One Good Beating :: English Literature

One Good trounceMany coeval Scottish plays explore the conflict that can existbetween tribe of different generations. In this essay I am going to rea tidings whether or not Linda McLeans One Good Beating conveys this loose of conflict and explore the other themes end-to-end the play.Although One Good Beating besides consists of three characters(Robert-dad, Elaine- daughter and Stephen-son) there are manyconflicts throughout the play, many of which are between every last(predicate) threecharacters over the same(p) issue.Stephen is in conflict with his dad Robert because when he was youngerhe employ to beat him. Stephen is hush up affected by his traumatisingchildhood even though he is in his mid thirties.Stephen But he never come to youElaine If he thinks for a minute youre stuck in the past hell Beat youThese words illustrate how Stephen has been emotionally scarred bywhat his induce did to him and cant live his life properly because heis breathing with the memory of his t ragic childhood.This conflict, which has grown between these two characters, does not ripe go in the one direction, Robert is in conflict with Stephen butfor an but different reason. Robert never discernd Stephen however Stephen continued trying to tilthis fathers opinion. The only way Robert could react to this was tohit Stephen.Robert I couldnt give a tuppenny damn whether you forgave me or notStephen all I wanted from himI wanted him to love meRobert I enduret like youRoberts only problem with his son was that he had been born. Howeverhe didnt love Stephen because he could not love any one. It was justsimply because he did not like him.Robert its temporary, Elaine knows I love her.These words emphasise even more that it was just his son he had a problem with and that he was devoted to his daughter.Stephen is not the only one in conflict with Robert. Elaine is also inconflict with Robert because when she was young, Robert killed herpuppy.Robert stillborn something. Puppy m aybe.Elaine reacts to this by (stage directions) hitting the coal-sheddoor, which demonstrates that she has never forgiven her father forwhat he did and still feels strongly about the issue. She is also inconflict with her father because he hit her mother and brother andburied their mother without even inform them of her death.Elaine you didnt even give her a proper funeralElaine you never told anybody she was deathlyThis emphasises how she felt about her mother and how much hate shehas for her father because of how he mistreated her mother.