BREAKING GENDER STEREOTYPES

OR

MAN’S ROLE IN A WOMAN

OR

EMERGENCE OF NEW WOMAN

INTRODUCTION

Caryl Churchill’s play Top Girls premiered at the Royal Court Theatre on August 28, 1982,
gaining critical acclaim and success. Churchill’s innovative techniques, such as overlapping
dialogue and non-chronological scenes, set the play apart. The overlapping dialogue,
especially in the first act, shows characters interrupting each other to highlight their inability
to connect and their desire to dominate the conversation. The play’s structure is also unique,
as the acts are presented out of chronological order. Additionally, the play features an
all-female cast, though men are frequently discussed.Top Girls is part of the
twentieth-century feminist literary movement, reflecting women’s struggles for equality in
patriarchal societies. Traditionally, women were expected to be submissive and confined to
domestic roles, but feminism challenged these norms and promoted women's independence
and rights. The play also critiques the capitalist system in Britain under Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher. Despite being a woman, Thatcher’s policies primarily benefited the
middle and upper classes, neglecting the working class. This disparity is explored through
the characters Joyce and Marlene, who represent opposing views on Thatcher’s impact on
women and society.

BODY PART

In Top Girls, the main character Marlene expresses the line, "Oh God, why are we all so
miserable?" This line reflects her understanding of the struggles and suffering that her
extraordinary dinner guests have endured. These guests are women from mythology and
different historical periods, all of whom have faced oppression due to the patriarchal
societies they lived in. Despite their oppression, these women show resilience and refuse to
give up, continually fighting to prove themselves. Each guest has made significant sacrifices,
such as giving up a child or a family, to achieve success and freedom.

Elaine Aston comments on this, noting that women often need to sacrifice domestic and
maternal aspects of their lives and adopt masculine values to advance economically and
professionally. Caryl Churchill, seen as a social feminist, highlights issues like class
distinction, sacrifice, adopting masculine qualities, and the control women can gain in
leadership roles. Social feminism advocates for women's unity to achieve their rights and
freedom. However, women have often divided themselves based on race, culture, and class.
Working-class women face more economic exploitation compared to middle-class women,
who have more freedom and power to fight for their rights. Middle-class women benefit from
the labor of working-class women, who are paid less than men. When middle-class women
attain positions of power, they may start to oppress working-class women, limiting their
opportunities for improvement, even during peak feminism movements.

Socialist feminism, similar to Marxist feminism, is influenced by Marx's analysis of society

and class. Both advocate for equality among women of different classes. Marxists believe
that capitalism creates two main classes: workers, who sell their labor for wages less than
the value of the goods they produce, and capitalists, who take the surplus value and
accumulate capital. Socialist feminism focuses on the social layers or classes and critiques
the historical and material conditions of class, race, and gender oppression. It calls for a
radical transformation of social structures.This type of feminism acknowledges the
differences between classes, recognizing that they do not have equal rights and freedoms
and experience varying degrees of oppression. Working-class women face more exploitation
and oppression than middle-class women because they are underpaid for their labor, making
it difficult to afford basic life expenses. They have fewer opportunities to be free and practice
their rights compared to middle-class women.

In the first act of Top Girls, Marlene, newly promoted to managing director, celebrates her
success by hosting a dinner party at a London restaurant. Her guests are five women from
various times and places, not friends, but notable figures: Isabella Bird, a famous Victorian
traveler and writer; Lady Nijo, a 13th-century Japanese courtesan turned nun; Dull Gret, a
character from Brueghel's painting; Pope Joan, a legendary female pope; and Patient
Griselda from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Churchill selected these women carefully to
reflect different aspects of the modern woman. Marlene sees herself as equal to these
women because of her success. Each guest shares her story of resisting societal oppression
and breaking gender norms, emphasizing that women’s ambitions were traditionally limited
to marriage and motherhood.

Among them, only Patient Griselda remains fully submissive to her husband, justifying his
oppressive actions by saying, "I had to obey him." The guests also discuss the roles of men
in their lives, highlighting the historical exclusion of women from major institutions. Isabella
Bird, for example, was educated by her clergyman father and knew Latin, a rarity for women.
She chose to maintain her femininity while pursuing her career, saying, "I always travelled as
a lady." In contrast, Pope Joan disguised herself as a man to receive the education she
wanted, ultimately being killed when her true identity was revealed.Lady Nijo, another guest,
was a Japanese courtesan sent by her father to serve the emperor. She eventually became
a Buddhist nun after losing favor. Nijo enjoyed her status and the luxuries that came with
being the emperor's favorite, but she left everything behind to follow a life of repentance. She
had four children, each taken from her shortly after birth, reflecting the sacrifices she
made.These women represent various ways of dealing with and fighting against patriarchal
oppression. Isabella and Joan pursued education and personal goals, though in different
ways. Griselda remained obedient and loyal to her oppressive husband, reflecting the
deep-seated societal norms of female submission. Lady Nijo experienced both privilege and
oppression, ultimately seeking solace in a religious life after being used by men. Together,
these characters illustrate the diverse experiences and strategies women have employed to
navigate and resist patriarchal structures throughout history.

