’s Choice Essay, Research Paper
The characters of Maggie and Will progress very interestingly over the first two acts, both as individuals and collectively.
Maggie s character doesn t particularly change that much, although we see her kinder side come out on occasions. It is Will who we see change the most, but for this we can give credit to Maggie, who has easily been his most influential figure at this present time. Maggie is extremely ambitious, and she knows she can do better than working for her alcoholic father at his shop. She is very determined, and has a strong will to succeed in life. This is seen in both her professional life and in her encounters with Will. She is a pushy, to the point of aggressive saleswomen, who is practical with a no-nonsense attitude. This is probably due to the fact that since her mother died, she has been given the responsibility of looking after a continuously increasing drunk for a father. However it is her determination and self drive that she wants to install in Will, as it is obvious to all that his potential and natural talent for leather is there to be built upon, and under Maggie s guidance and sales technique they could reach the very pinnacle of their profession. Maggie adores Will, and wants her family to not only accept him for the excellent worker that he is, but to respect him for the man that he is.
We realise that this is not a sudden adoration of Will on Maggie s behalf, as she admits that she has counted on Will for the last six months. She also got a kinder side to her hardened nature, which is shown by her keenness to have her sisters present at the wedding, and also her willingness to sacrifice her own happiness and let Will marry Eda.
Maggie s overall character has immediate effect on Will, as under her influence he stands up to Hobson, revealing his inner courage. Will is from humble origins, and this is shown by his lack of ambition, which he puts aside because of the fact that he is perfectly content with life. His humble background was not a time in his life to reminisce about though, as he suffered a brutal childhood, which has led him to be intimidated by the smallest of things. This is proved when he shrinks into obscurity when a threatening extended hand by Mrs Hepworth is thrust towards his face.
His naivety is loveable and in general he has plain honesty in his heart. The obvious impression that we are given of Will is that he is emotionally immature , and is inexperienced when it comes to women, which is brought to us in the text when Maggie subtly states that Will could do with kissing practice.
Overall Maggie and Will are the personification of chalk and cheese, but their opposite characteristics complement each other, and with these different personalities their marriage will be a success both as a lovers and as business partners.