Diana of Dobson's

by Cicely Mary Hamilton

Very successful when first performed in London in 1908, Diana of Dobson’s introduces its audience to the overworked and underpaid female assistants at Dobson’s Drapery Emporium, whose only alternative to their dead-end jobs is the unlikely prospect of marriage. Although Cicely Hamilton calls the play “a romantic comedy,” like George Bernard Shaw she also criticizes a social structure in which so-called self-made men profit from the cheap labour of others, and men with good educations, but insufficient inherited money, look for wealthy wives rather than for work. This Broadview edition also includes excerpts from Hamilton’s autobiography Life Errant (1935) and Marriage as a Trade (1909), her witty polemic on “the woman question”; historical documents illustrating employment options for women and women’s work in the theatre; and reviews of the original production of the play.

Genres: Plays, School, Drama, Fiction, 20th Century, Classics

206 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2003

About the author

Cicely Mary Hamilton (born Hammill), was an English author and co-founder of the Women Writers' Suffrage League.

She is best remembered for her plays which often included feminist themes. Hamilton's World War I novel "William - An Englishman" was reprinted by Persephone Books in 1999.

She was a friend of EM Delafield and was portrayed as Emma Hay in "A Provincial Lady Goes Further."

Reviews

[Shannon (That's So Poe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read the novel version of this rather than the play, but I loved it so, so much! This story is just such an excellent exploration of classism and opportunity with an incredibly relatable main character who decides to leave her daily life behind when she gets a small inheritance in order to live it up for a brief period and really experience life. I loved the way this discussed money and class and privilege, but with a lot of humanity and nuance. Just such a fun read with a lot of interesting themes!

Content Warnings:
poverty, classism

[lucy snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

slowly working my way through cicely's entire back catalogue and loving every second. the dissertation is slowly becoming cicely hamilton obsessed i can't lie. don't be surprised if it ends up entirely focused on her.

this was so good! really interesting commentary on women's work in the early twentieth century. bretherton actually seems like a nice guy and diana is very fun. the final page is the cutest thing ever. i love how detailed cicely's stage directions are.

you can see why this one was performed for the commerical theatre - it is one of her best. very well put together and i love the complete shift in setting that we get in act 1 and 4 compared to 2 and 3. very clever exploration of class performance.

her 'a pageant of great women' is sat next to me, but the cadbury closes in an hour. can i do it in time??
(also read in the workhouse by margaret wynne nevinson today which was brilliant, but does not exist on goodreads!)

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important message about women's independence and place in society in relation to the clash between classes delivered with wit and humour. Diana of Dobson's is extremely intelligent and fun to read (and I'm sure it was fantastic to watch); it's extremely annoying that Hamilton's work was suppressed for so long --a tragic and too common story for women writers.

[Joti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS PLAY!! I think it's like sad comedy with the shop-girls working in absolute shit conditions and then Diana, comes unexpectedly into a 300 pound fortune and just blows it so she can have a hell of a time (which she does) but that fairy-tale time comes to an end and she's gotta return to her life as a shop-girl. BUT not before Sir Jabez proposes to her (a total business man about the whole affair) and she turns him down - but then Victor also proposes and they have a falling out of sorts, at the end of which (after revealing the sham she had put on) she accuses him of being worthless and that he'd never survive off the work of his own hands - and he takes up the challenge and is poor as fuck when they meet again 3 months later - and he realizes how right she was about it all & values his 600 pound income so much more than he did before. And he proposes marriage again and the play ends with Diana saying 'M'm' which i don't know if it's an agreement about the bread they're eating tasting delicious OR to his proposal.
I wonder if they'll put this on again in Toronto. It'd be great, I'd totally go!

[Kaitlin Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical rags to riches story

[Syd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Message of class privilege and inequality. Now if only I could stop pulling a Diana everytime I’m paid I may have some savings

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Required reading for EN 298: British Literature 1900-1920, this is a play. I found the character of Diana to be very rude and disrespectful, so it wasn't something I enjoyed working my way through.

Favourite Quotes:
"No use quarreling with your bread and butter, even if the butter is spread thin and margarine at that."

"It's power! Power to do what you like, go where you like, to say what you like."

"...to be the fly in my ointment. If the fly gets in without asking my permission, I simply pretend he isn't there."

"If a man isn't fit to be o top, he must go under- if he hasn't the power to rule, he must serve whether he likes it or not. If he hasn't brains enough to lift himself out of the ruck, in the ruck he must stay. That's what makes success all the more worth winning."

"Haven't I trailed about the streets of London for the last three months to justify my existence in your eyes?"

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.5