Rona Munro

Learning Outcomes Read the play Bold Girls by Rona Munro in order to prepare for our Scottish Text Question.

Plot Overview On the surface the play is about four domesticated women coping with their lives in Northern Ireland during the “Troubles”. However, if you dig deeper it’s about four women longing for some form of escape from the lives they find themselves trapped in.

For some characters the play is about the desire to have the truth revealed or for others it’s about the desire to keep the truth concealed.

Overview Plot Character Theme

Relationships It’s also about relationships between: family members > Nora and Cassie friends > Marie and Cassie past relationships > Marie and Michael Cassie and Joe future relationships > Marie and Deirdre

STAGE DIRECTIONS SCENE 1 Re-read the stage directions on p1. Now compare with p87. Look at the questions.

Scene 1 A scene of domesticity Setting: Marie’s House

Scene Summaries: Scene 1 Marie is trying to do laundry, Nora is helping. Shootings occur outside. The women talk about going out that evening to the club.

We learn that Marie is a widow. Scene Summaries: Scene 1 We learn that Marie is a widow. Deirdre arrives giving information about what is going on outside. She steals Marie’s clothes and Cassie’s money from behind Michael’s picture.

Deirdre’s arrival is a key moment in the play. Scene Summaries: Scene 1 Deirdre’s arrival is a key moment in the play. It’s the turning point. Her presence changes all of the women’s lives

Scene 2 Setting: In the Club Socialising

STEAL Homework Choose a character. Write a paragraph (70-100 words) describing this character and her role in this play. Remember to use the 5 aspects of characterisation. STEAL

Scenes 1 & 2 - understanding How much do you understand? Turn to page 87 in the play. Answer questions 1- 5 Turn to page 90 Answer the questions on SCENE 2. (Questions 1-3)

Scene Summaries: Scene 2 Scene starts with a minute’s silence for the young man killed in the shooting of scene 1. The women sit and chat and Marie wins the opportunity to play “The Price is Right”. Marie and Nora have an argument about Cassie’s behaviour and dress. This occurs while they are trying to give Marie the prices of the items that come up.

Scene Summaries: Scene 2 This scene demonstrates an important feature that Rona Munro uses - cross conversations. This highlights the fact that although the women seem to have a close relationship, there are actually serious problems in each of their ties.

Deirdre is the waitress at the club and tells Cassie that she saw her in a car “with him”. Cassie goes into a blind rage and tries to get Deirdre. Marie takes her outside to get a taxi.

Scene 3 Setting: Outside the Club The end of the night

Scene Summaries: Scene 3 Marie and Cassie are waiting for a taxi. Cassie confesses to Marie that she is “bad” and that she wants to escape. She reveals that she is so desperate that she would leave her kids behind. She tells Marie that she’s saved £200.

Scene Summaries: Scene 3 We now realise that this is the money that Cassie hid behind Michael’s picture that Deirdre has now stolen. At the end of the scene, Deirdre comes in with stolen handbags and rummages through them. She finds a knife and has Nora’s peach polyester which she destroys.

Scene 4 Setting: Marie’s House Truth and Lies

Scene Summaries: Scene 4 Nora and Cassie talk about Cassie’s marriage and Nora believes Cassie should be grateful for her life and that she should just make the best of it. Nora mourns the loss of her peach polyester. Nora leaves hurt after Cassie tells her she is leaving.

Scene Summaries: Scene 4 Then, Cassie tells Marie about her affair with Michael. Marie tells Cassie to get out. While she is seeing to the children, Deirdre comes in with her knife. She tells Marie she’s brought the money back and gives her back her clothes. She demands to know about Michael and tells Marie that she is Michael’s daughter.

Scene Summaries: Scene 4 Marie says she can’t tell her anything that would benefit her. She sees bruises on Deirdre’s body and asks how she got them. Deirdre tells her it’s her mum’s new boyfriend. When Deirdre goes to leave, Marie makes her stay and makes breakfast for her.

Characterisation Remember that characterisation is uncovered through many different aspects of the character. There are five main areas to consider…

Characterisation Speech – what does the character say? Thoughts – what does she think? Effect on others – what do other characters think of her? Actions – how does she behave? Looks – her appearance. Copy this in your jotter.

Characterisation: Marie MAIN character (protagonist) “she is cheerful, efficient, young” – scene 1, opening stage directions. Mothering nature – she feeds everyone, looks after them: “the kettle always hot for tea” – scene 1, opening stage directions.