During the dinner party in Top Girls, the topic of children comes up frequently. Most guests
had children but lost them in various ways. Nijo had four children, and Pope Joan had a child
who was stoned to death along with her. Patient Griselda's husband took her two children
away to test her loyalty, disregarding her maternal feelings. She explains, "Walter found it
hard to believe I loved him. He couldn’t believe I would always obey him. He had to prove it."
None of these women could reclaim their children. However, Dull Gret, depicted in
Brueghel’s painting, led an army of women to hell to fight demons after the Spanish army
killed her son and infant.The dinner scene portrays these women as courageous and
accomplished, yet their stories reveal a radical feminist theme, highlighting their struggles
against patriarchal oppression. Griselda is the exception, remaining submissive. In the
second act, the waitress, representing the working class, silently serves the guests, taking
orders from Marlene, who once belonged to the working class herself. Marlene uses the
waitress to fulfill her needs, reflecting her tendency to exploit others for personal gain
throughout the play.

At the start of Act Two, Angie and Kit hide in a junk shelter in Joyce's backyard, avoiding
Joyce's calls. This hiding symbolizes their escape from an unsafe world that doesn't promise
them a secure future. Angie and Kit ignore Joyce because Angie no longer sees her as a
mother figure, knowing that Joyce isn't her real mother. To Angie, Joyce is an oppressive
force that she resents to the point of wanting to kill her. Angie dominates Kit and tells scary
stories to frighten her. However, she looks up to Marlene as someone special.Eventually,
Angie decides to leave her family and go to London to seek acceptance from her real mother
and live with her. This mirrors Marlene, who left her family and daughter to pursue success
in America. Angie loves Marlene despite her abandonment and wants to be successful like
her. Angie even expresses her desire to work at the Top Girls employment agency, saying,
"It's where I most want to be in the world." This suggests that Angie might achieve success
like Marlene. She admires Marlene deeply and praises her actions, such as when Marlene
kicked Mrs. Kidd out of the office. Like Marlene, Angie has taken the first step toward
success by running away from home, indicating she might follow in Marlene's footsteps.

In the agency scene, Marlene's true nature is revealed through her interactions at work. She
breaks the typical image of women by adopting masculine traits. Marlene acts like a male
boss who is indifferent to her employees and dislikes working with female colleagues. Her
middle-class status puts her at the top of the social hierarchy. "The only way for a woman to
reach her full potential in contemporary Britain is to become selfish, greedy, and aggressive
like Marlene" (Peacock, 1999, p.95). Marlene looks down on her colleagues. When Mrs.
Kidd visits Marlene to ask her to decline the promotion so Mr. Kidd can keep his job, it
highlights the contrast between two types of women. Mrs. Kidd is a typical housewife who
cares for and obeys her husband, while Marlene is a strong woman who adopts masculine
traits to succeed. Mrs. Kidd says, "What's it going to do to him working for a woman? I think
if it was a man he'd get over it as something normal" (Top Girls, p.188), showing Howard's
distress at losing his job to a woman. Mrs. Kidd admits Howard's poor health is due to
working under Marlene. Marlene's success and masculine qualities make her more powerful
than Howard. She says she will treat him like any other employee, consulting him on
decisions but not differently from her other colleagues. Mrs. Kidd accuses Marlene of being
unnatural, as her success and position challenge the societal norm that women should stay
home and care for the family. Marlene rejects this traditional role and seeks to live like men.

Marlene is insensitive to other women's feelings. She struggles to connect with Jeanine and
doesn't understand Mrs. Kidd. Jeanine came to the interview hoping for a better job, but
Marlene wasn't supportive. When Marlene learned that Jeanine was engaged, she started
offering her jobs that weren't better than her previous one. Marlene believes women must
choose between having a family and a successful career. Her individualistic nature makes
her unsympathetic towards other women. Jeanine wanted a job in advertising, but Marlene
denied her the opportunity, suggesting she wasn't "glossy" enough. Marlene thinks that to be
successful, a woman must not mention marriage and children, just like she did. Instead of
giving Jeanine the job she wanted, Marlene offered her two jobs similar to her old one. This
shows that Marlene isn't supportive of other women and prefers to succeed alone. Through
this, Churchill criticizes Thatcher, suggesting she did nothing for the working class and used
her position for personal gain, behaving like men and supporting patriarchal norms.

In the interview between Win and Louise, we learn that Louise has worked in her position for
twenty-one years without a promotion, while younger, less experienced male workers she
trained have been promoted. Despite her high salary, she wants to leave her job for a new
one. Win, much like Marlene, doesn't offer much help as they are both from the middle class.
Win tells Louise that she will face competition from younger men everywhere. Louise is one
of many women dominated and exploited by men and society without recognition. She
hoped for understanding and help from Win but instead faces underestimation.

