Exploring Juno as a Victim in Sean O’Casey’s, Juno and the Paycock

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To what extent is Juno a Victim in Sean O’Casey’s, ‘Juno and the Paycock?’

We see Juno as a victim in ‘Juno and the Paycock’ as she has to contend with extreme poverty and she has the daily struggle of trying to make ends meet. This is shown as the family of four live in a rundown rented tenement house. Jack, her husband, and Joxer are always lying about the house doing nothing but drinking and eating everything. Juno is a victim here as we get the impression that Jack tries his best to avoid his wife and makes her take care of everything in the house. We also learn that Juno is in debt and it is so bad, after finally breaking down she says, “Who has kep’ this house together fur the past ten years – only me.” This highlights how much she is victimised by her family as Jack is not a very good father or husband. He lazily refuses to work due to the ‘awful sore’ pains in his legs, "You'd think he was bringin' twenty poun's a week the way he's going on. He wore out the Health Insurance long ago, he's afther wearin' out the unemployment dole, an', now, he's tryin' to wear me out." This forces Juno to work overtime to earn enough for their whole family to survive. The fact that Mary, her daughter, has gone on strike from her job drives Juno closer to a mental breakdown, as her stress is increased voluntarily as the strike is unnecessary. The fact that Johnny is unable to work adds to her workload.

Juno is also a victim of politics as she loses her son Johnny for another unnecessary cause. Both of her children believe strongly in the saying that ‘A principle’s a principle’. Juno is too concerned about the stuggles that she faces everyday to worry about any principles and is annoyed that Johnny and Mary do not do the same. ...

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...the troubles in the early nineteen hundreds, only losses. Her faith does not reward her, but she is annoyed at Mary for saying, ‘There is no God.’ She believes that things happen for a reason. Her faith has also a strong part to play in her psychological strength and plays a very important role for Juno.

I believe that Juno is strongly victimised by poverty, her family and by politics yet still is a strong, consciencious woman who copes tremendously well with the difficult times in Ireland. The day to day stuggles are not easily dealt, with especially with a husband that is disloyal by not standing by and supporting her and the rest of the family. Politics played a role in everyone who lived in the nineteen thirties lives as it also linked with poverty. I think she is victimised mostly by her family, as they do not seem to appreciate what she does for them.

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