Rum and Coke

Rum and Coke functions as an inverse symbol of the refinement that Cushla is drawn to in Michael. While out on a date with Gerry, Cushla is given a whiskey by Michael. When Gerry returns, the rum and Coke he brings her tastes sugary, artificial, and unrefined, a commentary on the attraction that she feels toward the former man.

Cushla's burn

The burn Cushla suffers at one of Michael's "Irish nights" symbolizes her inability to fit in with Michael's higher-class friends. Eager to please, Cushla offers to go to the kitchen and grab something for them, at which point she burns her hand and feels foolish when Michael runs it under water for her. The episode demonstrates the humiliation that Cushla feels when she is forced to move in settings that are out of her depth, as well as the ways in which her...