Evidence and explanation of the language used in A Taste of Honey
Working class characters being portrayed as articulate and knowledgeable individuals
How is it used?
This can be seen in particular in Act one Scene two when Helen and Jo discuss the differences and similarities between the cinema and the theatre. Helen concludes that, ...the cinema has become more and more like the theatre, it’s all mauling and muttering, can’t hear what they’re saying half the time and when you do it’s not worth listening to.
Why is it used?
Shelagh Delaney wanted to make sure that the impression she gave of working class people was a good one. She did not want to portray them as individuals who were unable to discuss important cultural issues such as the cinema and theatre. She wanted to show that poverty and class are not barriers to intelligence and conversational skills.
What is its effect?
During their conversation about the theatre and the cinema Jo and Helen reveal themselves to be both articulate and knowledgeable. However, this conversation also enabled Delaney to voice her own feelings about the theatre in the 1950s, particularly when Helen says, ...and when you do it’s not worth listening to,
regarding lines from the plays that were typically being performed at the time.
Lack of regional dialect
How is it used?
A Taste of Honey is set in the north of England, yet Shelagh Delaney chose not to make this obvious from the way her characters speak. They mostly use standard English, except for the odd northern expression such as when Helen asks Jo in Act two Scene two, “Can you hear those children singing over there on the croftA small plot of land., Jo?”
Why is it used?
Shelagh Delaney wanted to make sure her play appealed to a wide audience. The characters use standard English and this means the play has a wide ranging appeal as it can be easily understood by audiences from all over the country.
What is its effect?
The characters use only limited examples of regional dialect. This enabled Shelagh Delaney to prove once again that members of the working class could be articulate individuals who could speak standard English with fluency.