Shelagh Delaney: A Taste of Honey- Modern prose and drama – November 2021

‘In A Taste of Honey, Delaney presents a bleak and depressing view of society.’
How far do you agree with this view of the play?
Write about:

• what society is like in the play
• how far Delaney presents society as bleak and depressing.

Shelagh Delaney’s novel A Taste of Honey portrays a society where people struggle to find their place in a world characterised by marginalisation, social and economic inequality, and poverty. While Delaney’s play does offer a dark and depressing view of society, the characters’ tenacity and will to survive their situations provide a glimmer of hope.

The play’s depiction of society is characterised by social and economic inequality as well as poverty. In a deprived district of Manchester, Jo and her mother Helen reside in a cramped, dilapidated flat. They struggle to pay their bills, and Helen is left depending on men for help. Jo’s buddy Geoffrey experiences prejudice and marginalisation as a result of his homosexuality, which at the time was not widely acknowledged.