Act I

Act I

Setting and Context

• Men Should Weep opens in Morrison’s impoverished tenement flat in Glasgow, 1930s.
• Miserable conditions reveal the depth of the Great Depression’s effects on working-class families.

Characters Introduced

• Maggie Morrison: Mother and the central character striving to keep her family together.
• John Morrison: Unemployed husband, feels emasculated by his inability to provide for his family.
• Granny: John’s elderly mother, generates tension within the family.
• Morrison Children: Alec, Ernest, Lily, Bertie, and Edie - reflecting the crowded living conditions.

Key Events

• Conflict between Maggie and Granny: Moves the plot while establishing Granny as a divisive figure.
• John’s job interview: Hints at the economic struggles faced by many during this era.
• Maggie discovers that Lily is pregnant and Lily’s husband left her, which adds to the family’s worries.

Themes Emerging

• Poverty and Hardship: Presented through the setting and the characters’ struggles.
• Gender Roles: The matriarchal power of Maggie vs. the emasculated John Morrison.
• Class and Society: The Morrison family’s struggle against societal norms.

Quotes for Reflection

• Maggie: “They’re no ragamuffins…an’ they’ve never been to the pawn yet.*” This shows Maggie’s strong resilience despite her circumstantial adversities.
• John: “A man’s supposed to provide for his family.*” This reveals John’s despair and loss of self-worth as he fails to fulfil societal expectations.

Act Conclusion

• Act I concludes with Maggie comforting John, promising they’ll make it through together, illustrating their unity amidst the adversity.