A Taste of Honey: Act 1: Scene 1 Summary & Analysis

Helen and her daughter Jo are carrying luggage into their new apartment. Jo, who is seeing the apartment for the first time, immediately begins to complain about its run-down state and laments, more generally, having to live off what she calls her mother’s immoral earnings. While Helen agrees that the apartment is in a terrible state, she still defends her choice, telling Jo that she will be able to complain when she has a job of her own. Resentful, Jo replies that she cannot wait.

Seemingly indifferent to Jo’s remarks, Helen asks her daughter for alcohol. Jo grudgingly hands her a whisky bottle while Helen complains about her daughter’s lack of respect toward her. Jo, in turn, denounces her mother’s constant drinking. When Jo complains about having to share a bed again with her mother, Helen ironically comments that she cannot stand being separated from her daughter. Jo wishes she had her own room.

While the two of them try to figure out if the apartment has a heating system, Helen tries to convince Jo to drink, but Jo says she doesn’t like the smell. When Jo asks her mother why she drinks, Helen sardonically says it consoles her about life and that it allows her to pass the time. Helen asks Jo for a tissue because of her cold and Jo hands her one. Immediately after, Jo tries to shade the unseemly naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling with her scarf, but burns herself in the process, eliciting exasperated comments from her mother about how she cannot leave things alone.

Jo keeps complaining about the apartment’s state and, when Helen agrees that it is indeed in bad shape, Jo says that her mother never thinks before making decisions, noting that all the places they have moved have always been exactly the same. Annoyed, Helen asks for peace and Jo decides to go make coffee. After Helen indicates to Jo where the kitchen is, Jo leaves the room and, from the kitchen, asks her mother how to use the gas stove. Irritated at her daughter’s lack of independent thought, Helen exasperatedly replies that she should try all the buttons. She ironically adds that Jo should avoid gassing herself in the process. A loud bang concludes Jo’s efforts and Helen complains about how noisy her daughter is.

When Jo asks if young people live next door, Helen says that she is not sure but notes that Jo might be able to find a boyfriend, since she has never had one. They begin to talk about Helen’s “fancy men” and Jo reveals that she was once secretly in love with one of them, but that he made her cry when he ran off with another girl. She mentions his nose and her mother wryly notes that it was not his nose she was personally interested in.

Jo observes the buildings surrounding their new home, saying she smells the river and that the nearby slaughterhouse will probably smell in the summer, to which Helen cynically replies that the entire city smells. Helen complains about cold air passing through the apartment, which only makes her cold worse. When Jo tells Helen to stop sniffing, Helen tells Jo that she is always selfish and uncaring.

Jo unpacks some flower bulbs she wants to use to make the apartment look prettier, saying that she hopes they bloom, but Helen doesn’t understand why her daughter is going to so much trouble. She tells Jo to go check on the kettle but Jo tells Helen to go check herself, since she wants to plant her bulbs. This leads Helen to lament the inacceptable way her daughter talks to her, which she would never have dared to do with her own mother.

After asking Jo if she has any aspirins left, Helen notes matter-of-factly that this new move will make Jo’s journey to school much longer. However, Jo announces that she still plans on leaving school at Christmas. Helen reacts by saying she is skeptical that her daughter will actually work, and Jo sarcastically replies that her distaste for work must be genetic. Suddenly nostalgic, Helen recalls her first job in a pub and sings a tune that she used to perform. When Jo asks what Helen would do if she accepted a similar job, Helen tells her to ruin her life in her own way, explaining that she doesn’t believe in interfering in other people’s lives because she already spends so much time taking care of herself.

Upset at her mother’s uncaring attitude, Jo says that Helen could probably do a better job of ruining her life, since she’s already had a lot of practice. However, Jo asserts that she will not get married like her mother did, because she is too young and beautiful. Helen laughs at her daughter’s youthful innocence, telling her that such idealism makes no difference, since everyone is bound to end up the same way.

Jo recalls a dream about her mother that she had the previous night. Policemen were digging in a garden and found her mother’s body under a rosebush. Helen makes a sardonic comment about death, saying that she believes everyone should indeed be used for manure when they are dead. She tells her daughter to go make some coffee, which might make her cold better.

When Helen begins to organize some of their belongings, she sees drawings that Jo has made and is extremely surprised to discover that her daughter has talent. Moved by this discovery, she encourages Jo to go to art school, saying she would pay, but Jo does not like the idea of going to yet another school after moving around so much. Helen concludes that Jo is wasting her talent, but Jo asks her why her mother is suddenly interested in her, since she has never cared about her before. Helen mockingly replies that she is indeed a cruel woman.

