Mena arrives with her hands full, with Sive following, wearing new clothes and high heels. Mike and Thomasheen go out and bring in the rest of the shopping. They bring in a crate of stout and open a bottle each. Sive is clearly conscious of her new clothes and is happy to swap her high heels for flat shoes.
Mena sends the men out for more of the shopping and talks to Sive in a nice tone, offering to make her dinner. Sive responds saying that she is not hungry and that she wants to go to bed. They try to get her to eat or to drink a glass of wine but it is clear that Sive is deeply unhappy with the situation and her spirit has been broken with the arrangement and the approaching deadline.
Sive goes to bed and Thomasheen is worried at Sive’s behaviour but Mena reassures him, “I told you there is no need to worry about that part of it. Mind you collect what is due to us in the morning.” Mena’s only worry is of the money, she is not concerned about Sive.
Thomasheen tells her about the letter and she is glad to hear that the letter was burned. Mike comes back in and they sit to have a bottle of porter. They hear that Sean Dota is on his way to visit. Dota comes into the kitchen and is dressed the same as before, laughing nervously as he speaks. They talk about the price of milk and the weather, before they are interrupted by Pats Bocock and Carthalawn.
Carthalawan is singing a song, which is giving a blessing to the wedding that is to take place and the hope that there will be ‘a big bouncing baby every year.’ Mike offers them a bottle of porter, which Pats takes eagerly. The men are introduced to Sean Dota and Pats gives a monologue on the changing nature of Irish society. He says that, “there is money making everywhere.” He tells them that the world is changing and it is all about money and materialism. He points to Sean Dota and says, “money will be in a-plenty. The likes of him will be the new lords of the land. God help the land!”
Mena chastises him for insulting Sean Dota, but he simply replies, “‘Tis only what I see in my travels, a-woman- only what I see on my travels.” Thomasheen tells them to leave and Carthalawn sings a song, wishing bad luck on Thomasheen.
Sean Dota gets up to leave and Mena tells him to wait and says, “Sive will be dying to see you before you go.” (Foreshadowing?) Dota decides to wait and as he does so, Pats puts out his hat looking for money but Sean Dota refuses him. Pats tells Sean, “the young girl will be the death of you.” Dota replies in a condescending manner, “How dare you! How dare you, tinker?” Pats asks Carthalawn for another song about Dota and he gives a verse wishing Dota bad luck, ending in the lines, “he’ll be travelling soon by hearse/ And we’ll never see Sean Dota anymore.”
Questions:
- How is Mena’s greed highlighted in this scene? How is this relevant to the cultural context of the text?
- Sive is clearly against the marriage based on this scene. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain with reference to the text.
- What does Pats tell them is happening to Ireland? How does the marriage between Sean and Sive relate to what he is saying?
- How does Mena react to the news of the letter? What does this tell us about her?