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Chapter 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Milkman, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Stalking and Surveillance
The Personal vs. the Political
Gossip and Rumors
Gender Norms
Summary
Analysis
About a week later, middle sister is attending her evening French class, which contains a mix of Protestant and Catholic students. Although the class is for beginners, the teacher reads a complicated passage from a novel so that the students can hear what French sounds like when strung together. One of the students speaks up while the teacher is reading to say that the passage is too elevated. He does not understand why the author would wax poetically about the color of the sky, rather than simply saying the sky is blue. Generally, this is a sentiment that the rest of the class agrees with, including middle sister.
The French class is the only place in middle sister’s town where Protestant and Catholic students can be seen under the same roof, at least with any consistency. The debate about the color of the sky that begins this chapter will be a central metaphor for the rest of the novel, as the French teacher uses it to deconstruct the firmly held categorizations of her community. When the students insist that the sky is blue—though all of them have seen the bright oranges and reds of a sunset—it shows how people rejected complicated, ambiguous truths in favor of the simpler, stable versions of reality that they find more comforting.
Themes
The teacher chuckles at her students and opens the window so everyone can observe the evening sky. Middle sister observes many different colors, which, if she were being honest with herself, she knew were there in the first place. However, she and the rest of the class have a mental bias toward stable concepts and discrete categorizations, and this prevents them from saying that the sky could be many colors.
The contrast between middle sister’s external and internal reactions suggests a willful ignorance on her part in the way she approaches the world. She knows the sky can be different colors depending on a multitude of factors, but outwardly she only expresses an oversimplified and incorrect understanding of the color of the sky because it offers her a stable and reassuring vision of reality. Notably, this type of logic parallels the political discourse that dominates middle sister’s community, in which people are either for or against Northern Irish independence.
Themes
Middle sister knows exactly what the sky looks like during a sunset because she and maybe-boyfriend watched one just a few days before. However, she does not like how the sunset makes her feel, nor does she like how maybe-boyfriend reacted to the one they saw together. Maybe-boyfriend seemed to appreciate and enjoy it, which once again makes middle sister question his masculinity.
The sunset makes middle sister uncomfortable because it unsettles the oversimplified version of the world that is politically convenient—not to mention prudent and practical—for her to buy into. She knows the world is not black and white, just as she knows the sky is not always blue. However, as soon as the basic category distinctions she has made in her head begin to unravel, so too does her comfortable view of the world, especially regarding the Troubles.
Themes
While in French class, middle sister looks away from the sunset to avoid the complicated feelings that arise in her. When she looks away, she spots a white van, which looks like the one the milkman often drives. She tries to convince herself that the van cannot be his, though she is not fully successful. In reaction to seeing the van, she has a violent back spasm, which she describes as an “anti-orgasm.”
Middle sister looking away from the sunset illustrates her resistance to learning and growing. She wants to keep her view of the world uncomplicated. However, when she looks away, she sees what looks like the milkman’s van, which challenges this uncomplicated view of the world. Try as middle sister might to stay out of conflict—political or otherwise—she still finds herself the victim of the milkman’s harassment.
Themes
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After French class, middle sister walks home, her head still buzzing as she thinks about sunsets. On the way home, she has to walk through a place she calls “the ten-minute area”—an eerie stretch of town that takes 10 minutes to walk through. The ten-minute area has a gothic look to it, in part because of the dilapidated churches that are contained therein. Until recently, there were three churches, but now there are only two because one of them recently exploded. The renouncers blamed the state defenders for the explosion, and the state defenders blamed the renouncers, but an independent investigation determined that neither party was responsible—in fact, it had been bombed by the Nazis during World War II.
The ten-minute area is an ominous atmosphere, which does not bode well moments after middle sister spotted another symbol of danger (the milkman’s van). The revelation that the third church was bombed not by renouncers or defenders but by the Nazis during World War II casts middle sister’s world within a broader history of global violence and political tension.
