Week 3 blog on Dubliners

The Boarding House

I enjoyed The Boarding House because it seemed like there was a lot happening that wasn’t spoken. Mrs. Mooney, described as being a cunning and firm woman, was just that: she knew how to get her way. By allowing her daughter Polly to flirt with the boarders, and by keeping quiet about it, Mrs. Mooney undoubtedly realized that eventually the flirting would go so far with some poor man that Mrs. Mooney would have just cause to insist that the man marry Polly. Perhaps, because Mrs. Mooney did not feel that her daughter would be safe working outside the home, due to visits by Mrs. Mooney’s dangerous, drunk ex-husband, Mrs. Mooney thought that marrying Polly off would be a way to get her out of the house but at the same time, the girl would have someone to look over her. Still, I find it ironic that after suffering such an awful marriage herself, Mrs. Mooney would manipulate her daughter to marry a man who very well may not be suited to her. But perhaps Mrs. Mooney needed a way to control people since she undoubtedly felt that she had no control over her ex-husband’s abusive behavior.

Mr. Doran, the man who presumably succumbs to agreeing to marry Polly (though we never really know for sure), was paralyzed for this reason. He could have left town, but didn’t, because of the guilt put on him by Mrs. Mooney and the priest, and because of the threat he felt from Polly’s brother. Joyce slams the strictness of Catholicism again, and he also highlights the fact that those who stay in Dublin will never be able to make good choices for themselves. It is doubtful that Mr. Doran and Polly will have a good life together. Aside from the fact that they are very different, who knows if Polly’s kind acts towards Mr. Doran will continue once she and her mother get what they want. She is a self-proclaimed “naughty girl,” and she is able to rouse herself from tears (whether actual or feigned) in almost no time. This indicates to me that she is not a genuine person.

A Little Cloud

I enjoyed this story very much as well. Little Chandler is obviously the paralyzed character in this chapter, as he is stuck in a joyless marriage and has no hope of moving on to bigger and better things with either his work or his love life. Though he can really only blame himself for his inaction, I nevertheless feel sorry for Little Chandler. He lacked the strength (and possibly talent) to launch himself into a better career, and his devoutness to his religion seemed to hold him back as well, keeping him from exploring more exciting “immoral” cities such as Paris and London. His physique was described as childlike, and perhaps that imposed a sense of powerlessness on him. He couldn’t even control his crying baby. The anticipation of meeting with his successful, worldly friend probably made him feel like he was floating on a “little cloud,” allowing him to think that if his friend, who had less education and refinement than he did, could become so successful and happy, then he had a chance, too. However, the fantasy didn’t last, and Chandler eventually became envious of his friend and bitter about his own life and the fact that his timidity stood in the way of his chance for accomplishments. I found it interesting that in this chapter, Joyce comes out and states: “There was no doubt about it: if you wanted to succeed, you had to go away. You could do nothing in Dublin.” What is hinted at throughout each chapter of the book is laid out very clearly in A Little Cloud.

Counterparts

I found this story to be very disturbing. The main character, Farrington, is often referred to as “the man” by the narrator, perhaps because he was such a despicable individual that he didn’t deserve to be called by name...that would give him too much human quality. This man has just about every bad quality imaginable: he has a creepy physique, with “dirty” eyes; he is lazy (paralyzed?) as an employee; he is disrespectful to his superiors; he is short tempered and mean to his friends when he doesn’t get his way; he is inclined to cheat on his wife; he is irresponsible with money; and he is abusive to his family. There is not one good thing about him. What’s even worse is that others allow him to continue behaving the way he does—his boss has not yet fired him, his friends continue to socialize with him, and his large family is likely dependent on him to bring in money, and thus, they are stuck with him. In Joyce’s opinion, it was people such as this man as well as the fact that others tolerated him that held Ireland back.