Zuska Mihula Character Analysis

Zuska is a peasant from a village in Eastern Slovakia called Zemplinska. She is George Kracha’s lover and second wife who strongly influences the course of his life. She plays a significant role in his initial pennilessness upon arriving to America, the failure of his butcher shop, as well his eventual destitution that forces him to return to work in the steel mill. Kracha first notices Zuska as he is boarding the ship to America. Once aboard, he meets Zuska and John Mihula, her then-husband, and immediately begins lusting after her despite being married to Elena. Zuska is dark-skinned, flirtatious, and physically voluptuous and plump—all traits that Kracha finds irresistible. In an attempt to curry her favor, he spends all of his travel money to buy her wine and whiskey, to no avail. Following their arrival and separation in America, Kracha does not see Zuska again until years later, when she saunters into his butcher shop in Braddock, now a widow. This rekindles Kracha’s flame for her, and his dispassionate marriage to Elena leads him to begin an illicit affair with Zuska. When word of the affair spreads through the community, it costs him several customers. Undeterred, Kracha continues the affair and marries Zuska after Elena dies. Kracha’s weakness for Zuska proves to be his undoing. After Kracha beats her in a drunken rage, Zuska flees Braddock, and Kracha later discovers that she has stolen all of his savings. He never sees Zuska again.