Maria, a laundress, is an older, unmarried woman with plans to attend her former foster child's Halloween celebration. On her way to the party, Maria is reminded of her "old maid" status, and during one of the party's games further confirms her marital future when choosing a lump of clay over a wedding ring. Critically acclaimed author James Joyce's Dubliners is a collection of short stories depicting middle-class life in Dublin in the early twentieth century. First published in 1914, the stories draw on themes relevant to the time such as nationalism and Ireland's national identity, and cement Joyce's reputation for brutally honest and revealing depictions of everyday Irish life.
