Characters
Characters are based on certain characteristics that are apparent through a wide variety of texts.
Mrs. Mooney- is the daughter of a butcher and mother of Polly and Jack. She is separated from her husband and is the owner of the Boarding House. When she finds out about her daughter’s affair she wants reparations, not in the form of money but in marriage, for the loss of her daughter’s honor. She is a manipulative woman. She has a greater role than what is shown on the surface. Personally, I believe she demands equal treatment for men and women as she feels that men should pay for their actions by marriage. She is a round character because we know a lot about her and are given insight into her thoughts. She also plays a central role in the story, by influencing the outcome.
Mr. Mooney- is the husband of Mrs. Mooney and drunkard. He drove himself to debt and lost his butcher’s shop business. He tried to kill his wife with a cleaver and after his wife left him he became a bailiff/sheriff’s man.
Jack Mooney- Polly's tough brother, fond of drink and fighting. Mr. Doran is afraid of him.
Polly Mooney- is a slim girl of nineteen and the daughter of Mrs. Mooney. She stays at home to do housework and helps her mother out. She gets sexually involved with Mr. Doran, an older man, and she has little say in what will happen in the future as she lets her mother take care of the rest. During the story she has an epiphany that she cannot do anything about the situation she is in. She learns that her actions have consequences and she is obliged to marry Mr. Doran. She is a round and dynamic character as we she is central to the conflict and she self evolves.
Mr. Bob Doran- A man in his thirties and the lover of Polly Mooney. He is a successful clerk, and fears that his reputation will be tarnish due to the affair he has with Polly. He worries about what people will think about him and her and whether he really loves Polly. He then comes to an epiphany that he has to get married regardless of his feelings. This makes him a dynamic character.