FREE ESSAY ON THE BOARDING HOUSE

THE BOARDING HOUSE

Brandon D. Hart
Mr. Stannard
Philosophy 2
July 18, 2000
Mrs. Mooney's Deceitful Act 
The Boarding House, written by James Joyce, takes place in a small neighborhood located
in Dublin, Ireland during the early 1900's. There were three main characters involved in
this story-Mrs. Mooney known as The Madam, who was in charge of the boarding house, Polly
who is the daughter of Mrs. Mooney, and Mr. Doran who was a resident of the house. 
James Joyce's, The Boarding House has a strange twist. It just so happens, Mrs. Mooney
who is very strict and protective of her daughter allows a secret relationship to form
between Mr. Doran and Polly. Pretending as though she has no idea of the matter, the
inconceivable act of fornication occurs between the two-thus, scarring her daughter's
honor for life. For a man would prefer to marry a woman who has not already been taken by
another man. In all likelihood, Mr. Doran was wrong to take advantage of a young naive
woman at the precious age of nineteen. Mrs. Mooney was aware Mr. Doran 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 (James Joyce 40). Upon revealing her knowledge to
the couple, she shamelessly informed Mr. Doran she wanted reparation. However, only one
type of reparation would satisfy Mrs. Mooney, and that was marriage. 
In addition to Mr. Doran, many other men had stayed there at the boarding house and made
advances towards Polly which Mrs. Mooney did not approve of, and often she pondered the
idea of sending her daughter Polly away to work in typewriting again. However, Mrs.
Mooney felt the men were just passing by and were not actually seriously interested in
her daughter, therefore paying no attention. However, for some strange reason Mr. Doran
was of a different nature. She allowed the relationship to go on without intervention,
possibly because she knew he made good money, along with having a secure job, working for
a great Catholic wine-merchant. 
Furthermore, allowing the affair to escalate between Mr. Doran and her daughter would
ultimately result in the act of intercourse. Having done this outside of wedlock caused
women to be frowned on by society tremendously. Mrs. Mooney blatantly regarded Mr. Doran
as a mere means and not as an end in his own right. Before speaking to Mr. Doran about
the incident, Mrs. Mooney stood and surveyed herself in the pier-glass, with a decisive
expression on her great florid face satisfied her and she thought of some mothers she
knew who could not get their daughters off their hands. She was sure she would win. To
begin with, she had allowed him to live beneath her roof, assuming that he was a man of
honor, and he had simply abused her hospitality. He was thirty-four or thirty-five years
of age, so that youth could not be pleaded as his excuse; nor could ignorance be his
excuse since he was a man who had seen something of the world. He had simply taken
advantage of Polly's youth and inexperience: that was evident (James Joyce 40). 
Nonetheless, it is painfully obvious that Mrs. Mooney selfishly and manipulatively took
advantage of Mr. Doran. One does not have the right to use another individual as a way to
further themselves without morally accrediting the respect and acknowledgement they
deserve as a person. I strongly feel it was despicable what Mrs. Mooney did. One can
agree it is always wrong to treat another human being as a mere means and not as an end
in his or her own right. As I have stated earlier, I feel Mrs. Mooney treated Mr. Doran
as a mere means and not as an end in his own right.
However, one can argue-because Mr. Doran and Polly were both legally consenting
adults-that maybe Mrs. Mooney has no right to interfere with the personal lives of either
person. Furthermore, one might possibly argue the fact that because Polly is
nineteen-years-old, very flirtatious, and single, that this was a very effective means of
finding the ideal person to marry her daughter. After all Mr. Doran does have a secure
job, he is older and much more mature than the average person Polly's age. 
However, I must indeed counter those arguments by stating, I believe intentionally
setting up a person for your own personal advantage is irresponsible and inconsiderate of
that person's feelings. Mr. Doran's thoughts... Once you are married you are done for
(James Joyce 41). It is evident Mr. Doran was not truly considering marriage, until he
thought of the ways he would be ruined once his boss learned of his sinful conduct.
Additionally, he would feel guilty if Polly were to put an end to herself, as she
mentioned. 
Truly, I feel Mrs. Mooney could have prevented this situation had she stopped the affair
before it actually took place. However, it is apparent Mrs. Mooney's intentions were to
select who her daughter was to marry, caring very little for what the man felt. It is
very clear to me Mrs. Mooney deliberately waited for the perfect gentlemen to come along.
Meaning, a man who is easily influenced into having to marry her daughter, that of a
person who is serious, not rakish or loud-voiced like the others (James Joyce 40). Along
with a person of a secure background, one who has saved up a bit of money, in all
likelihood-meaning one who has a good screw (James Joyce 40. 
Nonetheless, I am not insinuating Mrs. Mooney is one-hundred-percent responsible for the
affair. Of course the two adults are mostly to blame, however I am simply claiming that
Mrs. Mooney's pretending to be oblivious to the fact that Mr. Doran and her daughter
Polly were having an affair, is the reason why it developed into what it did. It could
have been stopped, but Mrs. Mooney secretly and manipulatively trapped Mr. Doran into
owing reparation and would then anticipate marriage. 
By virtue of Mrs. Mooney's despicable and manipulative actions, a dilemma has
occurred...Polly cried and threw her arms around Bob Doran's neck, saying:
O Bob! Bob! What am I to do? What am I to do at all? She would put and end to herself,
she said (James Joyce 41,42). 
There is only one undeniable resolution to this problem; Mr. Doran marries Polly. In
addition, I would venture to say Mrs. Mooney's conspiracy to trap Mr. Doran was
successful. Mrs. Mooney is wrong for treating Mr. Doran as a mere means, and not as an
end in his own right. Mr. Doran was truly helpless from the beginning when he first moved
into the boarding house. Unfortunately for Bob Doran, Mrs. Mooney was successful in her
cleverly selfish and manipulative excursion.
Polly! Polly!
Yes, mamma?
Come down, dear. Mr. Doran wants to speak to you (James Joyce 43).