The boarding house is a short story by James Joyce, first published in 1914 as part of his Dubliners collection. The story centers on Mrs. Mooney, a shrewd and manipulative boarding house owner, and her daughter Polly, who is engaged to Mr. Doran, a timid and submissive clerk.
The story begins with Mrs. Mooney and Polly discussing the engagement and the future of their boarding house business. Mrs. Mooney is pleased with the engagement, as it will bring stability and respectability to the boarding house. However, she is also concerned about the potential financial implications of the marriage, as Mr. Doran is not particularly well-off.
As the story progresses, we see Mrs. Mooney's manipulative and scheming nature as she tries to secure the best possible financial arrangement for her daughter. She initially suggests that Mr. Doran take out a life insurance policy, which would provide financial security for Polly in the event of his death. However, when Mr. Doran balks at the suggestion, Mrs. Mooney shifts her focus to securing a substantial dowry for Polly.
Despite her scheming, Mrs. Mooney's plans are ultimately thwarted when Mr. Doran decides to break off the engagement, citing his fear of becoming trapped in a loveless marriage. The story ends with Mrs. Mooney and Polly discussing the failed engagement and the future of the boarding house, with Mrs. Mooney resigned to the fact that their plans for financial stability have been dashed.
Overall, "The boarding house" is a poignant and nuanced portrayal of the complex dynamics between mothers and daughters, and the ways in which financial considerations can influence relationships. It also highlights the theme of manipulation and the lengths to which some people will go to achieve their goals.
Short Story Analysis: The Boarding House by James Joyce
Between 1914 and 1919, Joyce and his family lived in Zurich, having left Italy when the First World War broke out. Here, ever so subtly, Joyce expands his canvas, becoming more novelistic — more like the writer of the sprawling, panoramic novel Ulysses, at least with respect to point of view. She was a little vulgar; some times she said "I seen" and "If I had've known. In 1916, Joyce published his first novel , A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. What nationality is he? All the resident young men spoke of her as The Madam.
THE BOARDING HOUSE by James Joyce
He was a serious young man, not rakish or loud-voiced like the others. She knew he had a good screw for one thing and she suspected he had a bit of stuff put by. Yeats and Ezra Pound amongst his earliest supporters. Joyce writing of strong female characters rather than having the male take the lead. With the money she took from the marriage, Mrs. There had been no open complicity between mother and daughter, no open understanding but, though people in the house began to talk of the affair, still Mrs.
The Boarding House Study Guide
More significantly, the marriage relationship, which should be based on love and long-term sexual commitment, is effected by entrapment of the man by the woman into a sordid monetary arrangement. There had been no open complicity between mother and daughter, no open understanding but, though people in the house began to talk of the affair, still Mrs. If it had been Mr. She rested the nape of her neck against the cool iron bed-rail and fell into a reverie. They used to go upstairs together on tiptoe, each with a candle, and on the third landing exchange reluctant goodnights. Beyond the threat of poverty and sin, Dubliners were paralyzed by the possibility of social ridicule. Mooney began to think of sending Polly back to typewriting when she noticed that something was going on between Polly and one of the young men.
