Hobson’s Choice

Maggie is the sharp, determined daughter who resists her autocratic father and dares to reshape the family business. She engineers a marriage to Willie Mossop and a loan that turn his bootmaking skill into a cornerstone of a growing enterprise. Her pragmatism and strategic thinking drive the transformation of Beenstock & Co. into a thriving partnership with Willie as equal partner.

A gifted but under-appreciated bootmaker who begins as a meek, loyal craftsman under his fiancée’s father. Under Maggie’s guidance, he gains confidence, skill, and business sense, helping drive the shop’s success. He grows into a capable partner, ultimately demanding equal recognition and a 50-50 partnership.

An autocratic, avaricious boot shop owner who ruthlessly controls his daughters and treats Willie with contempt. He represents rigid patriarchal authority and resists sharing power, only softened by Maggie’s leverage and the partnership settlement.

A younger sister who has been seeing Albert Prosser; she represents the conventional path of marriage and social expectation. While less central to Maggie’s plan, Alice’s relationship dynamics illustrate the house’s competing ambitions and obligations.

The youngest sister, eager for romance and marriage to Freddy Beenstock, she embodies the tension between personal desire and family duty. Vicky’s ambitions contrast with Maggie’s calculated business strategy.

The son of a corn merchant and Freddy Beenstock, engaged to Vicky. He serves as a foil to Willie’s rise and is drawn into the Beenstock family’s economic world as Maggie negotiates leverage.

A young solicitor who represents Freddy Beenstock and mediates the settlement with Hobson. He becomes the conduit for Maggie’s strategic legal maneuvering that reshapes the family business.

The doctor who diagnoses Hobson’s chronic alcoholism, highlighting the personal toll of his rigid control and the social pressures of the period.

A savvy customer who provides Maggie with a loan of £100 secured by Willie’s skills, and later reaps the benefits of Maggie’s business acumen and the partnership’s success.