The relationship between Nora Clitheroe and Bessie Burgess in Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars is complicated. They are neighbors and clearly have known each other for a long period of time, but do not appear to be on close terms. The women are never depicted as true friends, in fact there is much friction early on in the play, however they have a deep and lasting impact on each others' lives.
Nora desires to be seen as an upright woman with a proper, respectable family and Bessie is the opposite - a brash woman prone to drinking. Early in the play, Bessie drunkenly chastises Nora about how she treats her neighbors in her attempts to be "proper" and is sent away from the house by Nora's husband. Later in the story however, when Nora's husband dies and her child is stillborn leaving her nearly insane with grief, Bessie takes care of her despite the fact that it results in many sleepless nights for Bessie. The relationship is further complicated by the fact that Nora is ultimately responsible for Bessie's death, albeit unintentionally.
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