Characterisation: Marie Lacks confidence, doesn’t like attention – doesn’t want to dance at club in scene 2. Lives a lie – doesn’t want to face the truth about her husband / her situation. Loved her husband dearly

Characterisation: Marie Protective mother - Tells her children their daddy was a good man: “I bring him into the fire… and I say – (getting dreamy) Your daddy was a good man and a brave man… and he’s in heaven …and when you’re good he’s happy, he’s smiling at you and that’s what keeps us all together, keeps me going, keeps me strong because I know your daddy can see us…” – scene 1.

Characterisation: Marie Protective mother - She knows the that her husband wasn’t great but wants to keep the illusion going for the kids: “he’s a child; it’s good for him to hear it like that. … I know he was no saint – but I miss him.” – scene 1.

Characterisation: Marie Feeds the birds – shows desire for freedom / escape. Attempts to maintain peace within her house, contrasting with the conflict outside. She is aiming to control what she can as she has no power over the world outside her home.

Characterisation: Cassie Marie’s best friend and Nora’s daughter Described as “sceptical, sharp-tongued” – scene 1.

Characterisation: Cassie Desires escape – saves money to run away with. So determined to escape that she even considers abandoning her children – selfish. Hides the money behind Michael’s picture – shows she trusts him.

Characterisation: Cassie Unhappy in her marriage: “NORA – …we’ve a lot to weigh us down … one man dead and the other in a prison cell. CASSIE – And here’s me never stopped dancing since they took mine away.”

Characterisation: Cassie Behaves promiscuously – has a bit of a reputation for cheating on her husband. Seems to enjoy attention. In scene 2 when she’s up dancing: “Marie glances round nervously. CASSIE – What, are they looking? … Let them.“

Characterisation: Cassie Cassie doesn’t get on well with her mum (Nora). Her mother disapproves of her behaviour. Often argue e.g. in the club in scene 2: “NORA – I noticed that dress! CASSIE – Good. NORA – There’s nothing good about it.”

Characterisation: Cassie Feels her mum favoured her brother Martin over her. “Do you know you never put a plate of food in front of me before he had his.”

Characterisation: Cassie Cassie’s soliloquy (when she speaks to herself with no other characters) reveals her feelings on the way she was raised: “Spoil the wee girls with housework and reproaches … They’re bold and bad and broken at fourteen but you love them as you love yourself… That’s why you hurt them so much. (Pause) Ruin the boys … tell them they’ll always be your own bold wee man … and you love them best of all – that’s why they hurt you so much.”

Characterisation: Cassie Stands up for her dad. Thinks it’s her mum’s fault that she was beaten. “NORA – I never got any answer at all but the bruises. Sean was never much for conversation. CASSIE – (in a low voice) That hardly ever happened. NORA – that happened every time he had enough drink in him. CASSIE – You should’ve left him alone.” – scene 4.

Characterisation: Cassie Motivated by jealousy? She seems set on destroying Marie’s image of her life. Can’t stand the fact that Marie seems happy – perhaps wants everyone to miserable like her. Describes Marie as ‘good’ and herself as ‘wicked’ and ‘bad’.

Characterisation: Nora Cassie’s mum Described as “down-to-earth, middle aged” – scene 1. Disapproves of Cassie’s promiscuous behaviour Attempts to escape from the harsh reality of her life by constantly renovating and redecorating her house

Characterisation: Nora Very concerned about her image – puts up a front e.g. scene 2 when Cassie is dancing: “NORA – Oh Marie get up with her! MARIE – What! NORA – We can’t leave her on her own there, performing for the whole town!”

Characterisation: Nora Was beaten by her husband (Sean) (See scene 4 for her conversation with Cassie) Soliloquy at the end of scene 2 suggests that there’s a lot she could say but chooses to keep quiet. Peach polyester is her symbol of hope/escape.

Characterisation: Deirdre Michael’s illegitimate daughter. Fulfils different roles within the play: Ghost – Marie thinks she is a ghost at the start, she dresses in white, she “haunts” Marie by always being there. Catalyst – because of her, the truth about Michael and Cassie is revealed and about Michael’s past. Link – she connects the past, the present and the future; she connects Marie, Cassie and Nora to the outside world after the shootings.

Characterisation: Deirdre Desires a knife because she thinks it’ll bring her the truth. Wears Marie’s clothes – perhaps creating a link between them? Marie says in scene 1 “She looks like Michael … Then other times – she looks like me.” She wears the same dress that Marie wore on her wedding day, she stands in the same place Marie stood when she first saw the house. Marie says to Cassie “You know how me and Michael always wanted a wee girl” – Deirdre fulfils this desire for Marie.

