The main characters, Jo and her mother Helen, are not the typical "straight-laced" characters that we often saw in dramas from the kitchen sink of that era and represented by strong, independent personalities who contributed to the development of the new woman. Helen is a single mother who desperately believes she needs a man to make her life easier and uses her sexuality to get ahead in life, dragging her daughter into one disastrous relationship after another. Despite Helen's apparent need for men, she does not limit herself to the expectations that society and her own daughter have of her. Remarkably, Helen seems to be in control of how she takes advantage of the men in her life and how much she depends on them to use her. It's clear that she only sees men as a means to financial satisfaction and openly expresses interest in the contents of their pockets rather than an emotional relationship. She even freely admits that Jo's own father had "not much to do upstairs" and that he was a jerk, but a handsome and kind one. Helen is a great example of how women choose the life they lead and take control of their own lives. However, Helen is also depicted as a selfish character, notably neglecting her stereotypical maternal roles. She is determined to enjoy life while