A Taste of Honey was first performed in 1958. It was set in Manchester Essay

A Taste of Honey was first performed in 1958. It was set in Manchester. Manchester at that time was an industrial town. There were lots of working class people like there is today as well as poverty. The play is about a mother and daughter relationship, Helen and Jo, their problems and their attempts to cope with life. The play is controversial because Helen is a semi-whore which at that time was maybe wasn’t unusual, but wasn’t acceptable. She is divorced and a single parent, according to statistics in 1958 1 in 100 marriages ends in divorce. It was difficult to get divorced and divorce was frowned upon. In the 1950’s single parents were a ‘tiny’ minority of the population because divorce at that time was uncommon. Helen had Jo at a young age. The community would of thought bad about Helen. Conversation between Helen is like verbal sparring. Helen is very self-centred. Jo becomes increasing central to action. Helen is a whore, she goes out for sex in return for money. She is thoughtless, poor and unromantic. We can tell this from act 1 scene 1 because she only thinks about herself, she is need of money and she doesn’t marry for romance, but for money. This shows she is poor and unromantic. Jo is argumentative, mature and responsible at times She is arrogant, she can get angry, she has feelings. Jo is also stubborn, poor, serious, negative, insecure and self-sufficient. The flat is in a poor condition. When Helen and Jo go in to the flat, Jo’s first impression is bad. She doesn’t like it. † well! this is the place† â€Å"and I don’t like it† This quotation shows us that she doesn’t like the flat. Helen says that â€Å"that’s all I can afford† This shows us that Helen is poor. They have to share the bathroom with the community (the people in the building). This takes away a source of privacy. It is very cold and has no heating. â€Å"God! it’s freezing† Helen and Jo have to share one bedroom and even worse they have to share one bed. This has effect on the audience, they surely know now that Helen is poor. This shows Helen and Jo don’t have there own space. The view out of the window is appalling. A slaughter house and gas works which Helen seems to think of it as a very good thing. She say’s â€Å"there’s a lovely view of the gasworks†, but Jo doesn’t approve of it. She say’s â€Å"It will smell in the summer†. â€Å"I wonder what it’ll be like here in the summer? It’ll smell†. Helen is just trying to make best of the situation. The window is in a poor state as well. It is giving out a cold draught. The light bulb has no shade, which Jo doesn’t approve of. She puts her scarf around it. Jo: â€Å"Can I have that chair Helen? I’ll put my scarf around it† Jo is trying to sort things out. There is a reversal in role. Helen say’s she will get one the next day, but there is no evidence that she does get it the next day. Jo is acting like a mother. She has to be independent as her mother doesn’t look after her. This shows us that Helen is short of money and also is not very domesticated and does not act like a typical mother. The flat is a total ruin. The stage directions have a big effect on the audience. There are right acts happening at all times, that gives the play a good atmosphere. The audience see that Helen and Jo are just so argumentative which shows real life. The lightning is dim and dark which causes tension in the audience. There is jazz music in the background which makes the play look all loud which is right because the play is loud most of the time due to the dislikes and arguments of Helen and Jo. Also jazz music was associated with working class and has black influences. This was a little suppressive. The characters in act 1 scene 1 Helen, Jo and Peter are always in close conversation. They are always on the right track when talking. The play is centred around conversation rather then action. This gives an everyday life feel to it. All three characters are argumentative as well. Jo and Helen mostly because as mother and daughter they are constantly arguing. Jo has a lot of dislikes; she is completely different. Helen doesn’t bother about anything, she gets money for sex and then wastes it on unnecessary things when really, she should be looking after her daughter Jo. Peter enters near the end of the scene. He is the man who Helen had previously left. He is a brash car salesman. He has come back for Helen which means he is after more sex and Helen is after more money. Peter has a dislike for Jo who is trying to ruin his relationship with Helen. Peter enters the scene as a typical salesman. He is smartly dressed and has a cigar in his mouth. He has come back for Helen, but unfortunately Jo turns him away. Peter acts all posh and rich after looking at the state of the flat and at the tenements, cemetery and slaughter house. Peter is offering to marry Helen, who is in turn is old enough to be his. We can tell this because it say’s in the book. There is a lot of conflict between Peter and Jo as she doesn’t want him interfering with her mother. There is a lot of conflict between Jo and Helen all throughout the scene for various reasons. Helen isn’t looking after Jo as she really should. The scene ends by Peter leaving and Helen and Jo talking properly about one thing which they haven’t done all through out act 1 scene 1. They have a typical mother and daughter chat in which Jo admits to being scared of the dark, but Helen comforts her by saying you shouldn’t be scared of the dark. A Taste of Honey is a typical kitchen and sink drama because there are poor surroundings. The everyday language is different. There are constant conflicts and arguments which causes tension and all the action takes place in one room. A Taste Of Honey surely doesn’t reflect real life.