Clay

by

James Joyce

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Mrs. Donnelly Character Analysis

Mrs. Donnelly is Joe’s wife, who is unfailingly kind to Maria. On Hallow Eve, Mrs. Donnelly defends Maria’s assertion that Joe and Alphy should reconnect, and she scolds the next-door girls for bringing the clay that humiliates Maria during the game. Despite Mrs. Donnelly’s genuine kindness, she doesn’t always understand Maria. She offers Maria port wine, for instance, even though Maria hates drinking, and when she encourages Maria to sing for the family, it makes Maria uncomfortable (although Maria does what Mrs. Donnelly asks anyway).

Mrs. Donnelly Quotes in Clay

The Clay quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Donnelly or refer to Mrs. Donnelly. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Loneliness and Estrangement Theme Icon
).
Clay Quotes

[…] Maria thought she would put in a good word for Alphy. But Joe cried that God might strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again and Maria said she was sorry she had mentioned the matter. Mrs Donnelly told her husband it was a great shame for him to speak that way of his own flesh and blood but Joe said that Alphy was no brother of his and there was nearly being a row on the head of it. But Joe said he would not lose his temper on account of the night it was and asked his wife to open some more stout.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Alphy Donnelly
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:

The two next-door girls had arranged some Hallow Eve game and soon everything was merry again […] The next-door girls put some saucers on the table and then led the children up to the table, blindfold […] when one of the next-door girls got the ring Mrs Donnelly shook her finger at the blushing girl so much as to say: O, I know all about it! They insisted then on blindfolding Maria and leading her up to the table to see what she would get; and, while they were putting on the bandage, Maria laughed and laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Related Symbols: Rings, Blindfold
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 100-101
Explanation and Analysis:

They led her up to the table amid laughing and joking and she put her hand out in the air as she was told to do. She moved her hand about here and there in the air and descended on one of the saucers. She felt a soft wet substance with her fingers and was surprised that nobody spoke or took off her bandage. There was a pause for a few seconds; and then a great deal of scuffling and whispering […] Maria understood that it was wrong that time and so she had to do it over again: and this time she got the prayer-book.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Related Symbols: Blindfold, Clay
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 101
Explanation and Analysis:

[…] Maria, blushing very much, began to sing in a tiny quavering voice. She sang I Dreamt that I Dwelt, and when she came to the second verse she sang again:

I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls
With vassals and serfs at my side
And of all who assembled within those walls
That I was the hope and the pride.
I had riches too great to count, could boast
Of a high ancestral name,
But I also dreamt, which pleased me most,
That you loved me still the same.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 102
Explanation and Analysis:

But no one tried to show her her mistake; and when she had ended her song Joe was very much moved. He said that there was no time like the long ago and no music for him like poor old Balfe, whatever other people might say; and his eyes filled up so much with tears that he could not find what he was looking for and in the end he had to ask his wife to tell him where the corkscrew was.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Page Number: 102
Explanation and Analysis:
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Clay PDF

Mrs. Donnelly Quotes in Clay

The Clay quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Donnelly or refer to Mrs. Donnelly. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Loneliness and Estrangement Theme Icon
).
Clay Quotes

[…] Maria thought she would put in a good word for Alphy. But Joe cried that God might strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again and Maria said she was sorry she had mentioned the matter. Mrs Donnelly told her husband it was a great shame for him to speak that way of his own flesh and blood but Joe said that Alphy was no brother of his and there was nearly being a row on the head of it. But Joe said he would not lose his temper on account of the night it was and asked his wife to open some more stout.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Alphy Donnelly
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:

The two next-door girls had arranged some Hallow Eve game and soon everything was merry again […] The next-door girls put some saucers on the table and then led the children up to the table, blindfold […] when one of the next-door girls got the ring Mrs Donnelly shook her finger at the blushing girl so much as to say: O, I know all about it! They insisted then on blindfolding Maria and leading her up to the table to see what she would get; and, while they were putting on the bandage, Maria laughed and laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Related Symbols: Rings, Blindfold
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 100-101
Explanation and Analysis:

They led her up to the table amid laughing and joking and she put her hand out in the air as she was told to do. She moved her hand about here and there in the air and descended on one of the saucers. She felt a soft wet substance with her fingers and was surprised that nobody spoke or took off her bandage. There was a pause for a few seconds; and then a great deal of scuffling and whispering […] Maria understood that it was wrong that time and so she had to do it over again: and this time she got the prayer-book.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Related Symbols: Blindfold, Clay
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 101
Explanation and Analysis:

[…] Maria, blushing very much, began to sing in a tiny quavering voice. She sang I Dreamt that I Dwelt, and when she came to the second verse she sang again:

I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls
With vassals and serfs at my side
And of all who assembled within those walls
That I was the hope and the pride.
I had riches too great to count, could boast
Of a high ancestral name,
But I also dreamt, which pleased me most,
That you loved me still the same.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 102
Explanation and Analysis:

But no one tried to show her her mistake; and when she had ended her song Joe was very much moved. He said that there was no time like the long ago and no music for him like poor old Balfe, whatever other people might say; and his eyes filled up so much with tears that he could not find what he was looking for and in the end he had to ask his wife to tell him where the corkscrew was.

Related Characters: Maria, Joe Donnelly, Mrs. Donnelly, Next-Door Girls
Page Number: 102
Explanation and Analysis: