One Good Beating :: English Literature

One Good Beating Many contemporary Scottish plays explore the conflict that can exist between people of different generations. In this essay I am going to discuss whether or not Linda McLean’s â€Å"One Good Beating† conveys this issue of conflict and explore the other themes throughout the play. Although â€Å"One Good Beating† only consists of three characters (Robert-dad, Elaine- daughter and Stephen-son) there are many conflicts throughout the play, many of which are between all three characters over the same issue. Stephen is in conflict with his dad Robert because when he was younger he used to beat him. Stephen is still affected by his traumatising childhood even though he is in his mid thirties. Stephen: â€Å"But he never hit you† Elaine: â€Å"If he thinks for a minute you’re stuck in the past he’ll Beat you† These words illustrate how Stephen has been emotionally scarred by what his father did to him and can’t live his life properly because he is living with the memory of his tragic childhood. This conflict, which has grown between these two characters, does not just go in the one direction, Robert is in conflict with Stephen but for an entirely different reason. Robert never loved Stephen however Stephen continued trying to change his father’s opinion. The only way Robert could react to this was to hit Stephen. Robert: â€Å"I couldn’t give a tuppenny damn whether you forgave me or not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stephen: â€Å"all I wanted from him†¦I wanted him to love me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Robert: â€Å" †¦I don’t like you† Robert’s only problem with his son was that he had been born. However he didn’t love Stephen because he could not love any one. It was just simply because he did not like him. Robert: â€Å"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 in conflict with Robert because when she was young, Robert killed her puppy. Robert: â€Å" †¦ dead something. Puppy maybe.† Elaine reacts to this by (stage directions) hitting the coal-shed door, which demonstrates that she has never forgiven her father for what he did and still feels strongly about the issue. She is also in conflict with her father because he hit her mother and brother and buried their mother without even informing them of her death. Elaine: â€Å" you didn’t even give her a proper funeral† Elaine: â€Å" you never told anybody she was dead† This emphasises how she felt about her mother and how much hate she has for her father because of how he mistreated her mother.