Representation of Women in Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart and Perfect Days by Liz Lochead :: Weep Stewart Perfect Lochead Essays

Representation of Women in "Men Should Weep" by Ena Lamont Stewart and "Perfect Days" by Liz Lochead Both plays portray women as very independent people. In â€Å"Men Should Weep†, Maggie is the main female character. She is a housewife living in a male dominated society. The main theme of the play is her journey form oppressed housewife to self-empowered women. Whereas in â€Å"Perfect Days† Barbs the main female character is an extremely independent woman from the start and has worked hard to earn herself her own hairdressers. Maggie’s husband John is a very self-centred character; he doesn’t have a job or any notion to ever help around the house. Yet he thinks that is perfectly acceptable. Due to the way society was in that day and age then it said that once a woman wedded they automatically became their husband’s property. This meant that they had no choice but to obey their husbands every demand. What they said went. â€Å"I’d an idea a wis heid o this hoose† This demonstrates that even though John doesn’t contribute to the family he still feels he is superior to them all. Maggie takes this though she doesn’t argue with him as she believes that he is head of the household and she constantly stands up for him. Lily, Maggie’s independent single sister is very much against men she thinks ‘there aw dirty beasts’. As she argues with Maggie about John but Maggie straight away stands up for her husband. â€Å"You leave John alane! He does his best for us† Even though Maggie knows John doesn’t do anything for her and her children she still stands strongly by her husband as that was the right thing to do. Not only does Maggie have her husband to run around after her and look after her, but she also has five children. â€Å"If you’ve got wee ans, you’ve got tae put up wi the fella that gie’d ya them† The women in the play are constantly making excuses for the men and their behaviour. Maggie is particularly bad at doing this. This is a prime example of this behaviour as Mrs Bone her neighbour gets domestically abused and this is Maggie’s attempt to offer her support. As the play progresses Maggie gradually starts to see sense and comes to realise how weak men really are. â€Å"They canna staun up tae things like a wummen† This shows female strength and is the start of a major turning point for Maggie as she becomes more and more disenchanted with her life. Jenny, Maggie’s eldest daughter runs of at the beginning of the play but returns at the end with money and the opportunity for Maggie and