Grace

by

James Joyce

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Mr. M’Coy is one of the four men—in addition to Jack Power, Martin Cunningham, and Tom Kernan—who make up the main friend group in the story. Power and Cunningham enlist him to help convince Kernan to attend a Catholic retreat aimed at bringing him out of his downward spiral. M’Coy was once a semi-famous singer along with his wife, but he’s since had trouble holding down a job, bouncing between a clerkship for a railroad company, an advertising sales job, and a private inquiry agent job, before becoming secretary to the City Coroner. He has also engaged in some less legitimate ways of making money, such as pawning off old suitcases “borrowed” from friends such as Power—something that leads to resentment between Power and himself. He joins in the long discussion about Catholic history and Irish religion that takes up the majority of the story, asking questions and stating facts (usually incorrect) in turn. Among his friends, M’Coy occupies a lower station than Power and Cunningham, but he’s more successful than the troubled Kernan.

Mr. M’Coy Quotes in Grace

The Grace quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. M’Coy or refer to Mr. M’Coy. 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:
Morality, Redemption, and the Catholic Church Theme Icon
).
Grace Quotes

--Yes, that’s it, said Mr Cunningham, Jack and I and M’Coy here – we’re all going to wash the pot.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 162
Explanation and Analysis:

Every other order of the Church has to be reformed at some time or other but the Jesuit Order was never once reformed. It never fell away.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy
Page Number: 163
Explanation and Analysis:

--But, of course, said Mr Cunningham quietly and effectively, our religion is the religion, the old, original faith.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:

--Allow me, said Mr Cunningham positively, it was Lux upon Lux. And Pius IX. his predecessor’s motto was Crux upon Crux that is, Cross upon Cross – to show the difference between their two pontificates.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy, Mr. Fogarty
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mr. M’Coy Quotes in Grace

The Grace quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. M’Coy or refer to Mr. M’Coy. 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:
Morality, Redemption, and the Catholic Church Theme Icon
).
Grace Quotes

--Yes, that’s it, said Mr Cunningham, Jack and I and M’Coy here – we’re all going to wash the pot.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 162
Explanation and Analysis:

Every other order of the Church has to be reformed at some time or other but the Jesuit Order was never once reformed. It never fell away.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy
Page Number: 163
Explanation and Analysis:

--But, of course, said Mr Cunningham quietly and effectively, our religion is the religion, the old, original faith.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:

--Allow me, said Mr Cunningham positively, it was Lux upon Lux. And Pius IX. his predecessor’s motto was Crux upon Crux that is, Cross upon Cross – to show the difference between their two pontificates.

Related Characters: Martin Cunningham (speaker), Tom Kernan, Jack Power, Mr. M’Coy, Mr. Fogarty
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis: