Helen

Helen

Helen should not be viewed as a prostitute but as an attractive woman who enjoys life without thinking about the consequences of her actions. Helen derives pleasure from the company of men and alcohol. In fact, she is dependent on alcohol as she enters and leaves the play looking for a drink. Helen is a bully, frequently making threats of physical violence against Jo; she demands her own way, despising everyone else’s opinions, choices and values; she is, by the standards of the time, immoral in her sexual behaviour; she drinks too much; she shows Jo no affection at all; she seems unconcerned about what Jo does or how she will live, apart from an occasional brief hope that she won’t ‘spoil her life’ by following in her own footsteps. She abandons Jo in order to go off with a man; her only interest in men is money; she is disorganised, lacking in direction and weak.
Top Quotes ‘ Have I ever laid claim to being a proper mother?’ ‘He’s got a wallet full of reasons’ ‘He spends his money like water. Oh I’m so excited.’ ‘You silly little bitch.’ ‘What sort of wife do you think you’d make? You’re useless.’ ‘Oh Jo, you’re only a kid. Why don’t you learn from my mistakes?’ ‘Look you’re only young. Enjoy your life. Don’t get trapped.’ ‘How was I to know you’d materialize out of a little love affair that lasted five minutes?’ ‘I loved him. It was the first time I’d ever really been with a man..’ ‘I never thought about you! It’s a funny thing, I never have done when I’ve been happy.’ ‘You know what they’re calling you round here? A silly little whore!’ ‘I should have got rid of you before you were born.’ ‘You prefer to stay in this hole with that pansified little freak?’ ‘I haven’t been able to sleep for thinking about you since he came round to our house’ ‘I’ll take care of you and see you through it’ semi-whore
Yet when she has access to Peter’s money she does seem keen to offer some to Jo (though Jo recognises that she is likely to forget her promise); she is even willing to take Jo into her new home – until Peter opposes the plan and she withdraws the offers of money and accommodation in order to stick with him. Helen is racist, she is not only shocked that Jo has become pregnant to a black man but makes thoroughly unpleasant jokes about the baby. She is homophobic, hostile to Geof and joking about his apparent sexual preferences (though her prejudice is based on his appearance and his interests rather than on any evidence that he is actually gay.) Helen blames society for her poverty when, in fact, it is due to the flaws in her own character; at the end of the play she pretends to have come back to look after Jo but in fact she has been thrown out by Peter and she has nowhere else to go; she is aggressive in her treatment of Geof and his gifts.
However, Helen can be honestly self critical and sometimes show real concern for Jo such as when she discovers Jo is engaged and pleads with Jo to learn from her own mistakes and when she comforts Jo during labour pains. She is witty and she has some awareness of her own failings. Helen makes the most of life and accepts its realities. Helen is a changeable character. She can be kind and caring just as she can be cruel and insulting.

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	Created by stjohntoby over 10 years ago