# Clay explained — Dubliners > Chapter companion for Dubliners by James Joyce. ## What happens Maria, a small, unmarried woman who works in a laundry, prepares for a Halloween visit to her former foster-brother Joe's house. She buys cakes and a plumcake, but loses the plumcake on the tram. At Joe's house, she participates in Halloween games, including a blindfolded divination where she first touches a soft wet substance (clay, symbolizing death) before getting a prayerbook. She sings a song about marble halls, and Joe is moved to tears. ## Themes in this chapter ### Alienation and Loneliness Maria's isolation is evident despite her cheerful demeanor. She is unmarried, lives alone, and is treated with a mix of affection and condescension. Her lost plumcake and the ominous clay in the game underscore her unfulfilled desires and marginal place in the family. ### Escape and Frustrated Desire Maria's song about marble halls and her dream of a better life contrast sharply with her reality. The loss of the plumcake and the clay (death) symbolize the frustration of her hopes for a more fulfilling existence. ## Character check-ins ### Maria The protagonist, a small, unmarried woman who works in a laundry. She is kind, independent, and nostalgic, but also naive and subject to the condescension of others. ### Joe Donnelly Maria's former foster-brother, now a married man with children. He is affectionate toward Maria but has a strained relationship with his brother Alphy. ### Mrs. Donnelly Joe's wife, who hosts the Halloween party. She is practical and somewhat stern, especially when the game goes wrong. ### Alphy Joe's brother, with whom Joe has a bitter falling out. He is mentioned but does not appear. ## Key lines > She hoped they would have a nice evening. She was sure they would but she could not help thinking what a pity it was Alphy and Joe were not speaking. They were always falling out now but when they were boys together they used to be the best of friends: but such was life. Maria looked forward to the evening but regretted the estrangement between Alphy and Joe, recalling their childhood friendship and accepting the change as inevitable. _Highlights Maria's passive acceptance of family discord and her nostalgic view of the past._ > 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. Somebody said something about the garden, and at last Mrs. Donnelly said something very cross to one of the next-door girls and told her to throw it out at once: that was no play. During the blindfold game, Maria touched something soft and wet (clay), causing an awkward silence and a hurried cover-up by Mrs. Donnelly, who ordered it removed. _The clay is a symbol of death, and the adults' reaction shows their discomfort with the ominous outcome for Maria._ > 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.' Maria sang a song about a fantasy life of wealth and admiration, repeating the second verse, which speaks of being the hope and pride of those around her. _The song contrasts sharply with Maria's humble reality, emphasizing her unfulfilled dreams and the pathos of her situation._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dubliners_se/chapters/clay - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dubliners_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dubliners_se/chapters