Clay

by

James Joyce

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Next-Door Girls Character Analysis

These two girls live next door to Joe and Mrs. Donnelly, and they (along with the four Donnelly children) are present during the Hallow Eve festivities. The girls organize holiday games for the group, including the final game in which blindfolded players must select an object that will determine their fate. During the game, one of the girls selects a ring, which symbolizes upcoming marriage, prompting a playful reaction from Mrs. Donnelly. This moment represents the promise and expectation of marriage for a young woman, as well as the mutual understanding that exists between young women who are eligible for marriage and older married women. Maria, however, finds herself on the outside of this, unable to connect with other women in the way they connect with each other. When Maria selects the lump of clay (symbolizing death), Mrs. Donnelly scolds the girls for bringing the clay, implying that this wasn’t appropriate.

Next-Door Girls Quotes in Clay

The Clay quotes below are all either spoken by Next-Door Girls or refer to Next-Door Girls. 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

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

Next-Door Girls Quotes in Clay

The Clay quotes below are all either spoken by Next-Door Girls or refer to Next-Door Girls. 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

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: