Brooklyn

by

Colm Tóibín

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Brooklyn makes teaching easy.

Miss Keegan Character Analysis

Miss Keegan is one of Eilis’s fellow residents at Mrs. Kehoe’s house. A quiet woman, she lives in the basement and doesn’t say much at the house dinners. When she abruptly moves out, Mrs. Kehoe gives Eilis her room, telling her that it’s the best one in the house and that she shouldn’t worry about what the other boarders will think. However, Eilis worries that this development will upset her housemates, though she sees no way of turning down the room. Later, Miss McAdam tells her that Miss Keegan left because a man was following her home to the separate basement entrance. This man, according to Miss McAdam, exposed himself to Miss Keegan, so she moved to Long Island. Hearing this, Eilis wonders if Miss McAdam is telling her this story as a way of punishing her for taking the best room, and for several nights she worries about the matter until she finally decides to stop thinking about it altogether.
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Miss Keegan Character Timeline in Brooklyn

The timeline below shows where the character Miss Keegan appears in Brooklyn. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part Two
Time and Adaptability Theme Icon
Coming of Age and Passivity Theme Icon
...both find many reasons to become annoyed with Diana and Patty. The final resident is Miss Keegan from Galway, who doesn’t talk much. (full context)
Part Three
Time and Adaptability Theme Icon
...Eilis that what she’s about to say cannot be repeated. She then informs her that Miss Keegan is leaving, though she won’t say why. She only says that, as far as she’s... (full context)
Immigration, Social Status, and Reputation Theme Icon
...aside and asks if she heard what happened. When Eilis looks confused, she says that Miss Keegan left because she was followed home several times by a man. Going on, she says... (full context)