Henry Hobson runs a successful cobbler's shop in nineteenth-century Salford. A widower with a penchant for the Moonraker club, he forcefully tries to manage the lives of his three rebellious daughters. When he decrees "no weddings" to avoid the costly issue of settlements, eldest daughter Maggie rebels and sets her sights on Will Mossop, Hobson's star but lower-class boot maker. Maggie and Will leave to start competing, and she then dedicates herself to helping her sisters marry their chosen partners. I personally believe that the title is based on the traditional saying, “Hobson's choice”, which means that a person has no real choice; their only option is to accept or reject the offer made to you. In the play Hobson's Choice, there is no doubt that the character of Maggie represents a woman born before her time. He has a modern way of thinking and spends the entire show moving away from convention, this modern spirit reveals itself in a way that shows he knows his own mind and takes charge of every situation. In addition to running the house, he is responsible for managing the business while further avoiding the hard work of both by spending his time at The Moonraker's club. Her sisters depend on her to provide a stable home atmosphere, and her father is happy for her to take on the role of mother. During that period the role of women was significantly reduced compared to men's expectations. While Maggie's role in running the house was not unusual at the time, her role in running the shop would have been seen as a serious emancipation. Her no-nonsense presence and proud, independent nature make her a formidable figure. The Hobson family is oblivious to the fact that she has o...... half the paper ...... and can be seen everywhere, however I think we are also supposed to sympathize with Maggie because she is so modern looking minded, but trapped in a world unaccustomed to her opinions and admires her as she overcomes her flaws to become the perfect wife with a perfect life. I think we should also condemn the archaic views and stereotypes expressed in this entertaining play. I personally appreciated the text as it challenged the antiquated thinking of the period with revolutionary visions and positions. I feel like the comedy was let down however by the fact that Maggie ultimately reverted to the housewife stereotype. This has given the impression that all women want is to be a housewife, and this is simply not true. Other than that, however, I felt the show was very informative about class roles at the time and how reputation and status meant everything.