The Boarding House

The Boarding House

1. Setting:

- Butcher’s shop

- The boarding- house in Hardwicke Street

- Fleet Street

2. Characters

- Mr. Mooney

- Mrs. Mooney

- Polly

- Jack mooney

- Outsiders

- Lodgers

- Butcher – Mrs. Mooney’s father

- Mr. Doran

3. Plot summary

Mrs. Mooney had a difficult marriage with an addicted husband on alcoholic drink that tried to kill her with cleaver.

She got a separation and for surviving, she opened a boarding-house.

With a son called Jack and a daughter called Polly, Mrs. Mooney lived cunningly governing the house.

The boarding-house was lodged by outsiders, tourists, there was music in the place, actually, it was a place for fun. . Mrs. Mooney runs a strict and tight business and is known by the lodgers as “The Madam.”

It was not easy for a separated woman living in a society with two sons, but, she used her daughter Polly to amuse the lodgers and help with the cleaning. Surrounded by so many young men, Polly inevitably develops a relationship with one of them, Mr. Doran. But, Mrs. Mooney has a purpose with this situation, wich she intends to “win” by defending her daugther’s honor and convincing Mr. Doran to offer his hand in marriage.

Maybe, because she wants a better future for her daughter, not there but married with an honored man who has worked for a wine merchant for thirteen years and garnered much respect, will choose the option that least harms his carrer. Mr. Doran is afraid of facing the situation, but, there is no way, because he has to repair the problem. Polly threatens to end with her life, then, Mr. Doran decides to keep on with her.

Mrs. Mooney gets what she wanted and Polly waits Mr. Doran comes back from meeting.

4. Symbols

Madonna:  A well-organized, profound case for the reinterpretation of the creative woman in the nineteenth century."

Joyce's private system of color symbolism (yellows and browns indicating decay) is used again in "The Boarding House." The yellows appear in "yellow streaks of eggs," "butter safe under lock and key," "the little gilt clock," and it is a corn-factor for whom Polly works. Examples of browns are the "beer or stout," "bacon-fat," "pieces of broken bread," and Jack Mooney's bottles of Bass ale. 

5. Epiphanies

 Each character in Dubliners demonstrates conflict in their intentions and actions. The individual moral dilemmas they undergo will force them to have an epiphany and realize that life is not so glorious.

Mr. Doran and Polly Mooney both want to escape the situation they are in but both have an epiphany and realize that, in life, one doesn’t always get what one wants.

6. Interpretation

Actually, Mrs. Mooney was afraid of her daughter’s future and planned everything to get a respected husband for her daughter. Because she did not want to see her daughter to suffer what she suffered before with a problematic husband who left her in a bad situation opening a boarding house, because she did not find other way to keep on.