Themes
One time, middle sister asked her mother why the ten-minute area is so disconcerting. Her mother responded that some places are just stuck the way they are, much like people. In particular, middle sister’s mother is thinking of her father, who was depressed for the majority of his life. Middle sister’s father suffered from depression—though that would not have been the official diagnosis at the time—which her mother felt was undeserved. As far as middle sister’s mother knew, her father did not experience anything tragic, and therefore she thought he had no right to be as depressed as he was. However, middle sister’s father’s depression—which saw him constantly looking for newspaper clippings of atrocities and other instances of sadness and violence—eventually landed him in a mental institution, which he frequented until his death.
Because depression was not recognized at the time, middle sister’s father became an outcast even in his own household, as middle sister’s mother did not understand what was going on with him. But her dismissive response also reinforces the novel’s examination of how the personal can become political in times of great social, national, and ideological conflict. In comparison to the ongoing violence and political conflict, middle sister’s mother seems to suggest, the father’s personal struggles (however real they may be to him) aren’t worthy of anyone’s time or energy. The mother’s refusal to acknowledge her husband’s depression shows how violence and political conflict inhibit people’s capacity to feel compassion and empathy for others.
Themes
Middle sister contemplates the nature of depression and happiness in her area. She thinks that her community refuses to entertain what she calls “shiny” people—those who stand out because of their optimistic outlook and healthy lifestyle. Due to the violent and upsetting history of Northern Ireland, middle sister fears that her community—including she herself—is stuck in a mindset of pessimism and anger. She can think of only a few people who are “shiny,” one of which is her French teacher. Maybe-boyfriend comes close to making the cut, but his hoarding tendencies hold him back, in middle sister’s estimation. Middle sister’s community does not like “shiny” people or exceptionally depressed people like her father. As such, the acceptable position is to feel and exhibit a general sense of malaise.
Although middle sister’s mother simply compares people to places because of their inability to change, middle sister thinks people do not change because of the places they are in. While middle sister’s community may not be clinically depressed like her father, it is similarly immune to happiness. Her description here recalls the incident with maybe-boyfriend and the supercharger. For at least a day, maybe-boyfriend was overjoyed because of the supercharger. However, because of the political situation, another member of the community refused to let him enjoy it.
Themes
As middle sister walks by the collapsed church, she looks again at the sunset through the trees of a nearby graveyard. Again, she contemplates what it would mean if she accepted that the sky is not blue. Then, she lets her eyes drift to the rubble of the collapsed church, where she spots a decapitated cat’s head.
Middle sister already knows the answer to her question but is afraid to face it. As she looks at the sunset, she sees a chance for beauty and optimism in the world. However, as soon as she looks away, she sees the decapitated cat’s head: a grim reminder of the violent and unjust society she lives in.
Themes
The sight of the cat’s head doesn’t surprise middle sister. Cats are thought to be “subversive, witch-like, the left hand, bad luck, feminine.” The men and boys in middle sister’s community regularly kill and abuse cats, and though this is common knowledge, nobody really talks about it. Although middle sister has never hurt a cat, she dislikes them and tends to stay away from them. Meanwhile, dogs are considered noble, protective animals, and many families in the area have one.
In the opening sentence of the novel, middle sister says that Somebody McSomebody called her a cat while holding a gun to her chest (an event which has yet to be described in detail). Here, the implications of that strange insult become clear: Somebody McSomebody is implying that middle sister—because she is a woman—is something to be abused and even killed. The community’s implicit acceptance of violence against cats mirrors its acceptance of gender-based violence. The community’s refusal to contest either pattern of violence shows how inaction can become political action: in refusing to protest the violent treatment of cats and gender-based violence against women, the community indirectly condones these acts of violence.
Themes
Middle sister remembers how one day, a group of British soldiers rounded up every dog in the area they could find and slit their throats. Then, they piled the bodies up next to petrol bombs, which the Irish citizens planned to use in their next riot. Killing the dogs served two purposes for the British. First, it was a warning against further action and unrest. Second, it eliminated a group of animals that Irish people used to help warn them of the British presence.
This memory is an example of the type of harsh violence that occurred during the Troubles, which helps shed light on the conflict from an emotional perspective.
