Peter Smith Character Analysis in A Taste of Honey

A boldly assertive, often vulgar young man, Peter is a car salesman who follows Helen to her new home and convinces her to marry him. He shows little sensitivity to the subtleties of Helen and Jo’s relationship, believing that Jo hates her mother and is a capricious, intolerable young woman. More generally, he shows little understanding of irony and wit, as he proves unable to bear Jo’s ironic attacks. Similarly to Helen, he seems concerned exclusively with his own pleasure, refusing to help Jo financially during her time living alone in the apartment and her pregnancy, while spending his money indiscriminately on presents for Helen and on their drunken outings. His alcoholic tendencies lead him to behave aggressively and insult the people around him, showing little concern for others and treating them with disrespect.

Peter Smith Quotes in A Taste of Honey

The A Taste of Honey quotes below are all either spoken by Peter Smith or refer to Peter Smith. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

PETER: Is she always like this?

HELEN: She’s jealous . . .

PETER: That’s something I didn’t bargain for.

HELEN: Can’t bear to see me being affectionate with anybody.

JO: You’ve certainly never been affectionate with me.

PETER: Still, she’s old enough to take care of herself.

Related Characters: Peter Smith (speaker), Jo (speaker), Helen (speaker)

Related Symbols: Engagement Rings

Page Number and Citation: 19

Explanation and Analysis:

When Jo first meets Peter, he is flirting with her mother and ultimately asks Helen to marry him. Despite her weak efforts at rejecting him, Helen visibly enjoys her lover’s advances and interacts playfully with him. Jo decides to stay in the room and try to interrupt their conversation as often as possible, which makes Helen conclude that she is jealous. Jo’s interference in Peter and Helen’s relationship reveals her desire for attention—a desire that is not egotistical and self-absorbed but, rather, the reflection of the very real threat that Helen might once again abandon her for one of her Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non invento

HELEN: […] There’s two w’s in your future. Work or want, and no Arabian Knight can tell you different. We’re all at the steering wheel of our own destiny. Careering along like drunken drivers. I’m going to get married. [The news is received in silence.] I said, I’m going to get married.

JO: Yes, I heard you the first time. What do you want me to do, laugh and throw pennies?

Related Characters: Helen (speaker), Jo (speaker), Peter Smith

Related Symbols: Engagement Rings

Page Number and Citation: 29

Explanation and Analysis:

When Jo sees an advertisement in a magazine for an Arabian mystic who can read people’s destinies, she mentions it to her mother. This leads Helen to give Jo a speech about life, telling her that there is no point in consulting so-called mystics and that she should rely only on her own discipline. Helen’s vision of life involves a paradoxical mix of control and ignorance. While she claims that Jo should take control of her life and that hard work is the only means for survival, she also accepts that this appearance of control can be entirely blind or Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint ap

HELEN: There’s plenty of food in the kitchen.

JO: You should prepare my meals like a proper mother.

HELEN: Have I ever laid claim to being a proper mother? If you’re too idle to cook your own meals you’ll just have to cut food out of your diet altogether. That should help you lose a bit of weight, if nothing else.

PETER: She already looks like a bad case of malnutrition.

Related Characters: Jo (speaker), Helen (speaker), Peter Smith (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 35

Explanation and Analysis:

As Helen and Peter are about to leave the apartment to go celebrate their engagement, they both say they are hungry and, when Jo says she is too, Helen claims that she has no responsibility to feed her. Helen’s typical way of avoiding her responsibilities is to attack her daughter. Here, to avoid being reminded that she has a duty to provide for her only child, she calls Jo idle and implies that it is her own fault if she does not have enough food. While Helen’s reactions are often crude and insensitive, demonstrating a lack of interest in Jo’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur

HELEN: You stupid little devil! What sort of a wife do you think you’d make? You’re useless. It takes you all your time to look after yourself. I suppose you think you’re in love. Anybody can fall in love, do you know that? But what do you know about the rest of it?

JO: Ask yourself.

HELEN: You know where that ring should be? In the ashcan with everything else. Oh! I could kill her, I could really.

JO: You don’t half knock me about. I hope you suffer for it.

HELEN: I’ve done my share of suffering if I never do any more. Oh Jo, you're only a kid. Why don’t you learn from my mistakes? It takes half your life to learn from your own.

Related Characters: Helen (speaker), Jo (speaker), Peter Smith, Jimmie (“The Boy”)

Related Symbols: Engagement Rings

Page Number and Citation: 41

Explanation and Analysis:

When Helen learns that Jo has gotten engaged to her boyfriend, she reacts with anger and frustration. This is one of the few moments in the play when Helen tries to reason with Jo as best she can and sincerely expresses a desire to help her daughter make the right decision. Despite Helen’s frequent aggression, insults, and threats of physical violence, in this moment she also tries to impart wisdom to Jo and to reason with her. She argues that love and long-term commitment are two separate things, and that Jo is too young to become stuck in marriage. Jo’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime.

HELEN: I don’t suppose you’re sorry to see me go.

JO: I’m not sorry and I’m not glad.

