How does Bennett use Mrs Lintott to comment on the role of women in 1980s Britain in The History Boys?

In The History Boys, Mrs Lintott’s character is used to highlight the constant sexualisation of women in the 1980s, through the regular links to women as sexual objects. In the play, Mrs Lintott asks the boys “why do you think there are no women historians on TV”, to which Timms answers with the minor sentence “no tits”. This shows how Mrs Lintott and women in the 1980s are constantly seen sexually with the dismissing of their full potential as teachers, historians and political leaders. The fact that this is expressed in a minor sentence reinforces how quick men are to sexualise women and how dismissive they are. This is strengthened by Mrs Lintott’s nicknames being “tot or totty”. The colloquial common noun “tot” references to a small child, emphasising the almost medieval idea that women are equal to children in society. This could also reference how women are only seen to be useful for procreation. The colloquial noun “totty” is used to describe sexually desirable women, showing how women are either children or sexual objects. For an audience watching the play in today’s society, this link towards sexualisation is very relevant due to the prevalence of the MeToo movement, which has sparked awareness for sexual assault. This means that the idea of women being sexual objects will be viewed as even more immoral and shocking. The portrayal of women in this way is also used in the character of Fiona and the extender metaphor of the war and the “western front”. The pronoun “it” is used to describe Fiona, showing that Dakin is only interested in a sexual relationship with the Headmaster’s secretary, as well as the fact that Fiona has not got any on stage dialogue and is only spoken about. This extended war metaphor also highlights the unwanted sexual attention that women gain, as it is portrayed as violent and negative. This prevalent theme of women being objectified is used by Bennett to criticise this sexist view and to highlight the change between attitudes in the 1980s (when the play is set), and 2004 (when the play was written and performed). This shows that Bennett’s attitudes towards the role of women is critical of the sexist objectification of women in the workplace.