Riders to the Sea

Drama | John Millington Synge
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How do Nora and Cathleen become sure about Michael's clothes?

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How do Nora and Cathleen become sure about Michael's clothes? 

When J. M. Synge’s (1871-1909) play “Riders to the Sea” (1904) begins, Maurya’s son Michael is missing at sea for nine days. The local priest gives Nora and Cathleen a bundle of clothing recovered from Donegal—to see whether they are Michael’s. Nora and Cathleen become sure about Michael’s clothes when they carefully examine the bundle of clothing.

At first, Nora and Cathleen are unsure. However, they notice a pair of stockings in the bundle. Nora remembers that she had knitted those stockings herself and had made some mistakes in the stitches. She carefully counts the stitches and sees the same mistakes. This proves that these are the stockings she made for her brother Michael. This discovery also confirms their worst fear—Michael is dead. Nora sorrowfully says:

“Isn't it a pitiful thing when there is n

othing left of a man ... but a bit of an old shirt?”

Once they confirm that the stockings belong to Michael, they know for sure that the dead man found in Donegal is their brother. This makes them very sad because it means Michael has drowned, and his body is too far away for them to bury properly. They cry but quickly dry their tears before their mother, Maurya, returns. They do not want to upset her even more because she is already worried about Bartley.

In short, Nora and Cathleen become sure about Michael’s clothes by counting the stitches on the stockings. This moment is very emotional. This also shows how difficult life is for this family (and the Aran Islanders), where the sea keeps taking away their loved ones.

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John Millington Synge
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