The Boarding House (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: James Joyce
- First Published: 1914
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1904
- Setting: Dublin
- Principal Characters: Bob Doran, Polly Mooney, Mrs. Mooney, Jack Mooney
- Genres: Social realism, Short fiction
- Subjects: Sex or sexuality, Marriage, Women, Money
- Locales: Dublin, Ireland
The Story
Mrs. Mooney, a coarse, shrewd, and determined woman, connives to marry off her daughter to one of the more responsible lodgers in her shabby, questionably respectable boardinghouse. Having given her daughter the run of the young men, Mrs. Mooney watches in silent approval as Polly seduces a meek, middle-aged clerk. As the story opens, Mrs. Mooney, having ascertained the facts of the situation from her daughter, prepares to confront the lover, Bob Doran. She is determined to make him marry the girl, under the weight of social, religious, and economic pressure. The...
[The entire page is 1029 words long]
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