Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart

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Men Should Weepby Ena Lamont Stewart

• Contemporary Scottish Theatre

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Exam questions

• Men Should Weep should be used to answer
  questions on
• Social, political and religious dimensions
• or
• Issues of gender

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Scottish History

• Glasgow took the brunt of the depression in the
  1930s and acquired many negative stereotypes.
• Unemployment, sub-standard housing and poor
  levels of health had a dramatic effect on the
  national character of Scotland.
• Men returning from the war found that woman had
  taken on jobs due to the shortage of men and
  these therefore became labelled as female jobs.
• After the war ended there wasnt the need for
  weapons, which resulted in a significant loss of
  jobs, and unemployment for those who had fought
  in the war.

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• Religious sectarianism was rife in Glasgow.
  Although the country had been predominantly
  Protestant since the Reformation, an influx of
  Irish immigrants, drawn to the industry on
  Clydeside throughout the 19th and early 20th
  century, had established a large Catholic
  community.
• Unemployed, skilled labourers from the Protestant
  community complained bitterly about Irish
  immigrants taking 'their jobs' and this brought
  ruthless discrimination in the labour market.
• The Church of Scotland positively encouraged this
  anti-Catholic feeling at the time. Children
  generally went to either Catholic or Protestant
  schools, they lived in different streets and
  areas of the city, and the rivalry was played out
  on the football field between Rangers and Celtic.

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Historical Timeline

• David Lloyd George, a Liberal became Prime
  Minister in 1916. Lloyd George was acclaimed as
  the man who had won the war. He also set up a
  welfare state.
• 11 November 1918 The First World War comes to an
  end. During the war 140,000 Scots are killed.
• 22 January 1924 Ramsay MacDonald becomes
  Britain's first Labour Prime Minister, the first
  Prime Minister from a working-class background,
  and one of very few without a university
  education.
• 1928 The National Party for Scotland is founded.
  

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• 1928 All women over 21 are given the vote
  married women over 30 got it in 1918.
• 1929 the Wall Street Crash heralded the global
  Great Depression and Britain was particularly
  badly hit.
• 5 June 1929 Ramsay MacDonald becomes Prime
  Minister for the second time.
• 1930 Unemployment in Scotland reaches 25 during
  the depression years.
• 1931 Labour lost support so Ramsay led a
  coalition of two governments
• April 1934 The Scottish National Party is
  founded.
• 9 November 1937 The death of Ramsay MacDonald,
  Prime Minister of Great Britain.
• 3 September 1939 The Second World War is
  declared.

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Issues

• Poverty / Unemployment
• Gender Roles
• Stereotypes
• Scottish History

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Poverty

• Social conditions
• Setting / living environment
• Urban Scotland
• Deprivation
• Social divisions
• Impact on characters / relationships
• Economic decline / post war Depression
• Characterisation / portrayal.

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Find quotes for the following

• Poor quality housing
• Unsanitary conditions
• Lack of food and malnutrition
• Lack of income
• Extreme poverty
• Grannys living situation

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Gender

• Setting / Period
• Community Identity
• Inequality
• The Work Place
• Role of women / men
• Domestic violence
• Character background
• Morals/values/ beliefs

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Find quotes for the following

• Maggies role in the household
• Jennys behaviour
• Lilys job
• Isas attitude towards Alec
• Johns lack of employment
• Alecs dishonesty.

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Stereotypes

• Life in Scotland present and past
• Religion
• Power relations
• The disintegration of family
• Dysfunctional families
• Cultural environment

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Find quotes for the following

• Expected role of children
• Womens jobs
• Mens jobs
• The neighbours attitude to the Morrison family.

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Past QuestionsSocial, political and religious
dimensions

• Explain how any Scottish play you have studied
  has helped you to understand the social
  conditions of the time in which it was written.
  (1994)
• Explain how Scottish playwrights use characters
  to convey social issues in their plays. You must
  refer to at least three characters. (2005)

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Past QuestionsIssues of Gender

• Discuss the extent to which Scottish playwrights
  explore inequality between men and women. (2005)
• Contemporary Scottish plays are full of sexual
  stereotypes. Discuss this statement. (2007)