According to the way James Joyce
saw Ireland, social laws are dominant forces in Dublin. This is shown through his short story, “The
Boarding House.” Mrs. Mooney leaves her husband and opens a boarding
house. There are many men that pass through
there and a lot of them like flirting with Polly, her daughter. Mrs. Mooney does not confront Polly about
that because it is a social norm for men to visit places for a little while and
enjoy the pleasantries of drinking and women.
Joyce writes, “young men like to feel that there is a young woman not
very far away…” and “Mrs. Mooney…Knew that the young men were only passing the
time away: none of them meant business.” These indicate that the social laws approve of
men and women flirting with each other and going beyond that just for their own
entertainment. However, what is against the social law of Dublin is to abuse
hospitality.
Joyce writes, “she had all the
weight of social opinion on her side: she was an outraged mother. She had
allowed him to live beneath her roof, assuming that he was a man of honour, and
he had simply abused her hospitality…He had simply taken advantage of Polly’s
youth and inexperience.” Mr. Doran impregnated Mrs. Mooney’s daughter, which is
something he could walk away from, but he has a very high status in
Dublin. News travels fast in Dublin
because it is a small place and Mr. Doran’s reputation will eventually be
ruined. He accepted the fact that he may
have to marry the girl in order to save her honor and his own. Joyce writes, “The affair would be sure to be
talked of and his employer would be certain to hear of it. Dublin is such a
small city: everyone knows everyone else’s business…all his long years of
service gone for nothing! All his industry and diligence thrown away!” He was
not sure if he cared for Polly that much, but marriage sat fine with him as
long as his social status is maintained.
Joyce writes, “she had all the
weight of social opinion on her side: she was an outraged mother. She had
allowed him to live beneath her roof, assuming that he was a man of honour, and
he had simply abused her hospitality…He had simply taken advantage of Polly’s
youth and inexperience.” Mr. Doran impregnated Mrs. Mooney’s daughter, which is
something he could walk away from, but he has a very high status in
Dublin. News travels fast in Dublin
because it is a small place and Mr. Doran’s reputation will eventually be
ruined. He accepted the fact that he may
have to marry the girl in order to save her honor and his own. Joyce writes, “The affair would be sure to be
talked of and his employer would be certain to hear of it. Dublin is such a
small city: everyone knows everyone else’s business…all his long years of
service gone for nothing! All his industry and diligence thrown away!” He was
not sure if he cared for Polly that much, but marriage sat fine with him as
long as his social status is maintained.
I wonder how the historical backdrop of Dublin during the 20th century (conflicts with the British, Protestants vs. Catholics, the potato famine) might have contributed to these suppressive societal norms.
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