A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney Act/Scene Act One Scene One- stage represents a comfortless flat in Manchester and

a street outside. Helen and Jo enter, loaded with baggage. Plot As soon as they enter the flat, Jo complains that she does not like it, however Helen tells her to stop moaning because it is all that she can afford. Jo comments that her mother is all drinking, before realising that they have got to share a bed again. Jo persistently moans and complains about the state of the flat, and is too lazy to look for a fire when it is freezing - expects Helen to do everything for her. Helen encourages Jo to drink and drown her sorrows, implying that she herself depends on alcohol for this reason. Helen begs Jo for some peace as she has a bad cold; however Jo does not care and continues to talk regardless. Helen says that she has to be really bad before I can go to bed as she cannot afford to be ill and not earning money. Jo is dependent on Helen telling her where everything is. Jo tells Helen that she used to like one of her fancy men (clients) showing that she met them. Helen replies saying Oh! Which one? implying that she has a lot of clients. Delaney uses humour - It wasnt his nose I was interested in. Jo talks about planting her bulbs, and when asked where she got them from, she says she stole them- ironic, considering that she criticises her mothers morals. Jo talks about leaving school soon, and searching for a job in a pub, however Helen is not very bothered. She acknowledges that she ruined hers and Jos life- I certainly supervised my own downfall. Im not getting married like you, showing that Helen was married, but her relationship failed. Helen clearly had no dreams or ambitions, we all end up same way sooner or later. Jo describes a dream that she had, where Helen was found dead - possibly suggesting that she fears her mothers safety, or thinks that she would be better off without her. Jo has a poor attendance record at school - Im never at school long enough. Helen finds some drawings that Jo has done, and begins to encourage her to go to art school (wants her to make something of herself)- Have you ever thought of Characters Helen, Jo, Peter. Love/Relationships Jo does not agree wi th the way her mother earns money, because she is a prostitute- were supposed to be living off her immoral earnings. Jo has little respect for her mother, and thinks that she is a bad parent - why should I run round after you?..I dont owe you a thing. They use a sarcastic tone with each other; when Jo comments on them sharing a bed again, Helen replies - Of course, you know I cant bear to be parted from you. Jo calls her mother Helen, suggesting that they lack a good relationship and emotional connection. Helen acknowledges Jos selfishness Shes not got a bit of consideration in her. Its self all the time. In conversation, the two often ignore each other and only say what they are interested in. In conversation, the two often ignore each other and only say what they are interested in. Jo says that when she leaves school, she is going to- Get out of your sight as soon as I can get a bit of money in my pocket. She clearly does not appreciate her mother. Helen implies that she has n o time for Jo because she is always concentrating on herself- It takes me all my time to look after myself. Jo says- Im sick of you. Youve made my life a misery. And stop sneezing your flu bugs all over me. I dont want to catch your cold. Peter does not make an effort to speak nicely to Jo, calling her a snotty -nosed daughter.

Act One Scene Two- Jo and her boyfriend, a coloured naval rating, walking on the street. They stop by the door.

going to a proper art school and getting a proper training. Jo clearly sho ws that they move around a lot - too many different schools and too many different placesyoure running away from somebody- Helens reason for moving. Jo leaves angrily leaves to take a bath. Peter, a brash car salesman, then enters. When Jo enters again , he asks Whos this, he obviously did not know that Helen had a daughter. Both Helen and Peter try to get rid of Jo, as Peter says he wants sex (You know what I want). Helen starts saying that she plans to give up on prostitution and men in general. Peter asks Helen to marry him- Marry me- Helen. Im young, good looking and well set up. When Jo enters again, she tells Helen that she looks very pale and sickly when she did not acknowledge her mothers illness before- she is clearly hinting that Pete r should leave. Peter tells Jo to go home to her father, to which she replies Hes dead. Peter jokingly refers to the age difference between himself and Helen, How fragile these old ladies are, before leaving the flat. Helen and Jo decide to go to bed , however Jo continues to complain about the living arrangements. Helen asks Jo what she would do if she got married, before they go to bed. Jo replies that she would have you locked up in an institution right away! Jos boyfriend met her outside school and carried her books home for her. It is winter, and Jos boyfriend kisses her, but she tells him to stop it (girls were not supposed to be kissing black men in the 1950s, public places were still segregated). Her boyfriend asks her to marry him, and she easily accepts, although he doesnt even know how old she is- showing that they do not know each other very well. Jo tells him that she loves him, and he always appears to avoid repeating the words back to her. He gives her a ring and asks what her mother would say, however the ring is very big and cant be worn on Jos fingers- shows that he doesnt care enough to buy her a proper ring, suggesting it is not a serious engagement. They decide to get married

