Evaluate Key Characters and their Development in 'A Taste of Honey'

To what extent is Helen an unsuitable mother?

Do you think that Jo is capable of becoming a successful independent working mother?

How does Jo change as the play progresses?

Are all of the characters punished for their moment of happiness?

To achieve the highest marks in your exam response, you will need to offer a personal and perceptive interpretation.

This means that you need to:

- Ask questions of the characters

- Think about all of the different ways we might view them - positive and negative

- Think about whether they change throughout the play

- Try to evaluate how far we can say they possess a particular characteristic

Remember that you will also need to show a close analysis of the writer's techniques in presenting a particular character and relate your ideas to the key contextual factors surrounding the play.

In this activity, you will evaluate how each character is presented in 'A Taste of Honey'.

You should always refer to your own text when working through these examples.  These quotations are for reference only.