Characterisation: Deirdre Wears white: Adds to her “ghostly” role. Suggests innocence – she’s young but steals; doesn’t actually do anything wrong to cause the fall out between Marie and Cassie; it’s not her fault she’s Michael’s child.

Themes and Symbolism A theme is the central idea or ideas explored by a literary work. a symbol (symbolism) is a word or object that stands for another word or object

The Truth and the Knife THE TRUTH is a major theme in the play and it is symbolised by the knife that Deirdre uses in the last scene. She tells us in the first scene that she wants a knife:

The Truth and the Knife DEIRDRE: I need a knife. A wee blade of my own. … A wee bit of hard truth you could hold in your hand and point where you liked.

The Truth and the Knife Deirdre threatens Marie with the knife in the last scene in an attempt to get the truth from her but to an extent it fails as Marie doesn’t know the truth that Deirdre wants to know. After discovering Cassie’s affair with Michael, Marie feels like she no longer knows him.

The Truth and the Knife When Marie uses the knife to destroy Michael’s picture it shows the destructive nature of the truth. Her illusions of Michael have been destroyed by the truth and so it is apt that she uses Deirdre’s knife to destroy the perfect image that has dominated her life.

The Truth and the Knife Marie prides herself on the fact that she and Michael had an honest relationship. When she is talking to Cassie about her relationship with Joe: MARIE: No, but I couldn’t have stood that, just the lying to you, the lying to you. (Scene 3)

The Truth and the Knife But, when the truth is revealed Cassie tries to comfort her saying: CASSIE: And did he always tell you the truth, but there’s only so much of the truth anyone wants to hear. (Scene 4)

The Truth and the Knife Marie, to an extent,is avoiding the truth as much as possible. She tells her children what a good man their daddy was anytime they are upset but Cassie makes her realise how it really was. Just before Cassie tells Marie about the affair Marie tries to defend Michael but Cassie dismisses this. MARIE: … He was a good man!

The Truth and the Knife CASSIE: Good!? He was a lying worm like every one of them! (Scene 4) Cassie wants to destroy Marie’s impression of the truth because she know the reality and is acting out of guilt.

Escapism and the Birds All of the characters to some extent are looking for escape. Marie feeds the birds, which for her symbolise her desire to escape her life. She identifies with the birds when she says at the very end:

Escapism and the Birds MARIE: I like the common wee birds … it’s easy to build a great wee nest when you’ve a whole forest to fly in, but you’d need to be something special to build one around the Falls. Marie feels that she, like the common wee birds, has made the best life she could for herself in difficult circumstances.

Escapism and the Birds Cassie wants more attention and love from her mother but doesn’t receive it. When Marie is trying to talk Cassie out of leaving she says “It’ll tear the heart out of her Cassie.” Cassie responds saying “Mummy’s heart is made of steel.” (Scene 3). She desires physical escape having saved money to leave the country and start a new life. However, the £200 she has saved is quite inadequate to do that but her desperation means she seems willing to try regardless.

Escapism and the Birds Cassie escapes from her husband by having affairs with men. She tells Marie how much she hates him in scene 2 when they are dancing: CASSIE: I tell you Marie I can’t stand the smell of him. The greasy, grinning, beer bellied smell of him. She says to Marie in scene 4 that her escape route “doesn’t work”: CASSIE: …Grabbing onto some man because he smells like excitement, he smells like escape. They can’t take you anywhere except into the back seat of their car. They’re all the same.

Escapism and the Birds Nora escapes through domesticity. By renovating her home and by constantly redecorating she distracts herself from her reality. Her desire for the peach polyester symbolises her desire for escape from the past troubles. She wants to create a perfect home free from all of that. The fact that she is going to get this is what keeps her going. However, when it is robbed from her, her “escape” and perfect domestic home life is denied.

Escapism and the Birds Cassie’s money is stolen All of the characters have their “escape routes” cut off: Cassie’s money is stolen Nora’s peach polyester is stolen Marie’s idealised image of her husband is destroyed by the truth of his affairs.

Relationships The play questions the ‘truth’ behind all relationships: Nora remembers her husband Sean as drunk and boorish (uncouth) Cassie sees a man pushed beyond endurance. Her disgust at Joe is countered by Nora’s respect for his lack of violence.

Relationships The play questions the ‘truth’ behind all relationships: Marie believes her husband was always honest with her and that if he had cheated he would have told her. Cassie reveals her affair with Michael Deirdre is Michaels daughter, born as Michael and Marie were going to marry.