These essays are about the stories "A Little Cloud" and "Boarding House" from James Joyce's "Dubliners".

The Boarding House The story begins with Mrs. Mooney's failed marriage. It is apparent that Mrs. Mooney was a strong willed woman and refused to deal with a husband that was an abusive drunk. The introduction tells us how Mrs. Mooney came to run a boarding house and how she managed her tenants. The fact that Mrs. Mooney's boarders referred to her as the Madame is quite revealing. The note in the book states that …

…reading Byron, the infant wakes up and shatters his dream-like state. He desperately tries to calm the wailing child and in a moment of anger he screams at the baby. Chandler's wife appears and snatches the crying child from him while he tries to explain himself. As his wife consoles the child, Chandler is overwhelmed with shame. Little Chandler realizes that he is trapped in his life and his dreams will never come to pass.