The Effects of Class and Morality in 'The Boarding House' by James Joyce

James Joyce’s short story “The Boarding House” is a story that largely examines the nature of identity and perception. More specifically, the text examines the lack of autonomous identity as a self-defining idea in favour of a means of contextualizing oneself within society. Joyce is saying in this story that in order to maintain one’s identity and perception within society, individuals can be manipulated via preconceived social notions of morality. This theme is demonstrated through Mrs. Mooney’s plan for her conversation with Bob Doran, and Bob’s inner musings when he shaves.

Mrs. Mooney is shown in this text to be a calculating and cold woman, and nowhere is this demonstrated better than when she prepares for her conversation with Mr. Doran. It becomes clear that in this conversation Mrs. Mooney does not want Mr. Doran to marry her daughter because of reasons relating to love or emotions. She wants him to marry her because it would help her and her family socially. Mrs. Mooney runs a boarding house, and had a notoriously abusive relationship with her husband, so her reputation is not the best. This is shown by Mrs. Mooney’s warped perception of her discussion, as something that needs to be won as opposed to being understood. Joyce writes of this, “She was sure she would win. To begin with she had all the weight of social opinion on her side.” This passage shows that Mrs. Mooney knew from the beginning that this conversation would be bigger than simply her and Mr. Doran. She knew the opinions of the entire community would factor in, and as such she would have the upper hand. This is a very literal, on-the-nose example which demonstrates how Mrs. Mooney uses external social views and an engrained morality to get what she wants.

While Mrs. Mooney utilizes social opinion as a tool to get what she wants, Mr. Doran, conversely, is brought to submission by it. His dilemma is well encapsulated as he anxiously attempts to shave. This shaving in itself seems like it may be a subtle indication that the identity an individual projects is more important than the one within, as the anxious Mr. Doran is making an effort to appear put together. The more interesting analysis comes when we examine what he thinks as he shaves, however, since Joyce writes, “All his long years of service gone for nothing! All his industry and diligence thrown away!” This passage shows clearly that Mr. Doran sees himself as the victim in this scenario, as he believes that his career and reputation will be brought down no matter what happens. If he marries Mrs. Mooney’s daughter Polly, he will be looked down on for his association with a lower class of people, but if he doesn’t, he will be looked down on for his immorality. This dilemma brings about an interesting discussion, as it forces us to consider which is worse: to risk one’s position, or to risk one’s perceived good nature? The text definitely paints the latter as more influential, as the ending implies that the two will in fact marry.

In this text, James Joyce is painting Mrs. Mooney and Mr. Doran as people on two opposite ends of the same issue. Not only are they representative of the different sides of a class-based society, but they are representative of how this same system can be used to manipulate mass opinion. If someone lower in class can use this position to control someone higher, does that ultimately mean that the lower class has more power? It certainly seems as though Joyce’s text thinks so. Yet more interesting to consider still, if Mr. Doran does marry Polly, then what influence can public opinion really have on personal decisions? Is Mr. Doran just as much a part of this problem for letting himself be controlled in this way? Once again, it surely seems that the text is saying so, as it is hard to truly feel sympathetic for either character. Ultimately, what this text is saying is that an innate notion of morality defines a person’s place in society, and that one may risk their autonomy in order to maintain it.