Themes
The night the dogs were killed, the men of the community, excluding middle sister’s father, came together and began sorting out the pile of dog corpses. They gave the corpse of each dog to its family, so they could take it home and bury it. Throughout the process, families hoped and prayed that their dog was not part of the pile. Middle sister’s dog, Lassie, luckily ended up being okay, as they found her at home where she belonged. Lassie’s survival helped middle sister forget the terrible sight of the other dead dogs.
Middle sister can minimize the violence of the mass slaughter because her own dog survived—that is, because the violence did not affect her personally. Her failure to feel the full weight of the violence and the broader injustice it represents shows how inaction is itself a political act: she is effectively, if only indirectly, failing to condone a calculated act of political violence simply because she was spared the worst of its consequences.
Themes
Back in the present, middle sister suddenly finds herself feeling emotional about the cat’s head—emotion that she has never felt about a dead cat before. She thinks again about her French teacher’s view of the world and wonders whether things could be better if she altered her behavior. Then, she uses two handkerchiefs to pick up the cat’s head. Her plan is to find a better resting place for it. As she picks it up, she wonders if anyone is watching her. She does not want this moment to result in further rumors about her peculiar behavior.
This is an important turning point for middle sister, as she makes a conscious act to become a better human being, even if it means going against the prevailing wisdom of her community. Because the state and the milkman regularly surveil her, the decision is particularly risky. Even if what she is doing is an act of compassion, she knows that no one else will read it that way.
Themes
As middle sister stands up with the cat’s head wrapped in her handkerchiefs, she turns around and almost runs directly into the milkman. The milkman asks middle sister if she is coming from her Greek and Roman class, though it is as much a statement as it is a question. Middle sister mentally notes that the milkman is incorrect about what class she is taking, though she does not say so out loud.
The milkman appears seemingly out of nowhere, as middle sister had just finished checking her surroundings. In this setting, his presence is significantly more shocking and menacing. He also drops the pretense of coincidentally running into middle sister, as he lets her know that he knows where she is coming from, even if the details are slightly off.
Themes
Then, the milkman begins asking middle sister questions—which, again, sound more like statements—about maybe-boyfriend. He seems to know everything about their relationship: where they go drinking, that they have sex. He even knows about their habit of watching sunsets. When the milkman mentions the sunsets, he says it disapprovingly, as though he thinks watching sunsets is not an activity for a man. Additionally, the milkman reveals that there is a rumor going around the neighborhood that maybe-boyfriend brought home a supercharger with a British flag on it.
The milkman’s comments suggest that he has been watching middle sister and maybe-boyfriend for some time. Other than the detail about which class middle sister takes, he does not get anything wrong. Much to middle sister’s dismay, the milkman even has the same reservation about maybe-boyfriend watching sunsets that she does. Additionally, it sounds like the man causing trouble regarding the supercharger kept his word and has been spreading rumors of maybe-boyfriend’s supposed pro-British views around town.
Themes
Wanting to defend maybe-boyfriend, middle sister lies and says someone else at his workplace got the part of the car with the British flag on it. In doing so, she also calls maybe-boyfriend simply: “boyfriend,” in hopes of dissuading the milkman from pursuing her further. Immediately, middle sister regrets her decision. She does not know if anyone at maybe-boyfriend’s workplace is Protestant. Either way, she has chosen to lie.
Here, middle sister starts telling lies, which could easily get her into more trouble. The milkman has already proven that he can learn information about her life and, if he wanted to, he could quite quickly determine whether she is lying. Middle sister’s sudden decision to lie demonstrates that she feels unsettled.
Themes
The milkman begins speaking to middle sister about car bombs, and she does not understand why. At first, she thinks he is simply talking about second sister’s dead husband who died in a car bomb, though she is unsure why he would bring that up. Eventually, she realizes that the milkman is issuing a veiled threat, implying that he could kill maybe-boyfriend with a car bomb if he wanted to. Middle sister knows that the public would read maybe-boyfriend’s death as politically motivated, even though maybe-boyfriend is as disengaged from politics as one could possibly be given the circumstances. In reality, maybe-boyfriend’s death would be about sexual jealousy, though no one except the milkman and middle sister would ever know that.
