STLT (Setting and Social Class)

How does the rural 1980s setting in New Ross reflect the broader cultural context of Ireland at the time?

The small-town backdrop—with its tight-knit community, patchwork of family-run shops, and reliance on manual trades—mirrors an Ireland still emerging from economic stagnation. It highlights a society in which everyone knows each other’s business, reinforcing norms of conformity and the power of local reputation.

In what ways does the depiction of social class divisions inform our understanding of the novel’s cultural context?

Keegan draws sharp contrasts between working-class families (like Furlong’s coal-delivering customers) and the institutional authority of the Magdalene laundry. This gulf illustrates how class dictated access to power, with the poorest—especially women and children—most vulnerable to exploitation by church-run institutions.

How does the Magdalene laundry institution exemplify the intersection of setting and social class?

Situated on the edge of town, the laundry stands as a formidable monument to Catholic moral authority. Its walls literally and figuratively separate “respectable” townsfolk from women deemed “fallen.” The physical isolation of the building underscores how society relegated lower-class women to shame and forced labor.

Mrs Wilson's affect on Bill

Would Bill be as pragmatic as Eileen if his mother didn't have the assistance from Mrs Wilson since the pair would have been impoverished or in a laundry?

Mrs Wilson

Mrs Wilson is able to do as she pleased with no concern for what the church may think of her because she was a wealthy Protestant

In what way does the seasonal (Christmas) setting intersect with social class themes?

Christmas in rural Ireland was both a time of communal charity and sharp inequality. While wealthier families adorned homes with lights, poorer households struggled for basic warmth. The holiday amplifies class disparities—yet also provides a moral backdrop against which acts of generosity (like Furlong’s) gain greater significance.

How does Keegan use weather and landscape to reinforce class-based cultural realities?

The biting winter cold underscores material deprivation: the poorest risk frostbite for lack of adequate heating. Snow-clad fields and empty lanes evoke isolation and hardship, reminding readers that geography and climate compounded the struggles of lower-class families in 1980s Ireland.

Eileen and the church

Eilleen's willingness to turn a blind eye to the church highlights the power it had on Catholics in the area who didn't have the money to not care

Ending

It's clear society will not change as no one holds concern for Sarah when she's with Bill