Why do you suppose Aoife regards each of her daughters differently? How does this impact each of the girls? Do you think Brid does, in fact, get the "bigger prize"?

Brid feels her mother treats Ina as a daughter while she's treated like an accomplice. When she voices this, her mother tells her "You got the bigger prize." Why do you suppose Aoife regards each of her daughters differently? How does this impact each of the girls? Do you think Brid does, in fact, get the "bigger prize"?

First, if you happen to have more than one child (I have six), you are absolutely going to regard each one differently. As a parent, you see not only the physical differences as one apparent between these two sisters, but, also the difference in skills, attitude and interests. Some of those may resonate with you differently than others as you may value some characteristics more than others and you may share some and not others. This also is affected, whether or not you want it to be, by society’s values. So, Ina gets the physical prize and Brid gets the intellectual and resilency prize. In my opinion, yes, Brid gets the bigger prize. But, during teenage years, this is rarely, if ever, recognized by the teenager.

Aoife wants Brid to take her place in the struggle. Enda was no use - he wanted to get married and move to Donegal - away from the strife (both internal and external). Ina was also not interested in the fight.

Aoife, when confronted, says she couldn't continue the fight herself because Sean wouldn't have it and she was afraid to challenge him (so resorted to belittling him instead.) Tad, also was useless. So it fell to Brid.

Aoife accepted that Ina was above the fray and demanded that Brid protect her. When Ina was killed, she blamed Brid - "It should have been you," meaning not only that she couldn't forgive her for not protecting Ina, but also that - as the designated IRA fighter, she should have continued until she was killed herself. Even without Ina's death, she owed that to her mother and to the oppressed people of Northern Ireland.

Very sad.

Aoife is like all parents. Each child has unique qualities, abilities and personality traits. Ina was allowed to remain above the fray, while Brid was her mother’s designee to carry the torch for the IRA. In reality, Brid’s “bigger prize” ended up being a burden that she carried through adulthood.

I agree with everything said above, but would add that the "bigger prize" Brid had was a purpose (beyond catching a man) and a cause to fight for. Aoife was dedicated to that cause and the martyr role she would have had Brid assume -- instead of becoming, like Ina, a victim.

Aoife recognizes both the physical and personality differences in her daughters. I think that is typical in families. Ina unlike her mother looked forward to getting married and starting a family. Ina was not interested in carrying on her mother’s anger. As the “pretty one” in the family, Ina was more indulged and seemed to live a more typical teenage life. When Aoife tells Brid that she gets the “bigger prize” I thought she was referring to her own belief that avoiding marriage and fighting for the IRA was the “prize.” I don’t think being groomed to become a killer by her mother was a “bigger prize” especially when considering Brid’s participation with the IRA ended the life of a pregnant woman and negatively impacted her whole life.

The exact line here is, "So some people get to be beautiful and happy and have boyfriends and go to parties and other people get belief." That is when Ma says, "You got the bigger prize." I have mixed feelings. On one hand Brid's life is broader and richer than one who is constrained by a stereotypical gender role (getting married and having babies). On the other Brid ends up paying a price. I believe the author's intentions were for us to believe Brid did get a bigger prize, although not a prize without strings.