Start a new life Essays

Start a new life Essays Start a new life Essay Start a new life Essay In Act 1 the reader is carefully introduced to all of thew characters in such a way that first impressions sculpt the way in which the reader for most of the play, views the characters.  Set in the interior of Hobsons Boot shop in Chapel Street, Salford, Act 1 begins with Albert Prosser, the 26 year old son of an established solicitor (who likes Alice) coming into the shop where Maggie, Alice and Vickey are sitting behind the counter. Albert has come in to see Alice, and Maggie knows this but tired of him always coming in and making sheeps eyes at Alice, she teaches him a lesson making him buy a pair of boots and laces costing him quite a lot of money. Soon after this when Albert has left, Hobson enters and has a talk with his three daughters, informing them that he has had enough of them interfering with his comings-in and goings-out and that he considers them immodest in the way they dress, bumptious and uppity. When he threatens to find husbands for Alice and Vickey so that he can wash his hands of them, Maggie inquires whether, if he is dealing husbands round, she gets one and Hobson laughs cruelly exclaiming Well, thats a good one, you with husband! When Maggie asks why not, he tells her that she is, well past the marrying age and that she is an, old maid if ever there was one. Although Maggie is probably angry at her fathers remarks, she has no chance to react yet because Mrs. Hepworth, one of Hobsons wealthier customers enters wanting to know the maker of the boots she is wearing. At first Hobson is puzzled and assumes that she is dissatisfied with the quality of the boots, however it turns out it is exactly the opposite. When presented with the maker of the boots, Will Mossop, a lanky dull-witted man of about 30, she praises him on the exceptional quality f the boots and even gives him her card so that he could inform her if he ever moved employers, Mrs. Hepworth then leaves. Then enters Jim Heeler, a friend of Hobsons who he talks to about marrying off Alice and Vickey and his opinion on what he should do. Jim immediately changes Hobsons mind when he tells him about the amount of money that two weddings will cost him, and having to replace them with paid workers if they left the shop.  After Jim and Hobson leave to go to the Moonrakers (the local pub), Maggie calls Will up from the cellar below the shop where he works, and tells him that she thinks he is very gifted and that his skilled hands mean that he could leave Hobsons shop and work somewhere else where he would be paid and appreciated more. She then casually asks him to marry her and he does not refuse, partly because he does not want to offend her and also because he is afraid of her. He tells her about his previous engagement to Ada Figgins who then enters the shop to bring Will his dinner. Maggie using her ability to overpower people, manages to win Will in a short war of words with Ada, who although is quite a weak, poor blooded girl, has a mother who is even more strong willed than Maggie, and who Will is even more afraid of. Because Will lodges with Ada and her mother so Maggie solved that problem easily, telling him to stay with Tubby Wadlow, another one of Hobsons workers. Maggie, feeling quite pleased with herself probably because she has proved her father wrong, tells her sisters about her intention to marry Will, quite casually. They are astonished and both think that Maggie will be marrying well beneath her. Hobson, who returns soon after this and agrees with Alison and Vickey, describes Will as a workhouse brat, a come-by chance and he calls Will to him so they he can beat the love for Maggie out of Wills puny body. However, Will showing a little bravery tells Hobson that the more he beats him the more he will stick to Maggie like glue and he kisses her, to which Maggie explains I knew he had it in you! while Hobson just stands in amaze indecision. A Summary of Act Two Act 2 begins a month later in the shop with Alice and Vickey having obvious problems running the shop since Maggies departure. Maggie enters followed by Will and Freddie Beenstock (Vickeys suitor). They tell Alice and Vickey about Hobson getting junk and falling through the trapdoor of Freddies corn warehouse into the cellar, on to a large pile of corn.  Maggie has come up with a plan to keep Hobson exactly where he is. She gets Albert Prosser, the son of a solicitor to draw up a document prosecuting him for trespassing and damage of the corn he landed on. She wants him out of the way so that she can get married to Will with her sisters there. She also tells Alice and Vickey about the shop that she has set up with Will and the cellar below it where they are going to live. After telling her sisters to go and get dress for her wedding, Maggie and Will are left alone and she says to him The Parson is going to ask you if you will have me and youll either answer truthfully or not at all. If you are not willing, just say so now to which Will replies, Ill tell him yes, and reveals, Yes Maggie Im resigned. Youre growing on me, lass. Ill toe the line with you.  Summary of Act Three  Act 3 is set in the cellar of Will and Maggies shop in Oldfield Road, with Will, Maggie, Albert, Alice, Vickey and Freddie having dinner round the table celebrating Will and Maggies marriage earlier that day. Hobson knocks on the door of the shop calling desperately for Maggie while Alice, Vickey, Freddie and Albert (who are all afraid of Hobson) hide in the bedroom.  When Hobson enters, he is quite distress about an action for damages for trespassing against him, which he says, will bankrupt and ruin him. After watching him squirm and feel total humiliation telling all of this in front of Will whom he considers inferior to him, Maggie solves his problem suggesting an out of court settlement of 2000 and Maggie also manages to get a further à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1000 out of him to pay for Alice and Vickeys weddings and after realising that he has been diddled he storms out angrily after giving his word to pay the money, meaning that to retain any honour or self-respect he could not break his promise. Grateful to their sisters Alice and Vickey leave happy, knowing that they are soon to be married to Albert and Freddie. Summary of Act Four  This time set in Hobsons living room Act 4 begins with Hobson being ill and daughterless with only Tubby to look after him. When Dr MacFarlane arrives and examined Hobson he diagnoses chronic alcoholism and advises him to swallow his pride and ask one of his daughters to return and help him. Tubby calls for Maggie, who enters, told that Hobson was dangerously ill. Alice and Vickey are also called and when asked how is willing to look after Hobson, all three are reluctant. Alice and Vickey both find reasons why they cannot, however Maggie being very shrewd and sharp does not dismiss the idea altogether. After quite a lot of tough negotiating on Maggie and Wills part (who has come on a lot since his marriage to Maggie), Will and Maggie agree to return to Hobsons shop to look after him and the business on the condition that Will become his partner and he becomes only a sleeping partner, with little impact on the running of the business, with even the name changing to Mossop Hobsons. Will goes on to suggests more changes to the interior of the shop and the dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor, while Hobson has little choice but to accept ungraciously. When Hobson then exits after being told to go and get the Deeds drawn up for the new partnership in the business, Will and Maggie are left alone and Will who for once stood up for himself against Hobson, revealed to Maggie that he had still been astonished at his own boldness.  Then comes my favourite part of the play, the ending where Will takes Maggies hand referring to her wedding ring says, Youve worn a brass one long enough (Maggie used a brass ring from her fathers shop to be her wedding ring rather than going to the expense of buying a proper one). To this Maggie, wrenching her hand free, replies Ill wear that ring forever, Will, and Will explains I was for getting you a proper one, Maggie, and Maggie says, Im not preventing you. Ill wear your gold for show, but that that brass stays where you put it Will, and if we get too rich and proud, well just sit down together quite and take a long look at it, so as well not forget the truth about ourselves  Will expresses his feelings of amazement, triumph and incredulity with a simple, Well, by gum! before turning to follow Maggie and Hobson to start a new life.