The Boarding House

“Polly Mooney, the Madam’s daughter, would also sing. She sang: I’m a…naughty girl. You needn’t sham: You know I am.”

The song that Polly sings adds to the stereotype of her character, identifying the archetype she has fallen into as a working-class young woman. The lyrics of the music-hall song are deliberately provocative, underlining Polly’s flirtatious nature. This is one of the reader’s first glimpses of Polly, establishing how she is perceived for the rest of the story.

“[B]ut Mrs. Mooney, who was a shrewd judge, knew that the young men were only passing the time away: none of them meant business.”

The syntax in this quote is helpful for both rhythm and to add a crucial detail: “none of them meant business.” This section demonstrates that Mrs. Mooney keenly observes her daughter’s suitors, ready to facilitate an advantageous marriage.

“She dealt with moral problems as a cleaver deals with meat: and in this case she had made up her mind.”

This apt simile for how Mrs. Mooney deals with moral problems harkens back to her previous profession and upbringing. Readers again see the strong and determined person she is, and the syntax of the sentence echoes her personality.

“The belfry of George’s Church sent out constant peals and worshippers, singly or in groups, traversed the little circus before the church, revealing their purpose by their self-contained demeanor no less than by the little volumes in their gloved hands.”

The theme of religion is introduced to the story, underlining the social norms that deem Mr. Doran and Polly’s sexual relationship as a sin. The quote conveys the nature of Dublin’s community, and, by implication, the values that guide the characters’ actions.

“She had been made awkward by her not wishing to receive the news in too cavalier a fashion or to seem to have connived and Polly had been made awkward not merely because allusions of that kind always made her awkward but also because she did not wish it to be thought that in her wise innocence she had divined the intention behind her mother’s tolerance.”

Readers see a glimpse of Polly’s character which is more observant than the other characters, including Mrs. Mooney and Mr. Doran, give her credit for. Readers also get to see an interaction between Mrs. Mooney and Polly and the nature of their mother-daughter relationship.

“She was sure she would win.”

The brevity of the sentence echoes Mrs. Mooney’s confidence that she can coerce Mr. Doran into marrying Polly. The notion of winning demonstrates that she sees the challenge as a high-stakes game.

“He had simply taken advantage of Polly’s youth and inexperience: that was evident. The question was: What reparation would he make?”

The way Mrs. Mooney thinks of her daughter in these sentences demonstrates a larger cultural tendency to view women, especially young women, as property that can be damaged and paid for. This quote demonstrates how little agency Polly has in her life, invoking the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades.

“It is all very well for the man: he can go his ways as if nothing had happened, having had his moment of pleasure, but the girl has to bear the brunt.”

This quote demonstrates how savvy Mrs. Mooney is to the way Dublin society will react to the relationship between Polly and Mr. Doran. Again, readers see the double standard of women and men, where Mr. Doran can get away with sex before marriage, while Polly cannot.

“She counted all her cards again before sending Mary up to Doran’s room to say that she wished to speak with him. She felt sure she would win.”

Joyce uses the motif of wagering or betting to highlight Mrs. Mooney’s shrewd tactics. Her character views her forthcoming confrontation with Mr. Doran as a card game. The modified repetition of the earlier phrase “[s]he felt sure she would win” emphasizes her confidence that she has the best hand.

“Besides, he had been employed for thirteen years in a great Catholic wine-merchant’s office and publicity would mean for him, perhaps, the loss of his job.”

This quote suggests that Mr. Doran will likely face consequences for his relationship with Polly, especially as he works for a Catholic employer. The fact that his job is tied to Dublin’s predominant faith furthers the religious undertones of the story.

“The decisive expression of her great florid face satisfied her and she thought of some mothers she knew who could not get their daughters off their hands.”

Mrs. Mooney’s thoughts about getting Polly “off [her] hands” demonstrate, once again, the concept of young women as property, to be handed from parents to husbands. Readers can really see here the motivation for Mrs. Mooney pushing for Mr. Doran’s proposal.

“The recollection of his confession of the night before was a cause of acute pain to him; the priest had drawn out every ridiculous detail of the affair and in the end had so magnified his sin that he was almost thankful at being afforded a loophole of reparation.”

Continuing the religious theme, readers can see the profound influence of religion over the way Mr. Doran thinks, as well as his actions. Reparation as a loophole again enforces the concept of Polly as property. Note that he does not think of Polly, but of only himself.

“Dublin is such a small city: everyone knows everyone else’s business.”

The directness of the syntax in this sentence gives a succinct description of the culture of Dublin, showing how quickly the whole city will find out about Polly and Mr. Doran’s relationship. In fact, everyone already knows.