the plot of the boarding house

Mrs. Mooney, a butcher's daughter, married one of her father's foreman. Her husband descended into alcoholism, ruining the family business and becoming increasingly violent until Mrs. Mooney procured a separation.

She took the last of their money and set herself up in a boarding house. Her tenants there consist mainly of tourists and artistes from the music halls. She supervises things firmly and with great competence. Sunday nights, there is a little reunion with music and gaiety.

In this third person narrative short story, Joyce creates several images to address the theme of the story: things are schemed, motive person hurts others. The images in the story, in between Mr. Doran and Polly; Mrs. Mooney and the two young lovers; the young men in the boarding house and Mr. Doran, changes their scope from micro to macro to reflect the real living environment of Dublin.