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Hobson's Choice: the characters
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The play turns the expected power structure upside down: the weak become strong and the strong become weak.
Henry Hobson
A pompous, bullying widower who thinks he rules his house. He drinks heavily and spends long hours at the pub.
He sees his daughters as unpaid workers and refuses them settlements.
By the end he is dependent on the daughter he underestimated.
He sees his daughters as unpaid workers and refuses them settlements.
By the end he is dependent on the daughter he underestimated.
Maggie Hobson
Thirty years old, practical, and the real manager of the shop. Hobson thinks she is too old to marry.
She is determined and businesslike, choosing Willie for his skill, then teaching and encouraging him.
She is a strong female lead, unusual for the time the play is set.
She is determined and businesslike, choosing Willie for his skill, then teaching and encouraging him.
She is a strong female lead, unusual for the time the play is set.
Willie and the others
Willie Mossop: a timid, uneducated but brilliant bootmaker. He grows in confidence and finally stands up to Hobson.
Alice and Vicky: more interested in fashion and status; they marry Albert Prosser (a lawyer) and Freddy Beenstock.
Mrs Hepworth: a rich customer who recognises Willie's talent.
Alice and Vicky: more interested in fashion and status; they marry Albert Prosser (a lawyer) and Freddy Beenstock.
Mrs Hepworth: a rich customer who recognises Willie's talent.
How does Willie change during the play?
- At first he is timid and hides in the cellar.
- Maggie educates and encourages him.
- By Act 4 he confidently sets terms for Hobson.
Answer: He changes from a shy workman into a confident businessman who takes control.
Hobson: pompous, drunk, falls from power. Maggie: practical, determined, the real manager. Willie: grows from timid to confident. Alice and Vicky: status-conscious. Mrs Hepworth: recognises talent.
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