In the early of twentieth century, restricted opportunities were offered to single ladies within the city. Their destiny was mostly considered marriage and family relationship, and bachelor as a failure. However, from the turn of the 20th century, increasing numbers of ladies had begun to press for accesses to education and to wider employment opportunities, and to conceive of lives for themselves beyond wedding. Dublin was opening itself up to skilled and working ladies. they may attend schools in 1904 and the National University (from 1908). Maria in Clay represents the independent girl in Irish capital, who has a job and cash however lives alone with no husband or kids. when Joyce wrote this story; he used a new technique of narration known as ' free indirect style' or free indirect speech. this method involves a really close correlation or (connection) between the narrative voice and the voice of a character.