458975
Description
Mind Map by stjohntoby, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by stjohntoby
almost 11 years ago
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Jo
- Jo begins as a school girl and evolves into an expectant mother. Jo
has inherited many of her mother’s weaknesses: she has a
tendency to drift, rather than make a determined effort to achieve
something; she has little ambition; she is ready to settle for less than
she deserves, becoming engaged to the Boy even though she
knows he will probably never come back to her; she has outbursts of
temper – smashing the doll, attacking Peter, falling out with Geof;
accepting the abusive relationship with her mother
- But she has strengths that her mother lacks: she has a higher
standard of personal morality; she is capable of affection; she
has some artistic talent, though lacking the drive to make the
most of it; she has no prejudices and she gets herself a job.
- Jo has many teenage insecurities and confusions. These are particularly
well- drawn in the play – not surprisingly, since Shelagh Delaney was herself
still a teenager when she wrote the play. Jo has a complex relationship with
her mother, constantly changing and always emotionally draining. At one
extreme she hates the sight of her; at the other she longs to be with her; in
between, she is sometimes the child craving affection and sometimes a
mother figure to Helen, looking out for her, protective of her and knowing her
weaknesses.
- Top Quotes ‘If I was a man and my wife had a baby that wasn’t mine I’d sling her out’ ‘I’m sick of you.
You make my life a misery’ ‘You should prepare my meals like a proper mother’ ‘Don’t you think I’m a
bit young to be left like this on my own while you flit off with my old woman?’ ‘Good, I’m glad nobody can
see a resemblance between us’ ‘I’ll probably never see you again. I know it. But I don’t care. Stay with me
now. It’s enough.’ ‘If you don’t watch it, you’ll end up an old down and out boozer knocking back the
meths’ ‘Why did you have to tell me that story? Couldn’t you have made something up?’ ‘How could you
go with a half wit?’ ‘I think I’ve had enough. I’m sick of love. That’s why I’m letting you stay here. You won’t
start anything.’ ‘You’re just like a big sister to me’ ‘You know I used to try and hold my mother’s hands
but she always used to pull them away from me. So silly really. She had so much love for everyone else, but
none for me'
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