The Plough and the Stars by Sean O'Casey

Raymond Gylys and Steven Ortiz
English 150
Wednesday 23 October 2013, 5 p.m. section

We will be reciting the discussion between The Covey and Fluther starting on page 169:

The Covey: Th' job's stopped. They've been mobilized…

through this line on page 160

Fluther: There's no necessity to be raisin' your voice…

Ray will be playing The Covey with 22 lines, and Steve will be Fluther with 11.

After we recite this section, we came up with the following discussion questions to get the class going:

1. Why do you think the Irish Citizen Army chose to represent themselves with the banner of the plough and the stars? What does this symbolize and represent about their movement? (I'll either bring in a color image of the flag or just bring up a big picture of one on my computer)
   • Plows turn over soil — turn over of British rule to Irish independence
   • Plows are used in planting seeds — like how the ICA is trying to "plant the seeds" of the future
   • Stars represent the beauty and limitless bounds of their ultimate goal
   • Use of a common farm tool to represent the working class
2. The Plough and the Stars caused riots in Dublin when it debuted in 1926. What do you think people were so upset about (think about both genders individually)
   • The play sort of didn't give any credit to women. In the play they just sort of sit back and Nora even becomes hysterical about her husband leaving.
   • Overall anti-heroic treatment of the 1916 Easter Rising in general.
   • Prostitute (Rosie) trying to seduce soldiers right after they just had this rally and pledged to fight and die for Ireland
   • Interesting notes: Yeats famously said in response to the Plough and the Stars riots: You have disgraced yourself again, is this to be the recurring celebration of the arrival of an Irish genius?

Write this quote on the board:

There's no such thing as an Irishman; or an Englishman, or a German or a Turk; we're all only human bein's. Scientifically speakin' it's all a question of the accidental gatherin' together of mollycewels an' atoms

Ask the following question:

"Why is this significant especially in the context of what was going on in Ireland during this time, i.e. the Civil War" What message do you think O'Casey was trying to send?

Ask the class if they agree with Fluther when he says There's no reason to bring religion into it. I think we ought to have as great a regard for religion as we can, so as to keep it out of as many things as possible.

Is it best to keep religion out of things? Why or why not? Can you think of any modern day examples to support your claim?