WAEC Literature in English 2025 Theory — Question 18

Model answer

The central theme of the play is Post-World War II England and how this affects the relationships between characters; other themes include class conflict and sexism. Helena Charles is Alison's best friend; she lives with them in their apartment while visiting for work and performs in a play at the local theatre. Helena is from an upper-class family and has long despised Jimmy, as he considers her a member of the Establishment. Helena undergoes one of the most significant and ironic transformations in the play, evolving from an emblem of traditional morality and social convention to a figure who momentarily embraces the very bohemian life she once scorned, only to retreat back to her original values, leaving a path of disruption in her wake. Initially, Helena is introduced as Alison's antithesis and a representative of the conservative, 'upper-class' values that Jimmy despises; she is a successful actress, poised, elegant and acutely aware of social proprieties, and views Jimmy as cruel and Alison as a victim, aiming to 'rescue' Alison from what she perceives as a destructive relationship. Helena's first significant transformation occurs when she orchestrates Alison's departure from Jimmy, driven by a genuine desire to protect her friend but also by a subtle, unacknowledged attraction to Jimmy — she intervenes, convincing Alison to leave and even helping her pack. This act, seemingly a triumph for her moral principles, ironically leads to her second, more profound transformation: stepping into Alison's shoes as Jimmy's lover. In this phase, she attempts to adapt to Jimmy's world, endures his verbal assaults, shares his bed, and even tries to participate in his unconventional lifestyle, showing a capacity for self-deception and a surprising willingness to compromise her own values. However, this transformation is ultimately unsustainable for Helena; the news of Alison's pregnancy and miscarriage awaken her dormant moral conscience, and she recognises the inherent wrongness of her actions — betraying Alison and living in sin. Her final transformation is a retreat: overwhelmed by guilt and a renewed sense of moral duty, she decides to leave Jimmy, reverting to her original role as a figure of conventional morality, albeit one scarred by her experience, revealing her limitations — she can only tolerate the chaos for so long before her ingrained need for order and moral rectitude reasserts itself.