Character Study : Harry Hobson

Character Study : Harry Hobson

Harold Brighouse Although a prolific and popular playwright and

novelist during his lifetime, the reputation of Harold Brighouse today

rests almost entirely on his play Hobson’s Choice. Born in Eccles near

Salford on 26 July 1882, his mother was a teacher and his father was

in the cotton business. Despite gaining a scholarship to Manchester

Grammar School, Harold was not a keen student; at seventeen he left

school to start work in the textile industry.

Henry Hobson, a boot shop owner in Salford, not a very successful one

either. Henry has three children, all girls, Maggie, who is thirty,

Alice, twenty-three and finally Victoria, known as ‘Vickey’ who is

twenty-one. All of the girls work for Hobson, but do not receive any

form of wage. Hobson treats the three girls with no respect

whatsoever; we understand that this is true by the tone and aggression

in Hobson’s voice when he interacts with them.

He is the most hypocritical man in ‘Hobson’s Choice’; this is proven

by the change in his tone and body language when Ms Hepworth, a high

classed customer, enters his shop. When Hobson greets Ms. Hepworth he

immediately rushes to pull up a chair for her to sit on. Ms Hepworth

questions Henry Hobson about who made her shoes, which she had

recently purchased in this shop. Hobson does not give her a straight

answer so Ms. Hepworth uses a different, more violent approach to

receive an answer. Maggie immediately calls, “Tubby!” while pulling up

the trap door from the pavement referring to Tubby Wadlow, a shoemaker

who works for Hobson. Henry assures Ms. Hepworth that he is

responsible for all work done in the premises. Tubby is also asked if

he made the boots to which he replied, “They are Willie’s making,

those.” Ms. Hepworth then asked who Willie was, when Henry Hobson

rushed to answering by saying that he “is capable of making the man

suffer for it”.