Labor

While the play explores many issues, the one that ties everything together is the Irish labor dispute between the employers and the workers. Mrs. Breydon is the first one to mention it: "There's this sorryful sthrike, too, about to come down on top of us." Although Ayamonn says confidently that "There will be no strike. The bosses won't fight. They'll grant the extra shilling a week demanded," it becomes increasingly clear as the play progresses that the strike is going to happen. Sheila tries to talk Ayamonn out of participating in the strike: "Oh, why do you meddle with those sort of things!" The potential strike becomes increasingly dangerous, as Sheila notes to Ayamonn: "I've been told that the strike is bound to take place; there is bound to be trouble." Sheila tries to get Ayamonn to betray his fellow workers: "if you divide yourself from the foolish...