff. When Helen came back she called the flat â€Å"the same old miserable hole† despite at the beginning of the play she said it was good. A Taste of Honey Essay Human development is a continuous process, but there may be critical periods in our development during which adaptational success or failure heavily influences the course of later development in the life cycle. Adolescence clearly is one of these critical developmental transitions. The number of extent of changes that occur simultaneously during adolescence present major challenges to the development of mature and effective coping strategies. In Shelagh Delaney’s â€Å"A Taste of Honey,† we can observe this adolescent development or the stages of adolescence in the life of the protagonist, Jo. In the beginning, the protagonist is already able to demonstrate some characteristics of early adolescents. She starts to show an attitude where an individual is easily frustrated and anxious. Jo tells her mother, â€Å"Why should I run around after you?† Her mother responded â€Å"Children owe their parents these little attentions† but she instantly defended herself and said â€Å"I don’t owe you a thing.† Somehow, Jo has a rigid concept of what is wrong or right, reflecting traces of being in the early adolescence stage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The protagonist in the story is seventeen years old. At this age, she would express characteristics or behaviors of those in the middle adolescence stage. Usually, at the middle adolescence stage, most of the changes due to puberty already took place. Considering this, Jo would already be very concerned with her living environment, especially with regards to how she looks or how she is presented in the society. Jo states in the beginning â€Å"Can’t be soon enough for me, I’m cold and my shoes let water.† Then she adds â€Å"What a place and we’re supposed to be living off her immoral earnings.† This emphasizes a characteristic of middle adolescents who are able to use speech in order to convey their feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Jo was driven out of their apartment, she manages to confide in the arms or care of a black sailor and she engaged in a one night stand. Due to conflicts at home, the protagonist tried to find love from other people. In addition to this, it can be said that because of her pursuit for love, the risk for sexual intercourse increased. Later on, she was forced to find a job and move to a new place. She had enough with her mother and her interferences and decided to live an independent life; part of being at the middle adolescence stage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In her new place, she was able to meet a homosexual named Geoffrey who was also like her; shy and lonely. Eventually, she finds out that she is pregnant. A good thing about it is that she gains a sense of maturity from the mistake which she committed irrationally. At an early age, she begins to think of her future and her child’s future as well. So she works hard in order to keep herself and her baby alive. At this time, she is already able to make independent decisions for herself and takes pride in everything that she does. Geoffrey on the other hand, despite being homosexual, gains further understanding or development of his sexual identity. He proposed a marriage to Jo, taking full responsibility of the child she is bearing; something which is really admirable for a homosexual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The reappearance of Jo’s mother in their lives stirred the peace, but Jo was already strong enough to defend herself and her new found family. She has greater ability to tell the things which she feels and thinks. Her ability to embrace causes with conviction made her step up the ladder of adolescent development. When her mother volunteered to change their flat to the way she (Jo’s mother) likes, â€Å"I’m going to make it just the way you (referring to Jo, which is a form of irony) like it.† Jo steps up and tells her â€Å"Oh no!† She tells her that she likes their place the way it is right now. Somehow, Jo’s experiences and maturity definitely honed her up to stand to challenges and cope with life. Works Cited Delaney, S. (1956). A Taste of Honey. New York: Grove Press.