The document outlines the characters and plot of a story centered around Mrs. Mooney, who runs a boarding house, and her daughter Polly's interactions with Mr. Doran, leading to societal pressures surrounding marriage and morality. It discusses themes such as societal expectations, peer pressure, and the implications of sexual relationships outside of marriage, particularly in the context of American culture in the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, it introduces various literary elements and idiomatic vocabulary related to these themes.

1. Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net
The Boarding House

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“The demand that I make of my reader
is that he should devote his whole life to
reading my works.”

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Main Characters

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Mrs. Mooney
• Butcher’s Daughter
• Separated
• Rented Out Rooms
• Called “The Madam”
• Thrifty
• Manipulative

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Mr. Mooney
• Drunk
• Sheriff’s Man
• Violent
• Separated

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Jack Mooney
• Drinks
• Tough
• Violent
• Loves Sister

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Polly Mooney
• Slim, 19, pretty
• “perverse Madonna”
• Typist / house keeper
• Looking for a husband

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Mr. Bob Doran
• Employed, Good Salary
• 34- 35 year old
• Catholic
• Stuck Up
• Cowardly

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Old Mr. Leonard
• Mr. Doran’s Boss
• Conservative
• Catholic

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The Plot
Mrs. Mooney rents rooms to young
men. With her mother’s unspoken
encouragement, Polly Mooney and
Mr. Doran “sin” together. The
Priest, social pressure, and Mrs.
Mooney force Mr. Doran to “do the
right thing” and “make reparation”
to Polly.

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Social Cultural History
• Having sexual relations outside the
sanctity of marriage forbidden for
most of human history.
• Being pregnant outside of
marriage a social stigma.
• A divorced woman was a
“immoral” or “loose” woman.

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America 1960s – 1970s
• American “sexual” revolution
• Sex became more socially
acceptable
• TV, Movies, Music changed

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That Was Then … This Is Now
I Love Lucy Gary Unmarried

14. Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.netColeman’s Classroom www.clmn.net
That Was Then … This Is Now
Patsy Kline
I fall to pieces…
Avril Lavigne
Hey You! I don’t like your
girlfriend…

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That Was Then … This Is Now
Casablanca Spider Man

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New Idiomatic Vocabulary
Phrase
• Keep things to oneself
and
• Keep ones own counsel
• Under lock and key
• Being had
Means
• Not talk about personal
details or events
• Not easily accessible
• Being taken advantage
of by someone

17. Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.netColeman’s Classroom www.clmn.net
New Idiomatic Vocabulary
Phrase
• Brazen it out
• Count your cards
• Sow wild oats
• Settle down
• Make a clean breast of
it
Means
• Face shamelessly
• Assess your resources
• Be excessively sexually
active
• Get married, have a
family, be responsible
• Confess completely
one’s transgressions

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The Plot
Who? What? When?
Where? Why? How?
Main Idea?
Society requires a man to marry a
girl he has “ruined.”

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Plot Comprehension Questions
Why did Mrs. Mooney leave her
husband?
Why do the residents call Mrs.
Mooney “The Madam?”
Why did Polly leave her job as a
typist?
What did Mrs. Mooney hope would
happen to Polly in the boarding
house?

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Plot Comprehension Questions
What does Mrs. Mooney want from
Mr. Doran?
Why don’t Polly and her mom
discuss what is going on in the
house?
How does Mr. Doran view Polly?
Positives and Negatives?
Why does thoughts of Mr. Leonard
influence Mr. Doran

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Plot Comprehension Questions
How does Jack influence Mr. Doran?
How does Polly influence Mr.
Doran?
When does Mr. Doran decide what
he will do?
What is his decision?
What affects his decision?

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THEMES to Consider
• Tone / Humor / Irony
• Marriage / Divorce / Sex
• Peer Pressure
• Bossy Parents
• Societal Expectations
• Parents’ roles in children’s lifes
• Others?

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Literary Terms (1)
Tone
Attitude of the writer toward the
story, characters, theme, plot, etc.
Tone may be humorous, sarcastic,
ironic, cheerful, pessimistic, angry,
unfeeling, compassionate, or
satirical.

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Literary Terms (2)
Humor
Can be shown in many forms
including exaggerated situations,
snappy lines, sarcasm, parody,
irony, colloquialisms, puns and
word play, comic characterizations,
And black humor

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Sneeze by Maxine Kumin
There’s a sort
of a tickle
the size of a nickel,
A bit like the prickle
Of sweet sour pickle,
it’s a
quivery shiver
the shape of a sliver,
like eels in a river,
a kind of a wiggle
that starts as a jiggle
and joggles
its way
to a tease,
which I cannot
suppress
any longer, I guess,
so pardon me, please,
while I sneeze.

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Literary Terms (3)
Oxymoron
Figure of speech combining
contradictory words
Example
“living death”
“which made her look like a little
perverse Madonna” lns 43-45

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Review Literary Terms (4)
Irony- a comment or situation that
the opposite of what is expected
occurs

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“Ironic” by Alanis Morissette
• has won 12 Juno Awards
and 7 Grammy Awards
• has sold over 55 million albums
worldwide
• Jagged Little Pill released 1995
• “Ironic” biggest hit to date

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Song Excerpt
An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the
next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two
minutes too late
And isn't it ironic... don't you think

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A traffic jam when you're already
late
A no-smoking sign on your
cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when
all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic...don't you think
A little too ironic...and, yeah, I
really do think...

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It's like rain on your wedding
day
It's a free ride when you've
already paid
It's the good advice that you
just didn't take
Who would've thought... it
figures

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Your Thoughts
• Is Mrs. Mooney a good mother?
• Does this couple have a future
together?
• Why should people get married?
• Do you feel sorry for any of the
characters?

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For More Information
Email Mrs. C
ccoleman@clmn.net
Visit Coleman’s Classroom
www.clmn.net