HELEN: You don’t know what you do want.

JO: Yes, I do. I’ve always known what I want.

HELEN: And when it comes your way will you recognize it?

JO: Good luck, Helen.

Related Characters: Helen (speaker), Jo (speaker), Peter Smith

Related Symbols: Engagement Rings

Page Number and Citation: 44

Explanation and Analysis:

When Helen leaves the apartment to go get married to Peter, she assumes that Jo is not upset by her departure. Jo’s equivocal words suggest precisely the opposite. While Jo admits that she is not sorry, thus seemingly confirming her mother’s opinion, she also adds that she is not glad, either. This serves as a subtle, yet noticeable hint that she does actually care for her mother, and that at least part of her would have wanted her to stay. Helen’s failure to notice this suggests that she is incapable of understanding her daughter’s true feelings—or, perhaps, that she does Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta p

JO: So we’re back where we started. And all those months you stayed away from me because of him! Just like when I was small.

HELEN: I never thought about you! It’s a funny thing, I never have done when I’ve been happy. But these last few weeks I’ve known I should be with you.

JO: So you stayed away.

HELEN: Yes. I can’t stand trouble.

JO: Oh, there’s no trouble. I’ve been performing a perfectly normal, healthy function. We’re wonderful! Do you know, for the first time in my life I feel really important. I feel as though I could take care of the whole world. I even feel as though I could take care of you, too!

Related Characters: Jo (speaker), Helen (speaker), Peter Smith, Geoffrey Ingram

Related Symbols: Engagement Rings

Page Number and Citation: 81

Explanation and Analysis:

By the end of A Taste of Honey, Jo and Helen are living together again, just as they were at the beginning of the play. Jo realizes that this situation is one that she has experienced repeatedly throughout her life, as time and again her mother has left her for her boyfriends and then returned when those relationships have failed. Helen’s present return, then, cannot be a reflection of any long-term commitment. Helen does not try to contradict her daughter. Rather, she emphasizes her independence from any motherly responsibilities, as she explains that her happiness is completely separate from Jo’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laboru

Peter Smith Character Timeline in A Taste of Honey

The timeline below shows where the character Peter Smith appears in A Taste of Honey. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Peter suddenly walks in, boldly, with a cigar in his mouth. Helen is surprised to see... (full context)

Full of underlying anger, Jo tells Peter that Helen must never have mentioned to him that she had a daughter. While both... (full context)

When Peter notices that Helen’s nose is damp, he gives her a tissue to blow her nose... (full context)

Finally, Peter nonchalantly asks Helen to marry him. Surprised, Helen tells him she is too old for... (full context)

...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... (full context)

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,... (full context)

Peter then enters the apartment with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. While... (full context)

Peter criticizes the way Jo is devouring all her chocolates, and Jo in turn tells him... (full context)

Peter and Helen then announce that they are celebrating the fact that Peter has bought a... (full context)

Believing that Peter might be hiding something, Jo notices that Peter has other pictures in his wallet and... (full context)

Jo then asks Peter why he wears an eye patch. Peter explains that he lost an eye serving as... (full context)

Jo asks him why he is marrying Helen and Peter asks her why he shouldn’t, to which Jo gives him a frustrated, obscure answer about... (full context)

Peter, who has by now become impatient, is about to tell Helen he will wait for... (full context)

Jo asks Helen why she is marrying Peter, and Helen says that it has to do with his money. As the two of... (full context)

When Helen and Peter say they are hungry, Jo, trying to remind her mother of her responsibilities, says that... (full context)

...heavy cold, walks in in her pajamas. Helen tells Jo that she is excited because Peter has been spending a lot of money on her and has been giving her gifts.... (full context)

...that she will see Jo after the honeymoon. As Helen is about to go meet Peter, she says that Jo must not be sad to see her leave, but Jo says... (full context)

Peter then enters the apartment, drunk, aggressive, and angry at having to wait for Helen outside... (full context)

Still singing, Peter goes into the kitchen to look for drinks, crashes into objects, and re-enters the room.... (full context)

Helen calls Peter a drunkard and tells him to leave. When Peter notices that Helen is giving his... (full context)

Jo chats with her mother about Peter’s state, asking her how long he has been like this, but Helen changes the subject... (full context)

Peter then enters the apartment again, more sober but also more hostile. Helen keeps offering to... (full context)

...Geof to shut up, arguing that she knows what is best for her daughter. Impatient, Peter complains about the filth of this apartment and says he wants to leave, adding that,... (full context)

After Peter and Helen leave, Geof is at least relieved that Helen has left Jo money but... (full context)

Jo asks Helen to stop being mean to Geof and inquires whether Peter has kicked her out. Instead of answering, Helen tries to change the subject, showing Jo... (full context)

Helen finally reveals that Peter left her for another woman, and Jo cannot believe that the two of them are... (full context)

Peter Smith Character Analysis

Peter Smith Quotes in A Taste of Honey

Act 1: Scene 1 Quotes

Act 1: Scene 2 Quotes

Act 2: Scene 2 Quotes

Peter Smith Character Timeline in A Taste of Honey