Analysis: Women Working in Albert Square: Yes, They Do, Sometimes
By Priscilla Mayfield
As lovable as EastEnders is and has been, there have been occasionally over the years subtextual themes that gave pause. One that has been repeated enough now to look like more than just a plot contrivance seems to be the inability of any capable young woman with a decent job to keep it.
Most of the women in Albert Square have paying jobs. Pauline and Dot have always run the service washes at the laundrette, and there is usually a barmaid at the Queen Vic.
Whoever is currently landlady is seen behind the bar — Angie, Peggy, Sharon, Pat when she's not driving a minicab or doing the books at the car lot, and sometimes whilst — but with the hired help of Melanie, or the occasional Tracy. (Good old Tracy, seems she's always amenable to filling in when needed.)
However, not one of the ladies has been able to hang onto the business. Inevitably it reverts to one of the rotating roster of men who have owned it in the past, will own it in future, will win it in a do-or-die card game, & c. And in addition, woe betide she who would be Queen Vic landlady, as far as her personal life is concerned. But woe of course betides every Albert Square denizen to some degree, usually the greater rather than the lesser. The few young women who have good jobs hold them happily, even easily, for a while. But it cannot last, and after not long they inevitably become unemployed whinging harridans, or unemployed mopey self-sabotagers.
The character of Natalie, for instance, after running her own business, and creating the Night Café, at every turn presented as the de facto family breadwinner, eventually was left with only unhappy marriage and unfulfilling motherhood to fill her time, and seemingly no desire or ability to take enough action to make herself happier or more productive. (Career-wise, anyways.)
Lisa's experience of motherhood, in contrast, is joyous, if complicated, in the way things are complicated on EE, especially if one's baby's father is Phil Mitchell, who not only kicked one out in a most humiliating manner but who went and survived one's shooting him. After a strong start upon her introduction, Lisa's work life, however, is adamantly not successful. From a very good job overseeing the market, sharp-dressing, clipboard-carrying, decision-making all day long, she unfortunately plummeted amazingly quickly into turgid slatternliness and self-pity. Lucy Benjamin, the actress playing Lisa, is extremely good-looking, and it took some major costumery to make her look downtrodden. Ian Beale's vengeful tattling went a ways towards her actually losing her job, but it was the character's sudden, immense poor judgment that gave him the opportunity.
And for Lisa as well, there seems to be no recovery of job-related self-esteem, or any other sort of self-esteem, in sight. The character was reduced to alternate modes of carping, blubbing, and lying to those close to her. Not to mention the aforementioned attempted murder; however at least in that showing a bit of self-determination.
Laura appeared on the Square as nanny to the children of Ian Beale, a job to which she committed well above the call of duty, resulting eventually in her marriage to Ian, but not before singlehandedly propping up the shreds of his businesses as well as running every other facet of his and his children's life, including cannily organizing and financing the purchase of the fish and chips shop, remodeling the flat above so as to have a place to live, as well as covering school tuition and clothes for the children. Defying her father's opposition to her marrying Ian, she settles in as a full equal, or more than equal, partner in the new Beale empire abuilding.
However, as with Natalie and Lisa, it could not be sustained. The character inexorably made a sharp wrong turn into money mismanagement, nearly burnt down the fish and chip shop (sending one of the children to hospital with smoke inhalation in the process), and allowed herself to become vulnerable to a predatory landlord. All achievement and independence were cut out from under her.
It is true that the men of Albert Square have hardly better job security. But many are self-employed, with troubles stemming more from Albert Square's stunningly high rate of graft, bankruptcy, business feuds, or angry wives torching the place, rather than the vicissitudes inherent in working for The Man. But that is another story.
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