Jo asks Helen why they had to move yet again. Before her mother has a chance to answer, she hypothesizes that Helen is running away from someone, but this idea makes Helen angry and she threatens to hit Jo. Jo expresses her frustration at her mother’s incapacity to take her feelings into account when making such important decisions as changing apartments.

Seemingly resigned, Jo decides to go bathe and Helen tells her the communal bathroom is at the end of the hallway. When Jo notes that they spend their lives living out of their luggage, Helen ironically replies that Jo will soon be an independent, working woman. Jo walks toward the door, telling her mother not to sneeze on her and make her sick. She adds that she does not know why she should go get the coffee when Helen never does anything for her.

Peter suddenly walks in, boldly, with a cigar in his mouth. Helen is surprised to see him and asks him how he found her address, and after a few seconds of hearing their conversation Jo realizes that he is the person her mother was trying to escape. When Peter discovers that Jo is Helen’s daughter, he realizes that Helen is much older than he had thought. Jo asks if Peter is going to stay at the apartment and, when Peter confirms that he is, she decides to take her bath later. As Peter begins to flirt with Helen, Helen tries to get rid of Jo by telling her to go check on the coffee. Jo leaves the room but returns soon after because the water is not yet boiling.

Full of underlying anger, Jo tells Peter that Helen must never have mentioned to him that she had a daughter. While both Helen and Peter are annoyed by Jo’s presence, Peter’s expression of irritation leads Helen to remind him that no one ever asked him to come. After complaining about Jo (who has, sometime around now, left the room to make coffee), Peter proceeds to criticize the district Helen has chosen, which he finds dreadful and unfit to live in. He also criticizes Jo’s attitude, to which Helen once again replies that she never asked him to come. She asks Peter why he came and he flirts with her, telling her she must be glad to see him, to which Helen replies that she is not. Throughout their conversation, her attitude is one of feigned rejection, as she replies ironically or sharply to his comments but does not seem to actually want him to leave.

When Peter notices that Helen’s nose is damp, he gives her a tissue to blow her nose and she does. He tells her that she cannot possibly decide to give him up, but Helen says that she is tired of sex and men and that she is thinking about abandoning these pursuits completely. Peter finds this unfair to men but Helen says it has to do with what she has done, not what others have done to her. Peter keeps on flirting with her as she tries to get him to go. Wanting the two of them to be alone, he replies that she could get rid of her daughter. When she says she doesn’t want to, he tells her they could go get a drink. Helen initially thinks that this is a good idea, but then changes her mind.

Finally, Peter nonchalantly asks Helen to marry him. Surprised, Helen tells him she is too old for him, but Peter persists. He tells her that he is giving her an excellent opportunity, since he is young, handsome, and financially successful. While Helen initially tries to reject him, thinking he must be drunk, she tells him that she might actually accept his offer if he makes it again.

Jo, who has left the room to get the coffee ready, returns and coughs to make her presence heard. She interrupts their conversation by sitting down and thus keeping them from talking. Peter complains about Jo’s attitude and Helen says she is jealous because she doesn’t like seeing her mother behave affectionately toward other people. Jo replies that Helen certainly has never been affectionate with her. Peter finds the coffee terrible and Helen says that Jo always makes it weak on purpose, because she knows Helen likes it strong.

Jo says that Helen should be in bed and asks if Peter is going to leave. Helen decides that he should indeed avoid catching her cold and, when she stands up to accompany him out, Peter pulls her toward him, asking her if she wants an engagement ring and saying that he knows she is interested in his money. Jo slyly comments that their relationship is at odds with such symbolism. Ignoring Jo, Peter embraces Helen and begins to tell her a dirty joke but Jo interrupts their conversation again, asking him about his cigar. She then asks Peter if he truly plans on marrying her mother, since Helen is “a devil with men,” to which Helen replies that she does not, indeed, consider herself “a slouch.” Peter finally leaves, making a joke about frail old ladies as he goes.

Helen goes to bed, saying that they can always take care of cleaning tomorrow. Jo, who has noticed the hallway is dark now, decides to take a bath tomorrow. Helen asks her if she is afraid of the dark and Jo says that her mother already knows she is. Helen tells her that she should try not to be scared, but Jo says that that doesn’t help. When Helen lies down on the bed, she says it feels slightly less comfortable than a coffin. This leads Jo to ask her if she has ever tried one, and Helen says she certainly will one day.

Jo ironically says that Helen should have made Peter stay, since it is not the first time her mother has kicked her out of bed for such reasons. Helen gets angry at Jo, telling her to shut up. Jo asks if they are going to clean their belongings up, but they both agree that the room looks fine—better, in fact—in the dark. Helen comments that she does not understand why Jo is afraid of the dark, but Jo says that she is only scared of the darkness inside houses. Helen then asks Jo what she would think of her getting married again, and Jo replies that she would send her to a psychiatric institution.