Because the milkman does a lot of surveilling—and, evidently, stalking—himself, he knows how to behave so as not to draw attention. As such, he never touches middle sister or makes direct threats. Also, even his indirect threats are muttered under his breath so no one else can hear them. Much of the novel is concerned with how personal behaviors become political acts. The milkman understands the political climate and uses it to his advantage when trying to achieve his sinister personal goals.
Themes
Middle sister takes a minute to reflect on what she actually knows about the milkman. She has always taken for granted that he was a renouncer, but she wonders if that is actually the case. She knows of instances where people have claimed to be renouncers and built up big reputations for themselves because of their claimed identity, when in reality they have had little to do with paramilitary activities.
Throughout the novel, the milkman remains a mysterious figure. No one seems to know anything about him except that he is married. The only other thing people claim to know is that he is having an affair with middle sister, which is false. Middle sister knows that pretending to be a renouncer comes with certain benefits, even if it also puts a target on one’s back.
Themes
One such person is Somebody McSomebody, who is from a family of renouncers. Somebody McSomebody first approached middle sister when they were 17 and expressed his romantic interest. When she rejected him, he began identifying himself using the first person plural (“we”) and issued strange threats about how middle sister would come to regret turning him down.
Somebody McSomebody and the milkman are foils for each other: they both harass middle sister, but via different means. Whereas the milkman is quiet, assured, and menacing, Somebody McSomebody’s harassment is more obvious and explicitly violent.
Themes
Leaving aside Somebody McSomebody for the time being, middle sister reflects on how renouncers are treated by the area at large. Generally speaking, renouncers are the people who hold the power in Irish Catholic communities, and—if one is a good Irish Catholic—one is expected to look up to and admire them. In reality, most people in middle sister’s community are conflicted on how they feel about the renouncers, but they would never say so out loud.
During the Troubles, communities often feared groups such as the IRA as much if not more than they respected them. Because Irish Catholics rejected the British government, groups like the IRA were the only place they had to turn for leadership. Because of this, many put up with the IRA’s use of violence even if they didn’t support it.
Themes
Women, in particular, tend to flock to the renouncers because it is thought that they will make good husbands (or flings) and provide them with power in the community. Middle sister refers to these women as “paramilitary groupies.” At heart, she believes they are careerists and opportunists, who are only looking out for themselves. For this reason, middle sister is particularly offended that her mother thinks she is one of these women.
Middle sister suggests that the “paramilitary groupies” are hypocritical out of self-preservation, and perhaps out of vanity. She implies that while the women don’t agree with the renouncers’ acts of violence, they go along with it because it affords them social protection they wouldn’t otherwise have, especially in a society in which their femininity already puts them at a disadvantage.
Themes
Middle sister thinks back to her conversation with her mother regarding the milkman. Her mother talked to her about how having an affair with a renouncer is an empty, soulless, life that is bound to lead to heartbreak and violence. Although her mother does not want middle sister around renouncer men at all, she admitted that she would be slightly more accepting of it if middle sister were to marry one. Even so, middle sister’s mother warned her that her husband would likely end up dead or imprisoned. Meanwhile, middle sister is frustrated because she is not involved with a renouncer man and her own mother is part of the group propagating the rumor that the opposite is true.
Here, middle sister lays out her mother’s priorities, which place tradition before middle sister’s happiness and wellbeing. Despite middle sister’s mother’s distaste for the milkman, she is ironically one of the people making the entire situation worse for middle sister: in spreading rumors about middle sister’s supposed involvement with a renouncer man, she is making middle sister (at least in the community’s eyes) more involved with a renouncer than she’d be otherwise.
Themes
During one of middle sister’s trips to a local club—she does not specify when—a number of paramilitary groupies approached her while she was in the bathroom. The groupies treated her as if she was one of them and told her how beautiful she was, comparing her to famous actresses. Middle sister does not believe a word they say, though she recognizes it as their attempt to bring her into their group.
