Talk:The Boarding House

Untitled
hi every body

the "boarding house" short story of James Joyce is very wonderful and i try to translate into my language : Indonesia 202.95.158.97 19:42, 12 August 2006 (UTC)bj—−

==Summary Section==

Vrodio14 (talk) 19:00, 15 February 2015 (UTC) Mrs. Mooney, also referred to as 'Madam' in the story, is separated from her husband, a butcher who descended into alcoholism. She leaves him to run a boarding house for working men.

Vrodio14 (talk) 19:15, 15 February 2015 (UTC)

Mrs. Mooney bides her time before she intervenes, strongly implying that she will be able to trap Mr. Doran into a marriage with her daughter. Mrs. Mooney goes over exactly how she will word the next conversation Mr. Doran about her daughter.

Vrodio14 (talk) 19:33, 15 February 2015 (UTC)

After Polly enters in an agitated state, we learn through Doran’s memories that both Polly and he were responsible for the initiation of the relationship.

Referred to as "Madam", Mrs. Mooney, a woman separated from her husband, runs a boarding house for working men. Her 19 year old daughter, Polly entertains the boarders by singing and flirting with them. Soon enough, Mrs. Mooney discovers that her daughter is having an affair with Mr. Doran, a man in his mid-thirties who has worked in a Catholic wine-merchant’s office for thirteen years. Mrs. Mooney waits a while before she intervenes. She decides to have a talk with Mr. Doran one Sunday morning. Mrs. Mooney contemplates the discussion she is about to have. She decides that she will demand Mr Doran to marry Polly or risk open disclosure. Knowing Mr. Doran's background, she figures he will agree to marriage to protect his career. Meanwhile, Mr. Doran dreads the future confrontation. Mr Doran nervously contemplates losing his job due to the affair and bemoans the girl’s lower-class background and vulgarities of speech. Polly, then enters the room in an agitated state. Mr. Doran begins to remember how he liked for her kindness and beauty but still hesitates on marriage. After Doran leaves the room, Polly seems content, suggesting that she was putting on a show of anguish for his sake. The story closes with Mrs. Mooney calling Polly down so that Mr. Doran can speak to her.Nilaxi22 (talk) 19:40, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

Contexts section
tnarias623 (talk) 13:37, 16 February 2015 (ET)

On Sunday nights Polly, Mrs. Mooney's daughter, would sing with the various guests in the boarding house. It is noted that she sings "I'm a naughty girl" which Zack Bowen suggests that Polly's song foreshadows her affair with Mr. Doran.

Themes and Analysis
The realities of love and marriage are major themes in this story. To the characters in this story, one's image in society gets in the way of love and marriage. Mr. Doran is hesitant upon marriage with a girl who has a lower status than himself. Moreover the priest's disapproval adds onto this causing Mr. Doran to disregard his feelings for Molly.

Another important theme in this story is manipulation. Mrs. Mooney, being very well aware of her daughter's relationship to a much older man, refuses to act upon it. She lets the affair continue until a point when she thinks it is time for her to intervene. She intervenes and traps Mr. Doran, by blackmailing him. She knows he has to say yes or he will lose his future career.

In the story, Mrs. Mooney's intentions are also subject to questioning. Given her past experience with her husband, she has lost all regard for true love in life and instead focuses on status. According to the story, Polly previously flirted with a "disreputable" man. Mrs. Mooney responded by "taking her daughter home again and [setting] her to do housework." (39) Later on, when a potential for marriage comes in between Polly and Mr. Doran, a much reputable man, she nabs it. She sees Polly's marriage to Mr. Doran as an opportunity to gain status and climb up the social hierarchy. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nilaxi22 (talk • contribs) 20:05, 16 February 2015 (UTC) Nilaxi22 (talk) 20:16, 16 February 2015 (UTC)

Adaptations
On 8 February 2014, Running Wild Films released a short film based on James Joyce's "The Boarding House." Directed by Travis Mills, the film features Eric Almassy, Holly Dell and JP Frydrych as main characters.Nilaxi22 (talk) 20:16, 16 February 2015 (UTC)