Mike enters and tells Mena about the good day he had at the fair and we can see that their fortunes have improved in recent times and that business is good. However, when Mike says, ‘money is the best friend a man ever had, ‘ the audience would be aware of the danger of the match going ahead.
Mena sits Mike down to explain about the match and his initial reaction is one of shock, as he says, ‘she’s only a child..still going to school.. before also saying that because she has no fortune, no one would want to marry her. ‘What farmer of that size would take her without money?’
Mike says that Sive will never go for it and he also tells Mena that he has a responsibility as her uncle because she has no mother or father and that he promised her mother that he would look after her. Mena seizes on this and tells Mike that because she was born out of wedlock that her chances of finding a husband will be slim and that this is the best option for the young girl. It is clear that she has made Mike question what would be better for her and her status as an illegitimate child has a lot to do with this.
But when he hears that the man in question is Sean Dota, he vows that it will never happen. ‘Never!… if the sun moon and stars rained down out of the heavens and split the ground under my feet.’ We see that he is adamant that he would never allow this to happen and it is clear that it the age of Sean Dota that is the main problem. ‘What young girl would look at a second time at him, a worn, exhausted little lurgadawn of a man.’
Mena tries to reason with him but he will not let her speak, saying, ”she will not darken the door of his house.’ But Mena is undeterred and proceeds to explain that there is £200 for them if the match goes ahead. Mike, at this point, is not influence by the money and tells Mena, ‘it is against the grain of my bones woman.’ He also paints a vivid image of what she is proposing, ‘Sive and that ‘oul corpse of a man, Sean Dota.’ Mike, in a fit of anger tells Mena that he is going out, saying that he wants to be by himself. Mena calls him a ‘man of straw,’ and Mike throws a chair to the ground and slams the door after him but Mena goes running after him. She is determined to get her own way.
Questions:
- How do we know that life has changed considerably for Mike and Mena in recent times? Explain your answer.
- Why does Mike think that no farmer would want a match with Sive? What does this tell us about the world of the text?
- Describe Mike’s reaction to the possibility of Sive marrying Sean Dota. Use quotes to back up your points.
- Do you think Mena will give us easily? Explain your answer
Enda's English Notes 