oarding house. The rumors start to make their way around the house regarding Mr. Doran and an affair with the young Polly. At this point in the story Mrs. Mooney realizes that she has societys opinion on her side about premarital affairs and what a better time than then to confront the two about the relationship. With societys constraint on premarital affairs and other proper courting of a woman, Mr. Doran is obligated to ask for Pollys hand in marriage. His reputation and more importantly his job depended on him following society.We conform to what society wants us too. That is just mankinds nature, to always follow what everyone is doing. The wife saw all the men in her life as superior to her and she always obeyed them. Finally she overcame her husbands constraint on her and in her own bizarre way she broke away from societys constraints. Mrs. Mooney uses societys opinion and power to her advantage in The Boarding House. Mr. Dorans fear of social disapproval was enough to force him into a marriage that may have never happened under different circumstances. Constraint is an integral part of our life and how we make decisions. It affects how we act and what we believe. Joyce and Gilman use this common human weakness to relate their short stories to the reader and convey the fact that we cant let everything be decided for us. Everyone has their right to make their own decision and society should not stand in the way....
