Act 2, scenes 4-9 Scenes 4–9 (Pages 118–156) • Hughie, too shy to speak, writes to Lucia about his love for her. Rosinella takes the letter away from Lucia. • Lucia is called home by her father. • Lucia tries to find out what was in Hughie’s letter. • Hughie gives Lucia his most precious possession to take to Italy with her. • Bitter at the loss of Lucia, Rosinella tries to get rid of Hughie. • Bridget tells Rosinella of her pregnancy and abortion. • Rosinella is shattered by the news that Lucia is to go to Italy. • She is shocked to hear about Franco’s baby. • Rosinella’s demand that they abandon everything and go to Italy makes Massimo realise how selfish she has always been. • Massimo’s home truths strike home. LI: To understand how the themes and characters of the play develop in this scene SC: Can find evidence of the development of characters and themes Can comment appropriately on the evidence found

Develops themes and issues • Sense of family. – Lucia is forced to lie to Rosinella about the contents of Hughie’s letter. – She cannot ignore her father’s call for her to go ‘home’ to Italy. – Rosinella is devastated that Luigi has demanded Lucia back after she has raised her from a baby. ‘we brought her up. And I didn’t do it for him. You tell him that. I did it for my sister.’ (2,5) Much like her reaction to Bridget asking after Franco, Rosinella is angry when Hughie asks after Lucia. ‘Who does he think he is, asking for news of Lucia, as if he were one of the family?’ (2,8) Bridget makes a shock announcement. This news hits Rosinella hard because of her own infertility and the loss of Franco. If she had been more accepting she could have had a reminder of him. ‘I was pregnant and it was Franco’s baby.’ (2,8)

War Luigi says that he could not look after Lucia because of the war. ‘he says he never wanted to be separated from her all these years, but what with the war-’ (2,5) Prejudice/racism Rosinella realises Hughie has fallen in love with Lucia, and that Lucia has feelings for him. ‘Jumped up wee piece of nothing thinks because he works here he can look at you. Him?’ (2,5) Work ethic When Lucia moves to Italy she is forced to work in a way she has never had to in Scotland and she finds this very hard. ‘Ma, she thinks your lazy.’ ‘She’s no lazy. She’s just no used to work.’