STLT (Love and Marriage)

How is marriage portrayed through Bill Furlong and his wife?

Their marriage is shown as a partnership built on mutual respect, shared routines, and quiet affection. Their interactions—preparing Christmas, discussing household concerns—depict a stable union grounded in everyday care rather than grand gestures.

How does the theme of love emerge among characters outside marriage?

The compassion shown by townspeople (like the woman who raised Furlong) and Furlong’s protective love for the hidden children demonstrate that love extends beyond spousal bonds, encompassing broader notions of communal care.

In what way does Keegan link the safety of marriage to social class?

Furlong’s comfortable home life contrasts sharply with the vulnerability of unmarried, impoverished women in the laundry, suggesting that marriage—even a modest one—offered social legitimacy and protection.

Eileen and Bill

The economic aspect of marriage at this time is highlighted by Eileen's pragmatic attitude towards the church and what Bill has seen. She puts her family's economic and social well-being over his troubled soul. Is she more pragmatic because women were reliant on their husbands and she recognises that her marriage was at least partially economic while he doesn't have to worry because he is a man?

How does Furlong’s view of marital duty contrast with the Church’s teachings on women’s roles?

While Furlong sees marriage as a collaboration of equals—supporting his wife’s emotional well-being—the Church’s doctrine (as enacted in the laundry) views women’s primary role as penitent servants, revealing a tension between personal and institutional definitions of marital love.