Bearla: Small Things Like These

drinking the milk out of the cat’s bowl behind the priest’s house

an example of the terrible poverty in 1940s New Ross

some of these bring the hardship on themselves

the apathetic attitude of Eileen and many others in New Ross

Foreign sailors are “a novelty … with hardly a word of english”

New Ross is far from diverse and anyone different stands out

Mrs Wilson “didn’t seem to care much for what judgements others passed”

There is a separation between the remnants of Anglo-Irish society and the majority Catholic community of New Ross

The convent is a “powerful-looking place”

Religion and social status are closely interlinked in New Ross

supervising and talking to some of the more well-off parents

The nuns pick and choose who is worth their time — they are in control

one of those wans from the laundry

a disrespectful tone is used in reference to Sarah when she is rescued by Bill

to be a man and have days off

Mrs Kehoe outlines how though womens’ work is largely domestic in the text, doesn’t mean it’s any easier than a “real job”

one of the few women on this earth who could do as she pleased

Mrs Wilson is one of the few women afforded freedom because of her wealth

to carry on the name

the implication that although Bill has five daughters, he should feel disappointed to not have a son

a man amongst women

Though Bill respects women, he still uses his power as a man in the convent to shut down the conersation

Mrs Kehoe looks at Bill “the way hugely practical women looked at men, as though they weren’t men at all but foolish boys.”

Bill admits that women seem to understand the realities of the world better than men do

going out into that world of men

Bill already fears for his daughters, without placing the blame on the predatory men

“common, unmarried girls” “girls of low character”

the girls in the laundry are looked down upon and shunned

gander around by Hanrahan’s

Bill is thoughtful and buys the shoes he saw Eileen admiring — an indication of a happy marriage

“such things [have] nothing to do with them” “far from hardship” “soft-hearted”

growing tensions in the Furlongs’ marriage (Eileen)

ugly talk

Growing tensions in the Furlongs’ marriage (Bill)

when the Angelus bell rang at noon, the men put down their toold

Religion is an unconscious routine in the average person’s life

The convent is the “only good school for girls in the town” and the nuns “have a finger in every pie”

The convent is a positive in most people’s lives because they hold a monopoly on certain services

(not) much tension over religious beliefs

Mrs Wilson’s perspective on religion is different to that of the Catholic community

if you want to get on in life there’s things you have to ignore

Eileen summarises the apathetic, somewhat complicit attitude of much of New Ross

a type of trance

the state the girl rescued from the coal shed is in when spoken to by a nun — showing obvious signs of fear and trauma

keep the enemy close, the bad dog with you

Mrs Kehoe’s advice is to go along with the church, because you’re better off that way

ugly names

Bill was mistreated as a child because of his family background

an act of daily grace … to make Furlong believe he had come from finer stock

Bill is not angry at Ned, because he was forced to conceal his identity as Bill’s father for Bill’s sake

a world of trouble waiting for him behind the next door

Bill’s belief in the importance of family leads him to walk headfirst into controversy