In Joyce Jones' short story, “The Boarding House,” characterization is a key factor. Mrs. Mooney, a divorced wife, was considered by the author to be a very determined woman. As the protagonist of this tale, Mrs. Mooney firmly takes control of her own life, as well as that of her daughter Polly. He has successfully planned to secure his daughter in a comfortable marriage in which he shows that his character is a bit ambiguous. It seems that she demands equality between men and women but also manipulates relationships to get rid of her daughter. The short story reveals that Mrs. Mooney's character is justified in all of her actions in the plot. After a bad marriage to a drunk, Mrs. Mooney opens a boarding house to earn a living. In this tale, her tenants call her "Madam". The author implies that she is respected through this statement. Having given her daughter the opportunity to be with so many men, Mrs. Mooney watches with silent approval as Polly begins seeing a shy, middle-aged businessman. At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Mooney, having learned the details of the situation from her daughter, prepares to firmly confront her lover, Mr. Doran. It seems that she is "determined" to have him marry her daughter (Joyce 413), Polly, due to social standards and the pressure of religion and economics. This story also depicts a clear point of view of the superficial relationships people end up in and out of. getting trapped in the situation. Mrs Mooney also had a difficult life and a bad marriage and started her own business which was built with determination. The author attempts to indicate that she must have very few illusions about love or marriage. He only cares about placing his children,... middle of the paper... on the surface." (Arp 161)Works CitedArp, Thomas R., and Greg Johnson. "Characterization." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and sense. 10th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2009. Print.Jones, Joyce. In Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson, PerrinesLiterature: Structure, Sound and Sense. 10th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2009. Print.Parascandola, Louis and Maria McGarrity. "'I'm a...Naughty Girl': Prostitution and Stranger Women in James Joyce's 'The Boarding House' and 'The Palm Porch.'" by Eric Walrond. CLA Journal 50.2 (December 2006): 141-161 in Criticism of Stories O. Krstovic. Vol. 118. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Collected Essays. Ed. Leonard Woolf. 1.London: Hogarth, 1966. 319-337. 1966-67.