Theme: Conflict (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Theme: Conflict
Introduction to conflict in the play
Conflict operates on multiple levels throughout Men Should Weep. The poverty and social hardship experienced by the Morrison family create an environment where tensions constantly threaten to erupt. Stewart explores conflict between family members, between generations, within marriages, and between the characters and their desperate circumstances.
The play examines four main types of conflict:
- Interpersonal conflict between family members
- Generational conflict between parents and children
- Conflict within marriages
- Metaphorical conflict between characters and their harsh circumstances
Conflict between Maggie and Lily
The play presents conflict between the two sisters, Maggie and Lily, through their contrasting perspectives on men and their different life choices. In Act I, they criticise each other's circumstances through parallel statements:
Maggie: "servin dirty hulkin brutes a men in a Coocaddens pub."
Lily: "Livin in a slum and slaving efter a uselees man an his greetin weans."
The dialogue places their two lives side by side, revealing their opposing viewpoints. Maggie expresses her disapproval through the phrase "hulkin brutes", which presents the men in Lily's pub as ugly and animal-like. The word "bestial" suggests they lack civilised behaviour. Lily responds by calling Maggie's home a "slum", implying the house is run-down and unfit for living in. The word "slavin" indicates the exhausting, thankless nature of Maggie's domestic work. This exchange shows how each sister views the other's life as undesirable.
Despite their harsh words, the tension between Maggie and Lily stems from genuine care rather than malice. Lily loves her sister and wants better circumstances for her. This underlying affection explains why Lily appears in the final scene when Maggie finally takes control of her life. The conflict here demonstrates how poverty forces people into difficult situations and creates tension even between those who care deeply for each other.
Generational conflict: Jenny and her parents
When the audience first encounters Jenny, she appears as a rebellious figure fighting against her limited opportunities. Her appearance and behaviour shock her parents, particularly John. Stewart describes her "sluttish attire" and "liberal behaviour", which show Jenny rejecting traditional expectations about how young women should present themselves and act. Her lack of duty towards her family creates intense conflict, especially with her father.
Jenny holds a special place in John's affections, which makes her rebellion particularly painful for him. Beyond the shock of her behaviour, John struggles with guilt over failing to provide adequately for his daughter. Jenny understands this weakness and attacks it directly:
"Ye needna worry! When I leave this rotten pig-sty I'm no comin back. There's ither things in life – so ye'd better hang an tae yer job this time. If ye can!"
This speech demonstrates Jenny's frustration with her circumstances. She calls their home a "rotten pig-sty", expressing her disgust at the living conditions. She reminds John of his employment failures with the bitter phrase "If ye can!", questioning his ability to hold down work. This forceful challenge to John's authority as father and provider proves too much for him to bear, and he responds with violence.
The stage directions describe them facing each other in "frozen silence", which captures multiple meanings. The silence conveys their shock at John's physical violence, but it also reveals the stubborn determination on both sides. Neither father nor daughter will back down. This conflict persists throughout the play until the final scene offers a moment of reconciliation when Jenny takes her father's hand and holds it. This gesture represents contrition, showing Jenny's regret and their mutual desire to repair their relationship.
Conflict between Alec and Isa
The marriage between Alec and Isa represents another form of destructive conflict. Isa feels frustrated with her husband, while Alec follows her around in a pathetic, dog-like manner. This imbalance in their relationship creates resentment on both sides.
Alec's feeble character means his frustrations build up inside him rather than being expressed openly. These repressed feelings eventually reach breaking point. When Isa threatens to leave him for another man, Alec finally erupts into violence:
"You say Peter Robb tae me again an I'll kill ye! I wull! I'll kill ye!"
The repetition of "I'll kill ye!" emphasises the intensity of Alec's rage. The exclamation marks indicate he is shouting, losing control completely. However, Alec's weak nature prevents him from causing serious harm to Isa. This moment reveals his violent temperament whilst simultaneously showing his inability to act on his threats effectively.
The conflict demonstrates how poverty and powerlessness can warp relationships and push even weak characters towards violence.
Conflict with circumstances: the daily struggle
Beyond interpersonal conflicts, Stewart presents a metaphorical battle between the characters and their harsh circumstances. Each day represents a struggle that can only be faced one moment at a time. Fighting against disease and hardship becomes the priority, forcing many characters to prioritise their own survival:
- The neighbours scavenge from Maggie, taking whatever they can
- Granny refuses to go to bed without her tea, insisting on her needs
- The children grab the chips immediately when they appear on the table
- Lizzie attempts to steal from Maggie
- Isa abandons Alec to escape her difficult marriage
- Alec uses pretence and performance to win sympathy from his mother
These examples illustrate how desperation drives people towards selfish behaviour. The need to survive overcomes social bonds and family loyalty. Characters compete for limited resources rather than supporting each other.
Maggie's Distinctive Role:
Three characters stand apart from this pattern of self-interest: Lily, John, and especially Maggie. These individuals do not place their own needs first. Maggie in particular acts as a maternal figure fighting on behalf of everyone else. She sacrifices her own wellbeing to support her family and even neighbours who exploit her generosity. Only in the closing scene does Maggie finally fight for herself, marking a transformation in her character.
Maggie's transformation as a source of conflict
Maggie's assertion of authority in Act III would have appeared particularly controversial to the original 1947 audience. Whilst women were expected to manage household tasks, men traditionally made the important decisions as heads of the household. Stewart challenges this expectation through a dramatic reversal of power.
Challenge to Traditional Gender Roles:
The stage directions specify that Maggie rises and takes control whilst John sinks into a chair. This physical movement symbolises the shift in authority. Maggie's tone becomes forceful and uncharacteristic for a woman of her time. She declares "We wull be happy!" with such conviction that nobody can argue with her. This moment represents a direct challenge to John's patriarchal authority.
Although Maggie later apologises for humiliating John by mentioning his sexual needs publicly, she maintains her resolution. She repeats "I can manage him" like a mantra at the play's conclusion, asserting her ability to control her husband. She then envisions her positive future: "Four rooms… an a park forbye!" The repetition of "four rooms" three times emphasises the space she will finally have, free from restriction. This transformation shows Maggie moving from passive acceptance to active resistance, creating a new kind of conflict that challenges traditional gender roles.
Key Points to Remember:
- Conflict in Men Should Weep operates on multiple levels: between individuals, between generations, within marriages, and between characters and their circumstances
- The sisters Maggie and Lily criticise each other's choices, but their conflict stems from concern rather than hostility
- Jenny's rebellion against her father John erupts into violence, revealing the tension between generations and John's guilt over his failures as a provider
- Alec and Isa's destructive relationship demonstrates how poverty and powerlessness can lead to violence even in weak characters
- Most characters prioritise their own survival, but Maggie, John, and Lily sacrifice themselves for others until Maggie finally asserts her own needs at the play's conclusion