Men should weep

• quote for family, poverty

  “There’s been an accident at your Alec’s.” Mrs Harris to Maggie and John
• quote for community/poverty

  “Folks like us hev tae depend on their neighbours” Maggie to John
• quote for poverty/family

  "hundreds o us Maggie, begging for the chance tae earn enough for food and a roof over our heids" John to Maggie
• quote for poverty/family

  Lily (talking toMaggie): "living in a slum an' slavin efter a useless man an his greeting weans."
• quote for relationships/conflict/gender roles

  Maggie: "You leave John alane! He does his best for us"
• quote for family/poverty

  “Oh lily, ye dae plenty” Maggie to Lily.
• quote for violence/family

  “He drags her over to the mirror… he scrubs off her make-up.” John being physical with Jenny after her night out.
• quote for violence/family

  “John hits her across the face."
• quote for gender roles/family/relationships

  "whore's winnins" John to Jenny, near the end of the play 
• what are the themes in the play?

  poverty, love, male violence, domestic abuse, the different roles of men and women, community and family.
• different types of relationships

  married relationships, sisterhood, parent and child relationships, neighbour and community relationships
• two quotes that show Maggie's strength

  • "Dinna fret yersel Jenny. I can manage him ..."
  • "If a woman did everything that ought tae be done ... she dropped down died"
• a quote to show Maggie's hope

  "Four rooms ... an a park forty. There'll be flowers come the spring."
• a quote to show that Maggie struggles with poverty

  "It's only rich folks can keep theirselves tae themselves. Folks like us hev tae depend on their neighbours..."
• John does not always support Maggie - refuses to do work in the home
• love is shown in the gift of a red hat
• a quote from Maggie to describe John and Maggie's relationship

  It's because things have aye been right atween you an me that I can struggle on"
• quote - Maggie when Jenny returns home

  "oh Jenny, Jenny!

  The times I have dreamt o this!"
• Maggie finally stands up to John in Jenny's defence.

  "An did I hear ye use the word 'tart'?

  whit wis I when we was coortin, but your tart?"
• quote from Isa about Alec

  "I took her wee boy away frae her. They're a the same, mothers. The first yin's aye his mither's big tumphy.
• Nappies hung on a string across the fireplace and the table, dresser, etc ., are in a clutter
• "It's a right for you wi naethin tae tae but sit there an gant"
• "You'll just sit it oot like like it was a second roon o the pictures."
• "the poorhouse"
• "Lizzie's tae take her turn"
• "Get yersel a piece"
• "Maggie, hes she no got a pair o knickers tae her name?"
• "A couple coppers ... a ten shillingly note


  Maggie bitterly refers to how little she can buy with pennies. She blames 'parliament' for the fact that money does not seem to buy very much
• "worms...rickets"


  Lilly's idea that Christopher's 'bowley' legs have been caused by him walking too soon and that works are caused by too much sugar, reveals her ignorance of the true causes of these diseases.
• "I'd forgot he went TT"
• "whit's he got tae dae wi himself when there's nothin daein for him at the Buroo."
• "When yer daddy's heid bummer a Fairfield's!"
• "An him wi his pockets fu after the dugs on Saturday."
• "Hundreds o us, Maggie, begin for the chance tae earn enough for food and a roof ower our heids"
• "ye mean the polis a kens Alec"
• "Yon Lizzie, she'd screw the teeth oot of yer head if she could get onythin for them in the pop-shop."
• "... or I'll get the sanitary tae ye."
• "aw shut up ye wee nyaff."
• "it's only rich folk that can keep themselves tae theirselves. Folks like us have tae depend on their neighbours when they're needin help."
• "I didnae tell ye, but ... she's wantin tae leave hame"