Middle sister implies that the paramilitary groupies’ kindness is feigned. In other words, the women aren’t complimenting middle sister because they like her—they’re complimenting her because they believe she is romantically involved with the milkman (and therefore part of their group).
Themes
The paramilitary groupies unsettle middle sister. They seem attracted to violence and chaos in a manner she cannot fathom. Middle sister always assumed—in part, because of her mother—that these women tolerated the violence, but now she sees they in fact like it. She can also tell that the women understand and embody something about sexuality that she cannot yet grasp. When it comes to sexual matters, middle sister is still relatively inexperienced. Maybe-boyfriend is the only person she has had sex with.
Middle sister finds the paramilitary groupies unsettling because their involvement with renouncers suggests that people might gravitate toward violence even if they’re not forced to. Middle sister could at least sympathize with the groupies if they seemed to date renouncers as an act of self-preservation, giving themselves social protections only available to them through their association with renouncers. But these women, it seems, flock to the renouncers not because they are attracted to the protection these men might offer them but because they are attracted to the men’s violence itself.
Themes
On a separate occasion, while out at the same club, Somebody McSomebody approached middle sister after hearing the rumors that she was interested in the milkman. On that night, Somebody McSomebody pretends to be a high-ranking renouncer himself, though middle sister does not believe a word he said. He attempts to appeal to middle sister’s renouncer connections. Two of her brothers, one of whom died, had also been known renouncers, though middle sister was the last one in her family to find out.
Somebody McSomebody is obviously putting on a façade. He believes women find renouncers desirable, so he pretends to be one, even though he lacks the wherewithal to pull it off. His behavior demonstrates that he knows nothing about middle sister, who avoids politics at all costs and is trying to stay as far away as possible from renouncers, not marry them.
Themes
Once again, middle sister rejects Somebody McSomebody. She does not find Somebody McSomebody attractive and has no interest in renouncers. She does feel bad for him because several of his family members are renouncers and have died for the cause. However, just because she feels bad for him, does not mean she wants to date him. After middle sister rejects Somebody McSomebody, he starts issuing explicit threats toward her, though he does not act on them.
Middle sister’s interactions with Somebody McSomebody are comedic and threatening. On the surface, Somebody McSomebody is a ridiculous character because he is over the top and does not appear capable of actually harming anyone. However, the opening of the novel informs the reader that his threats are not entirely empty. As such, though he may not be as menacing or capable as the milkman, the escalation of his threatening behavior is concerning.
Themes
Back in the present, middle sister is still standing next to the milkman, holding the decapitated cat’s head in her hands. Distracted in thought and fear, middle sister suddenly gets a shiver down her spine when she feels the fang of the cat’s head poke through the handkerchief and stab her. After that unsettling moment, another immediately follows, as the milkman offers to give middle sister rides to wherever she needs to go. Although he phrases his words as if he is suggesting something rather than demanding it, the entire situation reeks of menace. Middle sister knows his “offer” means no more walking, no more running, and—most of all—no more maybe-boyfriend.
The fang poking through the handkerchief is a symbolic shows that middle sister’s attempt at compassion will come back to bite her. Notably, the milkman does not mention the cat’s head, though he almost certainly knows what the handkerchiefs contain. The head is yet another piece of leverage he has against her, which he chooses to let sit. Again, nothing the milkman says directly threatens middle sister or her loved ones. He leaves his threats unspoken and invisible to keep middle sister in line without drawing attention to himself.
Themes
Moments after the milkman makes his offer, four men suddenly emerge from the surrounding area. At first, middle sister does not know who they are. She worries that they are state defenders who have come for the milkman and will assume that she and the milkman are together. However, she quickly realizes that they are all associates of the milkman, as they all walk off in the same direction. The milkman joins them without saying a word.
Although middle sister questioned whether the milkman was a renouncer, the sudden appearance of these mysterious men leaves little doubt. At the very least, the milkman is connected to a menacing group of people who are presumably aware of his treatment of middle sister and do not care.
