Men Should Weep - Theme of Unemployment

Question 1

John’s guilt for being in poverty

Answer 1

Dialogue:
“Every time I’ve had tae say ‘no’ tae you a the waens it’s doubled me up like a kick in the stomach. Christ Almighty! A we’ve din wrong is tae be born into poverty! Whit dae they think this kind o life dis tae a man? Whiles it turns ye intae a wild animal. Whiles we’re a human question mark, aye askin why? Why? Why? There’s nae answer. Ye end up a bent back and a head hanging in shame for whit ye canna help.”

Question 2

Dialogue:
“Every time I’ve had tae say ‘no’ tae you a the waens it’s doubled me up like a kick in the stomach. Christ Almighty! A we’ve din wrong is tae be born into poverty! Whit dae they think this kind o life dis tae a man? Whiles it turns ye intae a wild animal. Whiles we’re a human question mark, aye askin why? Why? Why? There’s nae answer. Ye end up a bent back and a head hanging in shame for whit ye canna help.”

Answer 2

1. Poverty: this shows the theme of poverty through John’s guilt of not being able to provide for his family or treat his children to things they ask for. He explains how he hasn’t done anything to deserve this and cannot help it due to having been born into poverty to begin with.
2. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men through John’s guilt in not being able to live up to his expected role of providing for his family. He feels like he is going insane (like a wild animal) due to failing to do so as he only tries his hardest to make sure his family have the money to be fed, cleaned and clothed.
3. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment through John’s struggle to find a job and his guilt for it. He is ashamed that he can’t give his children everything they ask for because he hardly brings in enough money to give his family their basic needs.

Question 3

Many men are unemployed

Answer 3

Dialogue:
“Hundred o us, Maggie, beggin for the chance tae earn enough for food and a roof ower our heids.”

Question 4

Dialogue:
“Hundred o us, Maggie, beggin for the chance tae earn enough for food and a roof ower our heids.”

Answer 4

1. Unemployment: this shows the theme of poverty through how common it is in this area. There are crowds of men desperate to find a job so that they too can provide for their family but there are simply not enough jobs available. The commonness of unemployment shows how great an issue it is and leaves too many families in poverty, struggling for food and warmth.

Question 5

Men should be out working

Answer 5

Dialogue:
“Some men gets on and makes money, depression or no. Ithers hasnae the brains.”

Question 6

Dialogue:
“Some men gets on and makes money, depression or no. Ithers hasnae the brains.”

Answer 6

1. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment through the mention of the depression. During this time men were struggling for work and with that their families were also struggling due to men being the main wealth earner.

Question 7

John has a job for Christmas

Answer 7

Dialogue:
“This is the first Christmas I’ve had a decent job for ten year; it’s gonna be the best.”

Question 8

Dialogue:
“This is the first Christmas I’ve had a decent job for ten year; it’s gonna be the best.”

Answer 8

1. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment through the effect it has. Here we see how positively it impacts the family that John has finally found a job, allowing them to look at Christmas with hope. We now see how unfortunate the family are without John earning money and how much joy there is now that they see the hope of a Christmas where they can afford gifts. This can also be linked to the negative impacts of poverty and how it can affect the mentality of the families as well.

Question 9

Men blame the government

Answer 9

Dialogue:
“Aye I’ve seen yous men looking for work. Haudin up the street corners, ca’in doon the government - telling the world whit you’d dae if you wis rinnin the country.”

Question 10

Dialogue:
“Aye I’ve seen yous men looking for work. Haudin up the street corners, ca’in doon the government - telling the world whit you’d dae if you wis rinnin the country.”

Answer 10

1. Role of men: this shows the theme of the role of men because many men comment on the workload of others and how they could do it better - earlier in the play John comments on how he could do domestic work better than women because he would have a system - and yet they do not try and take on these heavy workloads.
2. Unemployment: this shows the theme of unemployment because at this time unemployment rates were and due to the governments failing attempts to fix this as they were not creating jobs only places to advertise jobs. This explains why men are blaming the government and commenting on how they could fix it better because they understand the issue and what is needed unlike the rich men stood in parliament.