Act 2, Visitors Room Summary

The act begins with the elderly woman speaking with a prisoner while one of the guards stands by. The conversation between the woman and the prisoner is in a rural dialect and the guard jabs the old woman with a stick, reminding her that the old language is no longer allowed. The guard tells the prisoner to let the old woman know that the old language is forbidden and that she must speak the language of the capital.

The old woman cannot speak the language of the capital and tells the prisoner in the rural dialect that she has brought apples. Once more the guard pokes the old woman for speaking the rural language. The prisoner tries to explain to the guard that the old woman does not understand the guard. The old woman stares blankly at the guard...