Summary Of Men Should Weep By Ena Lamont Stewart

Men Should Weep, by Ena Lamont Stewart highlights the extreme poverty experienced by a vast number of people living in Glasgow during the 1930’s. This is illustrated in their poor living conditions. The Morrison’s live in an overcrowded tenement in the east end of Glasgow. There is only one bedroom and Maggie and John must resort to making up a bed on the living room floor and sleeping on it. “A space has been cleared, C, for a mattress on the floor with pillows, blankets and old coats.”
In addition to the already overcrowded tenement, Alec and Isa’s house has collapsed. At this point in play there are 11 people living in this one room and kitchen. Isa’s only option is to share a room with Granny, Edie and Jenny as there is no space anywhere else for her to sleep. “Isa you’ll need tae share wi Jenny an Edie an Granny.”
As well as overcrowding, ‘Men
The Morrison family do not obtain a balanced diet and Maggie and John cannot afford to provide their family with a substantial meal. Maggie must resort to going to Jenny’s place of work to see if there is any fruit or vegetables that are rotten or in poor condition to have for free. “I had enough o Ma waitin at the shop door every Friday closing time….askin for chipped apples an bashed tomatoes an disgracing me afore the hale shop.”
Also a lack of food is further highlighted when Maggie dips her babies dummy in sugar to keep him quiet. This shows a sense of ignorance as the people living in Scotland in the 1930’s were not educated in how to properly care for a baby, sugar is obviously not entirely safe for a baby to intake every time they start to cry which Maggie was not aware of, as milk would be more substantial but Maggie and John did not have enough money to care for their children properly.