Themes
After the milkman leaves, middle sister continues her walk home, eager to find a safe and peaceful place for the cat’s head. Just as she finally leaves the ten minute area, she hears a car approaching, which she fears belongs to the milkman. As it turns out, middle sister was partially correct. In the car is real milkman, the town’s actual milkman, who is friends with her mother and whom she knows quite well.
Despite the milkman’s intimidation, middle sister does not abandon her mission of finding a proper resting place for the cat’s head. This decision shows her commitment to compassion, even though the milkman tries to fill her world with fear and intimidation. In a broader sense, her actions show that it is possible for individuals to rise above the pressure to conform, though doing so comes with its own set of risks.
Themes
Real milkman asks middle sister if she is okay. Middle sister is not sure what to say. She doesn’t think she should tell real milkman about her trouble with the renouncers. Instead, she blurts out that she is going to bury the cat’s head. Middle sister’s strange response does not perturb real milkman. In fact, he offers to take it off her and bury it himself if it would make her feel better. Middle sister gives him the head after he promises that has a nice spot to bury it and will not simply dispose of it the first chance he gets.
Real milkman stands out among middle sister’s acquaintances because there is a distinct lack of judgment in how he speaks to her. He does not question why she is walking alone with a cat’s head—he merely wants to ensure she is okay. At this point, middle sister has accepted that people might learn about the cat’s head anyway, but she also trusts real milkman. The real milkman is an example of a character who does not
Themes
Real milkman also offers middle sister a ride home, which she accepts. On the way home, real milkman says middle sister’s mother is over at Somebody McSomebody’s house because another one of his brothers just died. This time, it was a three-year-old, who fell out of a window when no one was watching him. Real milkman says the community is trying to spin the story in a hopeful manner, albeit with a political bent, by claiming the child thought he was Superman. In reality, though, real milkman suspects the child simply died because his mother was lying in bed, depressed, and not watching him.
Here, real milkman suggests that some behaviors and actions exist outside of politics. However, because the community is too entrenched in political discourse, it is impossible to see that the three-year-old’s death was simply an accident. Instead, the community must imbue the death with political meaning so that they can rationalize and accept it. Unfortunately, the death is unlikely to improve the spirits of Somebody McSomebody’s mother or fix Somebody McSomebody’s erratic behavior.
Themes
Then, real milkman switches the subject to wee sisters. He asks middle sister how they are doing in school. He has noticed that they are incredibly intelligent, though he worries that middle sister’s mother is not doing enough to foster their talents. Middle sister responds that she is not sure. Mentally, she thinks about how she does not feel responsible for her wee sisters’ education because she is not their parent.
Earlier in the novel, middle sister claimed she did not want to move in with maybe-boyfriend because she needed to help her mother raise wee sisters. However, here she abdicates responsibility for wee sisters, in part because real milkman may have struck a nerve, reminding her of her moral obligation to give her younger sisters the support they need and aren’t getting elsewhere. Her not helping her sisters simply because it’s not her problem is akin to the community’s refusal to condone the killing of cats.
Themes
Real milkman’s inquires also causes middle sister to remember a time when she and her elder sisters caught wee sisters looking at British newspapers. When she and her sisters asked wee sisters what they were doing, they responded that they were trying to understand the other side’s perspective. Their response was anathema to everything middle sister had ever been taught or assumed. Middle sister and her elder sisters turned off the lights and closed the shutters so no one could see what wee sisters were doing. They urged wee sisters never to read anything like that again. Middle sister wonders whether the renouncers would do anything to wee sisters if they ever found out about what transpired.
Middle sister and her elder sisters know the practical consequences of looking at British newspapers, so they are immediately fearful, while wee sisters’ don’t see the big deal. Middle sister is trying to enforce the same self-censorship that was put on her as a child, though it does not have as great an effect. It is another way that, in attempting to avoid politics out of self-preservation, middle sister engages in political behavior, condoning the oppressive politics of censorship by participating in them herself.
