deep longing for male attention and companionship. As a nun, God would be Maria's suitor, not some knight like the one alluded to in the unsung verse. And so it seems that any sexual desire Maria might once have harbored has now been thoroughly suppressed.Encompassing the facet of her sexuality, Maria's individuality as a whole is likewise suppressed. In the instance referred to above where Lizzie Fleming says Maria is sure to get the ring, we see Maria holding back her regret for the fact that the future doesn't seem to hold a romance for her. Instead of putting forth her real desires and fears, she opts live into the neutral role of the peace-maker, conforming to the image she sees of herself in the mirror other's eyes. When Joe asks her to have a drink with him, though she doesn't feel comfortable obliging, she nonetheless feels sufficiently compelled to act in a way pleasing to those around her, disregarding her personal preferences by way of appealing to others. A similar instance occurs later in the evening where she pressured into singing against her instincts not to.The scene where Mrs Donnelly and the neighbor girls orchestrate the Halloween fortune-telling game is probably the most symbolic instance of the Maria's sense that her destiny is out of her hands. Here, Maria literally chooses her fate blindfolded. However, even this small guiding hand in where she is headed is eventually denied her. The original fate she chooses, one that is "soft and wet" (Joyce, 101), mysterious and interesting, is wrong according to Mrs Donnelly. It is instead replaced with the unmistakable implications that the prayer-book denotes. Maria's destiny has been decided for her, and, true to her humble and selfless heart, she tells them that they are all very good to her.The relationship the reader has with the life of the story is similar to the relationship Maria has with her own life. Joyce's decision to leave out any present-time dial...
