The Boarding House

The epiphany in "The Boarding House" is that Polly and Mr. Doran realize they are trapped in a situation they wish to escape but cannot due to societal pressures. This feeling of paralysis is...

In "The Boarding House," moral paralysis in Dublin is depicted through Mr. Doran's entrapment between societal expectations and personal desires. Mrs. Mooney, a determined woman, manipulates the...

Mr. Doran does not want to marry Polly because he does not want the truth of their rendezvous to come to light and jeopardize his career. He also considers her vulgar and her family undesirable. He...

The boarding house in James Joyce's "The Boarding House" symbolizes the constrained social and economic circumstances of early 20th-century Ireland. Run by Mrs. Mooney, it represents a microcosm of...

In "The Boarding House," Mrs. Mooney is a major character and the protagonist, characterized as a dynamic and round figure with psychological depth and motivation. Critics view her as one of Joyce's...

"The Boarding House" by James Joyce uses suspense to highlight the moral and societal constraints faced by its characters. Suspense arises from Mrs. Mooney's strategic maneuvering to secure a...

In "The Boarding House," Doran and Mrs. Mooney likely discuss his affair with her daughter Polly and the expectation that he marries her to restore her honor. Mrs. Mooney had subtly encouraged the...

Mrs. Mooney succeeds in her mission by orchestrating a marriage between her daughter, Polly, and Mr. Doran. Despite Mr. Doran's reluctance, Mrs. Mooney uses the situation—likely Polly's pregnancy—to...

The phrase "her mother's persistent silence couldn't be misunderstood" refers to Mrs. Mooney's quiet but strategic observation of her daughter Polly's developing relationship with Mr. Doran. Although...

Polly's approach to Bob Doran in "The Boarding House" is not entirely innocent. While she shows genuine affection and kindness towards him, her actions are influenced by a "wise innocence,"...

The climax of "The Boarding House" occurs when Mr. Doran is pressured by Mrs. Mooney to marry her daughter, Polly, following their affair. This moment of high tension reveals Mr. Doran's realization...

Polly's marriage to Mr. Doran in "The Boarding House" might potentially be successful due to Mr. Doran's serious-minded, industrious nature, contrasting with Polly's brother's roughness. Despite Mr....

Polly's inability to continue working in the corn-factor's office implies her mother's protective nature and desire to shield her from their disreputable father. Her father, a "shabby stooped little...

Mrs. Mooney is intent on her daughter marrying to secure Polly's future in an unforgiving environment. Having endured a difficult marriage herself, Mrs. Mooney wants Polly to avoid becoming a...

In "Counterparts" by James Joyce, Farrington’s boy’s plea is ironic because it comes as a response to a beating by his dad, who’s only recently lost an arm-wrestling bout to a “mere boy.” The ending...