Characters (A Taste of Honey)

This section explores the key characters in the play A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney. The characters in A Taste of Honey are vividly drawn, reflecting the struggles and prejudices of 1950s Britain. Each character adds depth to the play’s exploration of family, social constraints, and resilience. Through Jo, Helen, Geof, and others, Delaney offers a sympathetic yet unflinching look at the complexities of human relationships and the determination to survive in a society marked by rigid social expectations.

Jo

Overview: Jo is a 17-year-old girl, the protagonist, and Helen’s daughter. Intelligent, independent, and outspoken, Jo often finds herself in conflict with her neglectful mother and society’s expectations.

Personality: She is quick-witted and resilient, showing determination to carve her own path despite the hardships she faces. Jo is often cynical and distrustful, especially towards her mother, but she shows vulnerability and a desire for love and security.

Relationships

With Helen: Their mother-daughter relationship is fraught with tension and bitterness. Jo resents Helen’s lack of responsibility and her frequent prioritisation of men over her.

With The Boy (Jimmie): Jo falls in love with a black sailor (referred to as “The Boy”), showing her willingness to defy social norms. Although she is left alone when he leaves, Jo's choice to pursue the relationship shows her need for affection and independence.

With Geof: Geof becomes a close friend and caretaker. Jo finds stability and companionship in him, and he steps in as a father figure for her unborn child.

Role in Themes: Jo embodies themes of independence, resilience, and social alienation. Her relationships reflect her search for love and acceptance despite feeling isolated and abandoned.

Helen

Overview: Helen is Jo's mother, in her late 30s or early 40s, and lives a carefree, often irresponsible life. She is self-centred, prioritising her own romantic pursuits over her duties as a mother.

Personality: Helen is witty, brash, and often cruel, especially in her remarks to Jo. She is pragmatic and knows how to survive tough situations, though often at the cost of her daughter’s well-being. Her interactions reveal her insecurities and struggles with motherhood.

Relationships

With Jo: Helen and Jo have a difficult relationship. While Jo craves Helen’s attention, Helen's carelessness and selfish nature lead to frequent conflicts and emotional distance. This strained relationship highlights themes of abandonment and parental neglect.

With Peter: Helen marries Peter, a younger, wealthy man, partly as an escape from poverty and responsibility. Their relationship is based on convenience rather than genuine affection.

Role in Themes: Helen represents themes of failed motherhood, neglect, and self-preservation. Her choices and actions illustrate the difficulties faced by working-class women in securing stable, supportive relationships.

Geof

Overview: Geof is a young art student, gentle, caring, and kind-hearted, and he becomes Jo’s close friend and support system. Implied to be gay, Geof faces prejudice, isolation, and social rejection.

Personality: He is sensitive, nurturing, and dependable, in contrast to Helen’s unreliable nature. Geof provides Jo with the stability and support that she craves, and he is committed to helping her despite the challenges they both face.

Relationships

With Jo: Geof and Jo develop a platonic relationship based on mutual support and understanding. He genuinely cares for Jo and even plans to help raise her child, becoming a father figure in a way Jo has never experienced.

With Helen: Helen is suspicious and critical of Geof, and her prejudices and jealousy create tension between them. This interaction also reflects society's attitude towards unconventional relationships and individuals who defy norms.

Role in Themes: Geof represents themes of friendship, acceptance, and kindness amidst adversity. His role challenges traditional gender roles and family structures, showcasing a more nurturing form of masculinity.

Peter

Overview: Peter is Helen’s younger, wealthy, and self-assured boyfriend, later her husband. He is portrayed as arrogant, manipulative, and self-centred, using his wealth and status to control Helen.

Personality: Peter is cocky, dismissive, and insensitive, treating others, especially Jo and Helen, with little respect. He is hedonistic and only interested in a superficial relationship with Helen.

Relationships

With Helen: Peter sees Helen as a temporary amusement and isn’t genuinely committed. Their relationship is primarily based on physical attraction and convenience, revealing Peter’s shallow personality.

With Jo: Peter shows no empathy towards Jo, often mocking and belittling her. He views her as a burden and demonstrates no interest in helping or understanding her.

Role in Themes: Peter embodies themes of selfishness and exploitation. His presence highlights issues related to class disparity and the vulnerability of women in relationships dictated by power and wealth.

The Boy (Jimmie)

Overview: Jo’s boyfriend, known only as “The Boy” in the play, is a black sailor who shares a brief, romantic relationship with her before he leaves for sea. His presence in Jo’s life has a lasting impact, as she becomes pregnant with his child.

Personality: Jimmie is charming, affectionate, and briefly attentive to Jo, giving her the love and attention she longs for. However, his departure suggests a lack of long-term commitment, leaving Jo to deal with the consequences alone.

Relationships

With Jo: Jimmie’s relationship with Jo represents both her desire for love and her defiance of social boundaries, as interracial relationships were uncommon and often stigmatised at the time. Although he leaves, Jimmie’s relationship with Jo is tender and meaningful, albeit short-lived.

Role in Themes: Jimmie’s character is pivotal in exploring themes of racial prejudice and single motherhood. His relationship with Jo brings attention to the consequences and social judgement that arise from unconventional relationships, particularly for women.

Themes Reflected Through Characters

Family and Parental Relationships

The strained mother-daughter relationship between Jo and Helen underscores themes of neglect, abandonment, and the struggle for autonomy.

Geof's nurturing presence contrasts with Helen’s self-interest, revealing alternate forms of family beyond traditional blood ties.

Loneliness and Isolation

Jo, Geof, and even Helen, each experience a sense of loneliness and alienation from society and each other.

Geof’s sexuality, Jo’s pregnancy, and Helen’s self-destructive relationships all highlight individuals struggling to find acceptance and connection.

Social Prejudice

The play confronts racial and sexual prejudice, especially through Jo’s relationship with Jimmie and Geof’s sexuality.

Each character’s relationships challenge the social expectations and prejudices of 1950s Britain, encouraging audiences to question their own assumptions.

Poverty and Class Struggles

Helen and Jo’s constant movement and their decrepit living conditions reflect the economic instability of the working class.

Peter's affluence contrasts sharply with Helen’s poverty, illustrating the class divide and the limited options available to working-class women like Helen and Jo.