Juno and the Paycock
“O’Casey’s women in Juno and the Paycock are strong and admirable
characters”.
Juno and Mary Boyle’s lives aren’t very pleasant in this 1920’s play
which is separated into three acts which contain a mixture of both
tragic and humorous elements. Juno, the wife of Captain Boyle, is the
mother of two children who are in constant need of attention from her.
Furthermore, as the play continues this need of attention grows with
the facts of financial difficulties, the pregnancy of Mary (daughter)
and also her son’s, Johnny, death in the end.
O’Casey clearly shows that Juno certainly has her work cut out for
her, as she is not only the one person in the family who has a job,
but also she is the house-wife and must render her family by making
all the meals, going to buy the groceries, doing any form of house
work and looking after the family in general. For example, on page 8
she says, “I killin’ meself workin’,” and also on page 12 she says,
“Your poor wife slavin’ to keep the bit in your mouth…” these two
references show just how hard Juno works to keep her family happy and
alive. This is not made any easier when Mr. Boyle spends any money
Juno has saved, in hope for any decent future for the family, on
alcohol in the local pub. Therefore Juno cannot afford any type of
luxuries for herself as she definitely does deserve it. The poverty is
evident on page 12 in Juno’s comment to Mr. Boyle, “eat your
breakfast… it may be the last you’ll get for I don’t know where the
next one is goin to come from.” But even this will not cause concern
for Juno’s principles when on page six we learn that Juno is against
Trade Unions, “When the employers sacrifice wan victim, the Trade
Unions go wan betther be sacrificin’ a hundred.” Then Mary tells her
that, “a principle’s a principle”, but Juno stays realistic and thinks
well it’s all good and well having principles – if you can afford
them. She is the one who seems to keep the family as a unit and this
is evidently shown when Juno says, ‘I don’t know what any o’ yous ud
do without your ma’. Juno is a well respected member of the family and
might even be superior to Mr. Boyle and Joxer, a family friend,
because when the pair is talking on page nine, Mrs. Boyle enters and
both are said to be ‘stupefied’. After this, she offers him an egg,
and he makes the excuse that he’s in a desperate hurry – this may be
According to smith and Hamon (2012), Families are considered as a whole in society. However, they believed that couples have many components in which makes up the family, if one component is missing, the family as a whole can get unbalance (Smith & Hamon, 2012). In the Brice’s family, communication was the component that was missing. The couple was not able to communicate their differences, which was what caused Carolyn and David to verbally insult each other. Smith and Hamon (2012), also explain that a person who expresses his or her feeling is considered as someone who is breaking the functions of their family system; especially if the person is focusing on the individual who is causing the problem, rather than the problem itself. In the Brice family, Carolyn could be considered the one that cause the dysfunction in the family structure because she was focusing on David as the problem of their marriage, rather than focusing of the elements that are causing their problems. Smith and Hamon (2012) explain that individuals should focus on how to solve a problem, rather than trying to find who is causing the
makes each of them aware of the part they had played that lead to her
In both these works, the mothers play the most important role in the development of the plot. They represent the pillars of strength and they are the ones that hold the family together and the hope alive. In Lorraine Hansberry's work, Mama is a widow, mother of two children and the head of the household: "There are some ideas we ain't going to have in this house. Not long as I am at the head of this family." (Hansberry 51) Mama is aware of the high position she is awarded in the family, since her husband is dead and she is left in care of the family. Qualities like independence and strength surround her and give her and air of authority. She takes charge when others hesitate and she gives courage to the insecure. "You just got strong willed children and it takes a strong woman like you to keep'em in hand, (Hansberry 52) her daughter-in-law tells her at one point. This symbolizes the love and respect she carries for her, but also the power that Mama radiates over the whole family.
Even though she is a very strong woman she knows her role in the family. Ma knows when it is her time to help the family and when it is appropriate to step back and let the father run things. It is an unsaid statement but known by all in the family that "ma was powerful in the group" and they look to her for important decision making (133).
... many people including the man dear to a friend of her husbands, and who is not part of the aristocracy.
Family seemed to be important with this family. They often spent time with her family during the holiday season. They have family over when the kids are having birthdays. They spend time together as a family going camping.
him, she was not strong enough before but now it is she that needs him.
As the eldest person in the Younger household, Mama is the authoritative figure and has the most traditional views. Being a part of the GI Generation, she shares the
herself through her marriages, which plays an important role in shaping her life. And Janie is
She stands up for herself constantly which is not acceptable. Her actions put the whole family in danger because the "night men" don't allow such behavior.
her family, the Bennets. Mrs. Bennets main goal is to get all of her daughters married, no matter what the
benefit the family, each one has a different idea of what to do with the
sisters and one brother, with quite a large family occasionally times got hard as money
providing for them. The idea of the sense of duty she has for Tom and
order of her father. She does as her father says regardless of how it could affect her own