Themes
In the present, real milkman tells middle sister that someone else should take responsibility for wee sisters’ education. Middle sister wonders whether he is referring to her. Then, real milkman abruptly changes the subject. He asks middle sister if she would be open to speaking with someone about her encounters with the milkman. Although he does not explicitly reference the milkman, middle sister knows what he means. Sensing middle sister’s discomfort, real milkman apologizes, before suggesting that she might want to talk to the local feminist group about what has been happening.
Although middle sister thinks real milkman is referring to her in discussing wee sisters’ education, he may also be referring to himself. Real milkman spends quite a bit of time with middle sister’s mother and may be romantically interested in her. However, if that is the case, it goes over middle sister’s head. Additionally, real milkman seems to know that middle sister’s relationship with the milkman is one of victim and victimizer, rather than the amorous tryst the rest of the town believes in. In this way, he establishes himself as an independent thinker who calls out oppression or victimization where he sees it rather than going along with popular opinion, even when that popular opinion supports unjust or immoral behavior.
Themes
Middle sister finds real milkman’s suggestion outrageous, although she does not say so. She knows he is simply trying to help, but the local feminist group are considered pariahs in the community, and middle sister is trying her best to stay under the radar. Real milkman’s suggestion causes middle sister to think about how the local feminist group came to be. It started with one Irish Catholic woman posting a flier in her window, encouraging women of all backgrounds to come over and discuss feminism.
The novel takes place in the 1970s, which would mean that the feminists middle sister describes over the next few sections are second-wave feminists. Second-wave feminism was focused on providing equal rights for women, but it was also geared toward recognizing and celebrating traditionally feminine traits, which had conventionally been regarded as inferior to traditionally masculine traits. Although second wave feminism was relatively popular throughout Western Europe in the 1970s, it was especially unpopular in Northern Ireland, in part because of the atmosphere of political and ideological rebellion the Troubles created.
Themes
Although the flier caused a stir in the local community, it was considered largely harmless at first. All it resulted in was seven women getting together to discuss feminist ideas, which did not bother anyone in the community. However, problems arose when an eighth member, a Protestant woman, joined the group. As soon as the renouncers caught wind of the Protestant woman, they barged in on one of the group’s meetings.
While second wave feminism would not have seen eye-to-eye with the prevailing mores of middle sister’s community, it was not considered a problem because it was kept hidden away. However, the idea that a Protestant women would come together with Irish Catholic women for a political meeting is one step too far in the eyes of the community.
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Because the other women in the group knew the renouncers would likely show up, they warned the Protestant woman to stay away because they did not want her to get into trouble. Still, the renouncers tore apart the shed where the meeting was held, hoping to find something. Then, they warned the women not to allow the Protestant woman to return. In response, the women angrily told the renouncers that they planned to invite the Protestant woman in the future, which caused a local uproar. Eventually, it was agreed upon that the Protestant woman would not come to any future meetings.
For the renouncers, the only political goal that matters is the end of British rule in Northern Ireland. Anything that impedes that goal—no matter how slight—had to go. Meanwhile, the women believe that their central issue—that of equality for women—is of equal if not greater concern.
Themes
Additionally, the feminists became disliked in the community when they started protesting during curfews. Women throughout the community regularly protested curfews because they knew no paramilitary groups would bother them for doing so. If they did, it would look horrible on their part. However, the traditional women of the community became concerned when the feminists started protesting at the same time because they did not want their separate causes to get confused.
Again, there is a concern from the broader community that the “radical” political positions of the second wave feminists will end up seeming more than important than those related to the Troubles. As such, the stated reason for the anti-feminist fervor in the community comes from concerns about political efficacy. However, there are also people in middle sister’s community—both men and women—who simply want to uphold the status quo.
Themes
Middle sister does not reveal her thoughts about the feminists to real milkman. As usual, she does not like sharing her opinions, and they have almost arrived at her house anyway. Before she gets out of his vehicle, real milkman once again promises to bury the cat head for her. Distractedly, middle sister exits the vehicle without thanking real milkman and heads inside.
Middle sister ends this chapter with a lot on her mind and no plan for where to go from here. Meanwhile, real milkman continues to prove himself to be a valuable ally to middle sister, even if she is too tired and distracted to realize it.
Themes
