Investigate notions of sisters and sisterhood within Top Girls :: English Literature

Investigate notions of sisters and sisterhood within Top GirlsIn Act 1 the women at the dinner party, speak of their suffering inthe past, alone they all relate to Marlene and to each other as asisterhood of the present, even though the women representcontemporary figures supposedly alive in the too soon 1980s in England.Lady Nijo and Pope Joan are similar in that they both had babies indifficult situations, and both stood up for their rights as women.The portrayal of these women contrasts with the traditional andclassical representation of women in plays. In the past womencharacters have been presented as dependent on men and limited by theconversations of a male dominates world. A typical mannequin of this isseen in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, with both Gertrude and Opheliasaying I will obey my lord however in Top Girls the characters cerebrateindependently and believe in themselves and show support for theirsisters. The characters are individualised which is dramaticallyinte resting as they open to a new experience on the stage. The modernwomen is sh induce in Top Girls to be living in the time of shiftingpriorities and expectations, challenging the female roles. Anexample of this is Louise in act 2 saying, She has a different style,shes a new kindMany themes that run throughout Top Girls relate to the time when theplay was written. An example of this and also an example of sisters inthe play is the argument between comfortce and Marlene. Marlene is anindividualistic and through her own determination and effort hasmanaged to lift herself out of working class environment to nubclass. Class structure, as seen by Marlene, is the cause of oppressionand the row between the sisters is exaggerated and simplified withMarlene saying I hat the working class and Joy replying I spitwhen I see a Rolls Royce.Marlene shows support for Thatcher saying Shes a tough lady,Maggie. Certainly gets my vote. Which can be interpreted as, her ownsuccess could have been due to the encouragement and initiative of anindividual. Act 3 reveals aspects of Marlenes life that could bequestioned. She left home at the age of 17, she push down herself of fromall family ties, she hasnt been home for 6 years and Angies arrivalin the office is a complete inconvenience to her. In many considerJoyce can be interpreted as a failure too, she is worn out, let downby her husband and has a mixed success to search after Angie. Thehistory of the sisters social and family background is grim.