A Taste of Honey: Context (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Note
Exam code: 8702
A Taste of Honey historical context
Shelagh Delaney was born in 1938 in Manchester, northern England. As a teenager, Delaney was inspired to write a play that depicted working-class lives in a realistic way as a response to typically idealised portrayals of traditional, middle-class England. Her play A Taste of Honey, written in 1958, explores British society after World War II. By setting the play in the impoverished industrial city of Salford in the north of England, Delaney examines the impact of poverty and class.
Postwar Britain
After World War II, as a result of economic ramifications, Britain improved upon social care systems by introducing a Welfare State and a free health care system:
Working-class families were especially hard hit in war-torn Britain
They found it hard to get secure work or earn enough to become socially mobile
Inexpensive housing was limited, and, in industrial areas such as the North of England, properties were often run-down, without heating or lighting
1950s Britain conformed to patriarchal standards such as a traditional nuclear family:
This meant that women were generally limited to being wives and mothers
Women were expected to be faithful, although it was (mostly) acceptable for husbands to have affairs within marriage
The contraceptive pill was prescribed for the first time in 1961, but only to married women
How this links to A Taste of Honey | |
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Poverty and class | In the exposition (opens in a new tab), Helen and Jo move into a small flat in an industrial area in Salford, Lancashire. The flat is near a “slaughterhouse” and the “gasworks”. It has no heating, a leaking roof, a community bathroom, and Jo and Helen share a bed. Helen tells Jo that she cannot afford anything better. Peter Smith, a middle-class car salesman, on the other hand, has a “big, white house” and describes the area in which Helen and Jo live as “ghastly”. When he says, “Nobody could live in a place like this”, Helen replies, “Only about fifty thousand people”. Delaney critiques middle-class values when a pregnant Jo is not invited to the “dazzling white house” in which Peter lives. |
The traditional nuclear family | Delaney breaks traditionally idealised depictions of a nuclear family. Her main characters are two single mothers, Helen and her daughter, Jo. Delaney illustrates the social stigma attached to single motherhood through her hypocritical character Peter. He insults Helen for her promiscuity while having a wallet full of women’s pictures. He marries Helen to provide her with financial security, only to abandon her and her daughter. |
A Taste of Honey social context
Shelagh Delaney’s honest portrayal of systemic racism, sexism, and homophobia in 1950s Britain was considered controversial when it was first performed. At the time, film and theatre was mostly confined to portrayals of middle-class, white, heterosexual families.
Racism
After the war, there was increased immigration to Britain, such as in the shape of the Windrush generation
This immigration was met with mixed responses:
Interracial relationships were generally frowned upon, and British people in relationships with other races were often ostracised and abused
In some neighbourhoods, petitions called for those in interracial relationships to be moved out of town
Immigrants were often restricted to manual labour or jobs in the military
In 1948, when the National Health Service was established, Caribbean and Asian immigrants were often recruited as nurses and porters
Homophobia
Postwar Britain’s patriarchal standards left little room for relationships that were not heterosexual or conducted within the sanctity of marriage
Attitudes towards homosexual men led to discriminatory practices
In 1958, when A Taste of Honey was written, homosexual acts between men were illegal in Britain
Many homosexual men sought safety from prosecution and jail in heterosexual relationships
How this links to A Taste of Honey | |
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Racism | Delaney reflects systemic racism through her character the “Boy” (Jimmie). The script mentions that he was a nurse before he joined the navy. Jimmie’s comments that Jo is one of the only white girls he knows who does not mind that he is Black represents the social barriers existing at the time. The play’s portrayal of a young white girl having a relationship with a Black boy was considered controversial at the time. |
Homophobia | Delaney’s homosexual character Geof has never kissed a girl before, but his eagerness to marry Jo represents his desire for the safety of a heterosexual relationship. He is marginalised: he has been evicted by his landlady although refuses to discuss the reason with Jo. Geof’s isolated character highlights the result of social prejudices and pressure to conform. He is verbally abused by Helen and Peter with typically homophobic references to his sexuality, such as "pansified little freak". Jo’s friendship with Geof is presented sympathetically: he is the only character in the play who supports Jo with her pregnancy. |
A Taste of Honey literary context
Before World War II, British theatre and film was mostly limited to optimistic comedies depicting wealthy characters. Plays like A Taste of Honey were created as a backlash to this. They are considered social commentary in their portrayal of the lives of poor, ordinary young working-class individuals in a way that was not sentimental or masked by idealistic depictions. Realism as a genre gained popularity in the late 1950s when novels, plays, films, and television began to move away from polished portrayals of life.
Kitchen sink drama
A Taste of Honey is considered a forerunner of kitchen sink dramas, along with John Osborne’s 1956 play Look Back in Anger
Kitchen sink dramas usually aim to depict dissatisfaction and resentment among the working class:
The name refers to the domestic lives of those living in run-down, rented accommodation
Protagonists (opens in a new tab) are often young, poor, and angry at a society in which they feel powerless:
Characters speak in regional dialects and accents other than Received Pronunciation
They often reflect pub culture — miserable characters seeking refuge in alcohol
The genre’s popularity continued into the 21st century and is notably found in television soap operas
How this links to A Taste of Honey | |
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Kitchen sink drama | Delaney’s play is set in an industrial area in the North of England: Helen and Jo live in a flat that is “falling apart”, and they speak in regional dialect, expressing harsh and angry sentiments. Delaney portrays a young, working-class girl who is neglected by her neglectful and unstable single mother. Helen drinks too much and conducts casual affairs. The play depicts a disillusioned, poverty-stricken and underfed family who struggle with resentful feelings about their lot in life. |
Sources
Delaney, Shelagh (2008), A Taste Of Honey (Edited by Glenda Leeming and Elaine Aston), Bloomsbury Academic.
Pidd, Helen (11 March 2024), “'Unbelievably relevant': what can the explosive 1958 play A Taste of Honey tell us today?” The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/mar/11/explosive-a-taste-of-honey-shelagh-delaney-salford-single-mother (opens in a new tab), accessed 12 September 2025.
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