The Boarding House

While there are many themes in “The Boarding House,” the most prominent is the issue of social mobility, with Joyce interrogating both women’s and men’s ability to move between social classes in Dublin. Through Mrs. Mooney, especially, readers see the preoccupation with class and status, particularly when it comes to marriage. By having her marriage fail, Joyce sets her character up to contrast with Polly, for whom she wishes to find a “good” marriage. Mrs. Mooney’s upbringing as a butcher’s daughter and her ascension to owning a boarding house demonstrate the social mobility available to her outside of marriage, while her plans for Polly show that marriage remains the primary form of social climbing available to women. She also wants Polly “off [her] hands,” demonstrating the power of parents over young women’s futures (Paragraph 13). Mrs. Mooney’s thoughts indicate she views her daughter as both property and a burden. Polly is something to be gotten rid of, and Mrs. Mooney accomplishes this by passing responsibility for Polly over to a man through marriage.

Class issues are woven into Mrs. Mooney’s interactions and intentions especially regarding Polly. Mr. Doran’s marriage to Polly would ensure her social status and, by effect, Mrs.