In Act Three of the play, Joyce, Marlene's older sister, confronts Marlene about the choices
she made in her life, revealing long-hidden family secrets. As teenagers, Marlene gave birth
to Angie and then abandoned her family to pursue a career in America, leaving Angie to be
raised by Joyce. Marlene's decision to leave was driven by her refusal to submit to a life like
her mother's, where she felt oppressed and controlled by her husband.The meeting between
Marlene and Joyce is tense and distant, highlighting their estrangement over the years. They
feel like strangers forced together, lacking the bond of sisterhood. Marlene's focus on her
career led her to neglect her family, and now she struggles to connect with them emotionally.
Joyce, in contrast, chose to stay with her family despite difficulties, embodying a more
traditional role of a woman dedicated to her household.

Angie, raised by Joyce, is seen by Marlene as lazy and unintelligent, expected to fail in life.
Marlene's disdain for Angie's future prospects reflects her belief that children and family
would hinder her career success. However, Marlene's accusations towards Joyce about
taking Angie reveal her conflicted feelings about motherhood and responsibility. Despite
initially rejecting the idea of balancing career and family, Marlene later acknowledges that it's
possible for women to do both successfully. Joyce, after discovering her husband's infidelity,
divorced him and chose to live independently with Angie, working multiple cleaning jobs to
support them. She rejects the idea of needing men in her life to avoid being controlled or
oppressed. This independence contrasts sharply with Marlene's pursuit of success at the
expense of family ties. Overall, Churchill uses the characters of Marlene, Joyce, and Angie
to explore themes of sacrifice, independence, and the complexities of women's roles in
society. Marlene represents the ambitious woman who sacrifices personal relationships for
career advancement, while Joyce embodies resilience and independence in the face of
societal expectations. Their contrasting lives reflect the broader societal shifts and
challenges faced by women striving for autonomy and recognition.

In Act Three of the play, we see the stark differences between Marlene and Joyce, two
sisters who took very different paths in life. Marlene chose to sacrifice family ties for career
success, abandoning her daughter Angie and leaving her sister Joyce to raise her. In
contrast, Joyce stayed with her family, prioritizing their well-being over personal ambition.
Despite having the potential for success, Joyce opted for a more traditional role, caring for
her family and working multiple jobs to support them. Marlene, portrayed as a middle-class
woman, benefited greatly from Thatcher's policies which favored the affluent. This made her
a staunch supporter of Thatcher, who promoted an image of successful women breaking
through class barriers. Marlene's success, however, came at the expense of others,
including her working-class sister Joyce, whom she relied on for support without fully
acknowledging or appreciating her sacrifices. Joyce, being from the working class,
witnessed firsthand the struggles and exploitation faced by her peers under Thatcher's
economic policies. These policies primarily benefited the middle and upper classes, leaving
the working class, especially women, at a disadvantage. Joyce's resentment towards
Thatcher and Marlene's support for her stems from these differing experiences and
perspectives on class and gender politics.Caryl Churchill uses Marlene's character to satirize
Margaret Thatcher, highlighting their similarities in adopting masculine qualities and
prioritizing personal success over collective welfare. Both Thatcher and Marlene, despite
their positions of power, showed little interest in advancing the rights and opportunities of
other women in society. They exemplify how some women can rise to the top while
neglecting the struggles of those beneath them, reinforcing societal divisions rather than
promoting solidarity among women.Overall, Churchill's play critiques Thatcher's legacy,
illustrating how her policies exacerbated class disparities had failed to address the broader
issues facing women in society. Marlene's character serves as a commentary on the pitfalls
of individualism and the consequences of prioritizing personal ambition over social
responsibility.

CONCLUSION

"Top Girls" addresses timeless issues that remain relevant today, despite reflecting concerns
from its own era. One prominent theme is the control exerted by successful women over
those who have not had the same opportunities. Marlene, as a character, illustrates this by
dominating others around her once she achieves success.The play also highlights class
distinctions, where a woman's societal position defines her opportunities and freedoms.
Middle-class women, like Marlene, had more autonomy compared to working-class women
who faced economic hardship, exacerbated during Margaret Thatcher's conservative
governance. Thatcher's policies favored the middle and upper classes, neglecting the
struggles of the working class, especially women. Caryl Churchill satirizes Thatcher through
Marlene's character, portraying how women in positions of power can perpetuate inequality
rather than uplift others. The play suggests various forms of resistance against male and
societal oppression: Pope Joan disguised herself to access education denied to girls, Lady
Nijo abandoned her palace life to become a nun, while others, like Patient Griselda and Mrs.
Kidd, resigned themselves to their oppressed roles without challenging them.