19CLC02

Group 6:
Nguyễn Hoàng Phương Khanh - 1957011132
Phạm Thanh Sang - 1957011180
Nguyễn Trần Đăng Khoa - 1957011135
 James Joyce

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
going inside the mind of characters, revealing
innermost thoughts, feelings and sensations.
Summary
Why is the 3rd person omniscient point of view used?

Reveal character, advance conflict, shift tone,...

Lets the reader experience, on a sensory basis, the world of the

story, as opposed to being narrated into it.

Bringing us into this created world not only to show us the

world but also to interpret it for us.
 How does it relate to the theme?

The main theme:

constraint and social norms
How does it relate to the theme?
How does it relate to the theme?
How does it relate to the theme?
What if the third-person limited point of view were used
instead?
What if the third-person limited point of view were used
instead?
What if the third-person limited point of view were used
instead?
 Who is the victimizer/victim?

There is a sense that

Mrs. Mooney is the
victim of her abusive
husband.
 Who is the victimizer/victim?
They see Polly as
innocent and in need of
protection.
She in fact turn out to be
one of the most skilled
social navigators.
 Who is the victimizer/victim?

Mr. Doran has become

the biggest victim of
“The Boarding House”
Who is the victimizer/victim?

All 3 of them are

victims
Who is the victimizer/victim?
Victimizer

Victim
Who is the victimizer/victim?
Victimizer?

Victim
Who is the victimizer/victim?

Victim only?
 Who is the victimizer/victim?

A place which traps people by their roles and status,

unable to differ from the norms, victims of the era
itself.
 The end.
Thank you for listening.
Q&A.
1. What is particular about the name of
Mrs. Mooney? How does it relate to the
story?
In the story, Mrs. Mooney was only referred to as the Madam or Mrs.
Mooney, her first name was never specified which shown that she does
not have an identity of her own. Furthermore, Mooney was her
husband's name, not hers. It is a significant detail where although Mrs.
Mooney is no longer with her husband, their bond between one
another never disappeared. It is a clue to how society was at that time,
women have never had the rights to divorce their husband nor separate
from them. Her husband though never mentioned in the story, still has
his presence overwhelming Mrs. Mooney
 2. Point out at least 3 symbols worth
discussing
These are some important symbols that are used in the story: 
- In “The Boarding House,” the cleaver-a large knife butchers use to cut bone-symbolizes the forceful and
decisive power of social oppression. Mrs. Mooney, a butcher’s, left her alcoholic husband after he “went for
[her] with the cleaver” one night. Here, the cleaver symbolizes the ways in which Dublin’s patriarchal society
oppressed and even terrorized women in early 20th-century. Mrs. Mooney learns to manipulate society’s rules
for her own gain, and deals with moral problems—like Polly and Mr. Doran’s relationship—“as a cleaver deals
with meat.”
- The image of “mist” elucidates Mr. Doran’s obscured vision and inability to critically analyze his situation and
carry out introspection. All these images are a premonition of his downfall and reflect how short-sighted he is not
to observe the leverages being applied by astute.
- Grey color: Grey is the color of Polly's eyes. The color grey is an emotionless, moody color that is typically
associated with meanings of dull, dirty, and dingy, as well as formal, conservative, and sophisticated. In a line of
the story, Joyce said that Polly, with her eyes has a habit of glancing upwards when she spoke with anyone, which
made her look like a little perverse madonna.
3.Comment on the phrase “wise innocence”.
Why is it relevant to the story?
The phrase uses the figurative language: oxymoron. Innocence is supposed to
represent purity, naiveté, yet here it is portrayed as wise, a completely different
characteristic of an innocent person? It is a "wise innocence" that she possesses
when she almost seduces Bob Doran. Having " the run of the young men" who
lodge in her mother's boarding house, Polly flirts but there is little potential in
these men who are "only passing the time away." This proved that Polly does
have a perception of her situation and how she has limited potential for
improving her circumstances. This has made Polly’s personality much deeper,
every male character was blinded by her “innocence”, they never suspected such
a pure girl and lowered their guards much to her pleasure. She acknowledges her
charms and gladly uses it to her advantage.
4. Analyze the humour in the author’s description of the scene in
which Polly enters Mr. Doran’s room at night and the poor guy gets
trapped
At this point, about two-thirds into the text, we have only just encountered Bob Doran in
his room, and the scene offers a powerful sense of entrapment and inevitability. However, as
Polly enters the room, her physical presence fills him with the awareness that “it was not
altogether his fault that it had happened".  The memories that follow of their first, seemingly
inadvertent physical contact are introduced by a particularly enigmatic phrase: “He
remembered well, with the curious patient memory of the celibate, the first casual caresses
her dress, her breath, her fingers had given him". In view of the strong sexual subtext
established by the story so far, the combination of the words patient and celibate in the
context in which they occur here poses a fundamental problem of interpretation. If there has
been an affair between Polly Mooney and Bob Doran which has involved sexual acts, then how
can the word "celibate" possibly relate to Doran's recollection of their intimacy? The words are
more suggestive of reserve, of actual inhibition which could have prevented sexual relations
between Polly and Bob Doran from developing. They may even point towards an act of self-
censorship, with Doran quite possibly remembering himself as a passive "victim" of Polly's
advances in order to quell his troubled conscience. The way he remember that night and done
it patiently about his “celibate time”
4. Analyze the humour in the author’s description of the scene in
which Polly enters Mr. Doran’s room at night and the poor guy gets
trapped
 -> This “patient” attitude shows that until now, Doran still yearns for Polly, his sexual
desire for Polly is still strong. Yet, he still makes sure to remind himself that he is single.
He denied any feelings for Polly at the time. Physical intercourse is supposed to have
the consent of both people. However, when things break out, he has the attitude as if
he is criticizing Polly and held no responsibility for what happened. And the way he
thinks “it was not altogether his fault that it had happened”. The way he relives that
night makes the readers think Polly is seducing him, luring him into her trap. But in
truth, he knew about that trap and intentionally fell to it. At that moment we can
clearly see he is completely alert and in no trance or being drugs by any kind of mind
altering substance. 
→ The funny thing here is, a fully grown man, after having sexual intercourse, is
supposed to take full responsibility for what happened. He in fact does not. It is
acceptable for him to feel threatened by the event, but not to feel that he is the victim
at play, being led on by Polly and thus fallen into the mother & daughter trap.