Peter is very arrogant and full of himself You cant afford to lose a man like me. Peter says You know I like this mother and son relationship - there is clearly a large age gap between them - Helen does not pick and choose her men, could suggest that she is desperate for the money. Jo dislikes seeing Helen and Peter being loving with each other, Youve certainly never been affectionate with me. Jo suggests that Helen favours her clients over her daughter - You should have asked him to stay, it wouldnt be the first time Ive been thrown out of my bed to make room for one of your

Jo, Boy (a name is not used for her boyfriend), Helen, Peter.

Jo tells her boyfriend I love you, however he always avoids telling her the same thing, and instead says things like How do you know? or I adore you. Jo does not care about what Helen thinks of the engagement, Shes not marrying you, I am. Its got n othing to do with her. Shows that Jo does not see her mother as an important person in her life. The boyfriend says, I wish I wasnt in the navywe wont have much time together. He is almost trying to guilt Jo into having sex with him. He tried to have sex with her, I didnt take advantage. Jo replies. You would have done, Youd have gone as far as I would have let you.

on his next leave, in six months. They start talking, and it is clear that the boyfriend initiated sex; however Jo stopped it from happening. Jo then leaves to go and eat, and realises that her boyfriend is going out drin king in the evening. They arrange to meet the following day, and Jo intends to miss school to see him. Jo goes into the flat and Helen comments that she is late home from school- she cares about where Jo has been? Jo is all dreamy and describes her boyfrie nd to Helen, but doesnt mention that he is black. Her boyfriend is twenty-two, and Jo is seventeen. Helen comments on an advertisement in a magazine, Its pornographic. In my opinion such a frank and open display of the female form can only induce little boys of all ages to add vulgar comments in pencil. I ask you, what sort of an inflated woman is that? Helen appears to have strange morals, considering that she is a prostitute. Jo asks about Helens husband, about why she married him, and why they divorced. Helen then tells Jo that she is going to marry Peter Smith, and Peter enters with a bouquet of flowers and chocolates (for Jo). As Helen gets ready to go out, Jo annoys and attacks Peter, and they tell her that they have bought a house - she will be feeling excluded, abandoned and betrayed, youve certainly fixed up everything behind my back. Jo tries to flirt with Peter, to stop him from marrying Helen. Helen and Peter are leaving to go to Blackpool, and decide to leave Jo on her own without botherin g to buy her any food, theres plenty of food in the kitchen. When the happy couple leave, Jo lies on the bed crying. Jos boyfriend enters the flat and thinks that Jo has got a cold. They discuss her engagement ring, and she asks him why he bought it, he replies, Ive got dishonourable intentions- admitting that he only brought the ring so she would sleep with him. They talk, and then embrace, as the lights fade out. It is then Helens wedding morning, and she is complaining at Jo for having a cold. Helen then finds Jos wedding ring around her neck and tells her how stupid

Her boyfriend makes another sexual reference, I dreamt about you last night. Fell out of bed twice. Helen doesnt even know when Jo was born, I dont knowIve always done my best to forget that. Helen blames Jo for her divorce, Then he divorced me; that was your fault. Jo replies, I agree with him. If I was a man and my wife had a baby that wasnt mine Id sling her out. Jo feels unloved as she has to watch Peter and Helen being affectionate with each other, youve certainly fixed up everything behind my back. Jo tells Peter, She doesnt much care for me either, showing that she feels unloved by Helen. Jo claims that Helen is my old woman when they are in front of Peter - trying to make out that her and Helen are close, and that Peter cannot become part of their family. When Jo asks if she can go with Helen and Peter, Helen says Shut up! Youre going to have him upset. You jealous little cat! Come on, Peter. Helen appears to love Peter more, as she sticks up for him. When the boyfriend enters the flat, Jo is crying, whats wrong? You been crying? Shows that Jo does care about Helen. Her boyfriend is the onl y one who ever shows her any affection Youre so right [ He kisses her.] But I will come back, I love you. When her boyfriend embraces her, Jo says Dont do that, and when he asks why not, she replies I like it. Possibly suggests that she has never had the privilege of doing things she likes, so she always tells him to stop being loving towards her. When Helen finds Jos engagement ring, she says, you silly little bitchyou stupid little devil! What sort of a wife do you think

