Caryl Churchill: Top Girls
CONTEXT
Caryl Churchill wrote Top Girls as a response to Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s Prime Minister
from 1979-1990.
Set in the 1980s
Churchill had visited America and met many women enthused by the new opportunities
available to them as a result of feminism - she was however sceptical as to whether these
opportunities would actually be a victory for feminism.
In Top Girls Carly Churchill criticises the extreme individualism and hyper professionalism
that a capitalist society values. The play is particularly concerned with the tendency of
1980’s feminism to equate liberation with financial and professional success, to the exclusion
of the working class; resulting in women being forced to choose between the pursuit of a
career and motherhood.
Contemporary capitalism -individuals are born as autonomous individuals with equal access
to the market; wealth is acquired through hard work.
1. “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.” (Mrs Kidd) How far would you agree that in Top Girls, “success is
always accompanied by unpopularity”?
2. “The play relies primarily on female suffering to generate dramatic tension.” Discuss this
view of Top Girls.
3. “The true triumph of Top Girls is Churchill’s ability to challenge traditional role models.”
Discuss this view of the play.
4. To what extent would you agree with the statement that “in Top Girls, marriage offers only
restrictions for women”?
5. ‘Top Girls is a dated play stuck in the 1980s.’ Examine this view.
6. Examine the significance of the relationship between Marlene and Joyce in the play.
, 7. Examine the view that the character of Dull Gret is insignificant within the play as a whole.
Consider these points:
• that Dull Gret appears in Act One only
• that she is mostly busy with the meal rather than spoken interaction with other characters
• her relative silence plus monosyllabic comments
• she is historical/fictional outside the play’s contemporary setting
• that one of her possible functions is to provide coarse comedy
8. How far would you agree with the view that “It is hard to sympathise with characters that
mainly represent issues”?
9. “Adventure is the only way for women to experience freedom in Top Girls.” Discuss this
view of Top Girls
10. “In her presentation of Marlene, Churchill ensures that this selfish career woman is also a figure
that audiences pity”. Discuss this view of Top Girls.
11. “The historical women are all dependent on men and limited by patriarchal expectations.” Discuss
this view of Top Girls.
12. ‘We’ve all come a long way,’ says Marlene to her dinner party guests. Examine the view that Top
Girls is a triumphant celebration of female empowerment.
13. Examine the significance of social class in the play.
14. In what ways, and with what effects, does Churchill use the play’s structure to present her concerns
in Top Girls?
15. Churchill describes Marlene as ‘commendably independent’. What is your view of the presentation
of Marlene in the light of this description?
CONTEXT
Caryl Churchill wrote Top Girls as a response to Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s Prime Minister
from 1979-1990.
Set in the 1980s
Churchill had visited America and met many women enthused by the new opportunities
available to them as a result of feminism - she was however sceptical as to whether these
opportunities would actually be a victory for feminism.
In Top Girls Carly Churchill criticises the extreme individualism and hyper professionalism
that a capitalist society values. The play is particularly concerned with the tendency of
1980’s feminism to equate liberation with financial and professional success, to the exclusion
of the working class; resulting in women being forced to choose between the pursuit of a
career and motherhood.
Contemporary capitalism -individuals are born as autonomous individuals with equal access
to the market; wealth is acquired through hard work.
1. “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.” (Mrs Kidd) How far would you agree that in Top Girls, “success is
always accompanied by unpopularity”?
2. “The play relies primarily on female suffering to generate dramatic tension.” Discuss this
view of Top Girls.
3. “The true triumph of Top Girls is Churchill’s ability to challenge traditional role models.”
Discuss this view of the play.
4. To what extent would you agree with the statement that “in Top Girls, marriage offers only
restrictions for women”?
5. ‘Top Girls is a dated play stuck in the 1980s.’ Examine this view.
6. Examine the significance of the relationship between Marlene and Joyce in the play.
, 7. Examine the view that the character of Dull Gret is insignificant within the play as a whole.
Consider these points:
• that Dull Gret appears in Act One only
• that she is mostly busy with the meal rather than spoken interaction with other characters
• her relative silence plus monosyllabic comments
• she is historical/fictional outside the play’s contemporary setting
• that one of her possible functions is to provide coarse comedy
8. How far would you agree with the view that “It is hard to sympathise with characters that
mainly represent issues”?
9. “Adventure is the only way for women to experience freedom in Top Girls.” Discuss this
view of Top Girls
10. “In her presentation of Marlene, Churchill ensures that this selfish career woman is also a figure
that audiences pity”. Discuss this view of Top Girls.
11. “The historical women are all dependent on men and limited by patriarchal expectations.” Discuss
this view of Top Girls.
12. ‘We’ve all come a long way,’ says Marlene to her dinner party guests. Examine the view that Top
Girls is a triumphant celebration of female empowerment.
13. Examine the significance of social class in the play.
14. In what ways, and with what effects, does Churchill use the play’s structure to present her concerns
in Top Girls?
15. Churchill describes Marlene as ‘commendably independent’. What is your view of the presentation
of Marlene in the light of this description?
