Short Fiction · Character

Mrs. Molloy

A grim, religious old servant whose hatred of her mistress's brutal husband and store of cursed stories haunt the household he cannot quite expel.

supporting

Also known as old Mrs. Molloy, Molloy, old Molloy, old Mother Molloy

First appearance: ii the fairies in the castle

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Mrs. Molloy is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The Irish maid at the inn, who suspects the visitors might be disguised law enforcement.

In the storyX: How It All HappenedOpen this moment free

Old Molly Doyle attends the unhappy Mrs. Walshawe, a woman shut away in her room after a disastrous marriage to a man who spends her money and breaks her heart. The Captain loathes Molly for her stories and her watchfulness, threatening to throw her out the window, yet she remains in the house, a silent witness to his cruelty. When her mistress dies, Molly's presence and the tales she carries become the instrument through which the story's supernatural justice begins to close in on the man who wronged them both.

See Mrs. Molloy in X: How It All Happened Book page

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Character Web

25 connections

A slice of how Mrs. Molloy sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Fairy and ghost storytellers
Haunting family histories
Protagonist
Fairy abduction tales
Supernatural encounters

+20 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of the narrator's horror and the r…

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In the story

Mrs. Molloy appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

X: How It All Happened
The Irish maid at the inn, who suspects the visitors might be disguised law enforcement.
II: The Blessed Candle
Moll Doyle, the old serving-woman who defies the Captain and defends the blessed candle.
The White Cat of Drumgunniol
Old Sal Doolan, a woman who leads the group to investigate the corpse with a candle.
Madam Crowl's Ghost
Mentioned as Mrs. Wyvern, one of the women attending Dame Crowl during her final illness.
Hyacinth O’Toole
Mother of Miss Molloy; behaves scandalously by leaning into the viceregal box and engaging in a loud altercation.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mrs. Molloy unlock in the free preview.

See Mrs. Molloy in ii the fairies in the castle

See Mrs. Molloy in X: How It All Happened