Act Two Scene OneFairground music can be heard in the distance, Jo and a boy can be heard playing together, and they then enter the flat with a bunch of brightly coloured balloons. It is now summer, and Jos pregnancy is quite obvious.

she is being. When Helen says that Jo will ruin her life, Jo says Im already ruined- could be implying that she slept with her boyfriend, Helen ruined her life, or she is pregnant . They continue talking, and Jo asks about her father; Helen replies that he was retarded and Jo wonders whether she is mad. Helen then exits to get married, and Jo says Good luck, Helen. Jo and Geof enter, and start talking. Jo is now living alone in a large flat, and has to work all day in a shoe shop, and all night in a bar to pay for it. Jo tries to find out from Geof about what gay men do, but ends up offending him. She offers for him to move in with her and sleep on her sofa, as his landlady kicked him out. They talk about Jos previous boyfriend and her pregnancy. Geof tries to persuade Jo to tell Helen about her pregnancy, but she refu ses. They go to bed after talking, and there is a blackout. The next scene begins, and it is a month or two later. Geof is cutting out a babys gown when Jo wanders into the room. Jo is very restless, and then she gets excited as she feels the baby kick fo r the first time, however she still does not show any affection for the child, and instead says, They are revolting. I hate babies. Jo persistently moans to Geof, even though he is taking care of her and keeping her flat clean. She frequently switches between moaning and being playful with him. Geof wonders what Jo would do if he tried to start something with her, as he wants to help her take care of the baby. He kisses her but she is not interested. They soon go back to normal, and Geof tells her that he wants to stay, as he now feels that he has a purpose in life. They decide to stay together, and Helen then enters. Geof asked Helen to come, which makes Jo become angry at him. Helen is very harsh to Geof considering that he has been taking care of the da ughter that she never bothered with. Helen starts chasing Jo, as they shout insults at each other. When they calm down, they tell Geof to go and make some tea, and Helen gives Jo some money. Peter drunkenly enters, and Helen shouts at him to leave, they appear to have a poor

youd make? Youre use less. I suppose just because Im getting married you think you should.- Again suggests that Jo is jealous of her mother. When Helen is leaving to get married, she says Im not sorry and Im not glad - Jo doesnt appear to know what she wants, which could be a result of her turbulent relationship with her mother. When Geof asks Jo whether she loved her boyfriend, she replies I dont know much about love. Ive never been too familiar with it. I suppose I must have loved him. Jo does not know what love is, as she never received any affection from Helen. Jo does not want to make big plans for her baby, perhaps copying what Helen did with her, Im not planning big plans for this baby or dreaming big dreams. You know what happens when you do things like that. The babyll be born dead or daft! Very pessimistic view on life. Geof cares about Jo, and she says, Youre just like a big sister to me. Geof questions what Jo would do if he tried something with her, and kisses her. She says to him, I like you, I like you very much, but I dont enjoy all this panting and grunting. Geof responds by saying, Marry me, Jo, but she refuses. Helen comments that, bearing a child doesnt place one under an obligation to do it. Helen says to Jo, I should have got rid of you before you were born. Helen appears to care about Jo, I havent been able to sleep for thinking about youIm going to see you through this whether you like it or not.

Jo, Geof, Helen, Peter.

Act Two Scene TwoMonths have passed since the previous scene. Geof is dancing around and cleaning, while Jo sits reading.

marriage as they throw insults at each other. After Geof helps Peter leave, Helen starts questioning Jo, and offers for her to move into their house with them, which Jo refuses. Peter says that he can easily throw Helen out, when she refuses to leave with him, but she does eventually go. As she is leaving, she gives Geof, who she has been vile to, lots of orders for taking care of Jo, See that she goes to the clinic regularly and be sure she gets enough to eat. Jo and Geof are left alo ne, and still have no money, as Peter took his money back. Jo is in the ninth month of her pregnancy, and she and Geof seem to be getting along well. He cleans and cooks for her, and she seems to appreciate him, youre wonderful arent you? Jo gets worked up when thinking about life, and makes Geof hold her hands. Geof says that Jo is already like Helen, In some ways you are already, you know, as Jo had got pregnant at a young age, and is using Geof like Helen uses her man. Jo tells Geof about her dad, and then says that she wishes Helen was with her. As they continue to talk about the baby, Geof shows Jo a life-sized doll that he got, so that she could practice with it. Jo says the colours wrong, before violently flinging the doll to the ground. As she calms down, Geof reminds her that he asked her to marry him, and they agree that they already act like a married couple. They start talking about what to call the baby, when Helen enters, loaded with baggage. She asks Jo how she is doing , and shows that she does not appreciate Geof again. Jo tells Helen that she does not want to go to the hospital to have the baby, which her mother is unhappy about. As Geof starts to tell Helen about the plans for the birth, Helen says Oh my God, my feet are killing me. How I got that lot from the bus stop Ill never know, shows how self-centred Helen is, as even though her daughter is about to give birth, she is still talking about herself. Helen has decided that she is moving in with Jo, and hints that Geof should move out and make himself scarce. She refers to him as a bloody little pansy and Geof leaves. Helen

Geof, Jo, Helen.

Geof shows Jo some affection when she starts to worry, Hey, Jo. Come on, silly thing, its all right. Come on there. Jo comments that she used to try and hold her mothers hands but, she always used to pull them away from me. So silly really. She had so much love for everyone else, but none for me. Jo is clearly feeling insecure about having the baby, and says, I wish she was here, referring to Helen. Jo is scared and does not want the baby, Ill bash its brains out. Ill kill it. I dont want this baby, Geof. I dont want to be a mother. Geof knows that he is unloved by Jo, You just like having me around till your next prince comes alongyou need somebody to love you while youre looking for somebody to love. When Helen arrives, she asks, I arrived just in time, by the look of things, didnt I? How are you love? Everything straightforward? Been having your regular check-up and doing all them exercises and all the things they go in for nowadays? Shows that Helen is not a decent mother, as if she was, she would have been with Jo throughout her pregnancy, and would already know the answers to these questions. Helen says, Oh, I love babies - arent they lovely. She claims this, however she never appeared to love Jo.

intends to be around when the baby is born, so that she can look after it and help Jo to provide for it. Helen confirms that her husband th rew her out, and he was cheating on her. Helen then starts going on about a cot that she has ordered for the baby, and when Jo shows her the wicker basket that Geof got, she dismisses it. She then tells Jo to go and have a lie down, while she cleans the flat, commenting that she and Geof were living like pigs in a pigsty. She goes off to clean, despite Geof having just done so - she is trying to make Jo think that she is better off with her. Geof re-enters and Helen tells him off for waking Jo. She also te lls him to get rid of the wicker basket, as he is not putting my grandchild in a thing like that. Oh, this place! Its filthy!...You might have kept it a bit cleaner than this. These comments seem shocking considering that Helen has never bothered to care for Jo during her pregnancy. Geof leaves, but as he is going, he shows that he truly cares as he pleads for Helen to avoid scaring Jo about the implications that the birth could have. As Jo wakes up, Helen lies to her, saying that Geof never returned, and as Jo starts getting out of bed, she goes into labour. Jo reveals to her mother that her baby may be black. As Helen becomes shocked, she decides that she needs a drink and rushes out, leaving Jo in labour.

Helen says that while she has been absent, I never thought of you! Its a funny thing, I never have done when Ive been happy. But these last few weeks Ive known I should be with you. Helen shows how self-centred and careless she is when Jo tells her that her baby may be black. She responds by saying, Oh my God! Nothing else can happen to me now. Can you see me wheeling a pram with a Helen is careless about Jos feelings and does not care if she offends her - I dont know whats to be done with you, I dont really.