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Summary
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Two Gallants, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Ireland’s Decline
Restlessness, Lack of Belonging, and Discontentedness
Women and a Lack of Gallantry
Money, Transaction, and Relationships
Betrayal
Summary
Analysis
On a balmy August Sunday, two men named Corley and Lenehan walk past Rutland Square in Dublin. Corley is telling Lenehan a long story while walking in a thoughtless way, repeatedly forcing Lenehan off the sidewalk and into the street. Lenehan nevertheless laughs expressively while listening to the story and is visibly amused, constantly glancing at Corley’s face. Though Lenehan is young, he looks careworn and “ravaged,” with grey hair and a bulging stomach. When Corley finishes the story, Lenehan enthusiastically replies, “That takes the […] biscuit!”
The way Corley carelessly forces Lenehan into the street as they walk indicates his selfish, thoughtless personality—it seems that he only cares about impressing Lenehan with his story, not about his friend’s well-being. Lenehan seems immune to Corley’s thoughtlessness, though, indicating that he doesn’t expect any better from his friend—or perhaps that he doesn’t think he deserves any better. As Lenehan’s ravaged description indicates, life has beaten him down despite his young age. He manages to maintain a façade of happiness around Corley, though. The way he continuously looks at Corley’s face to see if he (Lenehan) is reacting the right way suggests that he’s constantly performing in order to be accepted.
Themes
Literary Devices
Immediately after making this comment, Lenehan becomes “serious” and “silent”—talking all day at the pub wore him out. Though “most people consider Lenehan a leech,” his friends don’t ostracize him because he’s savvy in social situations. He is adept at hanging around the edges of a social group at a bar until they accept him as one of the group and include him in the next round of drinks. No one knows how Lenehan makes a living, though it’s generally believed that he’s somehow connected to the cheap newspapers that cover horse-racing.
Lenehan’s performances tire him out—maintaining a persona in order to belong is exhausting. He must act strategically in order to be included in social situations, and even then, “most people consider Lenehan a leech” because it’s obvious that he’s partially motivated by wanting people to buy him drinks. In this way, it seems that Lenehan’s relationships are shallow and transactional rather than rooted in genuine connection.
Themes
Literary Devices
Corley and Lenehan’s conversation shifts to women, as Lenehan asks Corley where he met an unnamed housemaid whom Corley has “picked up.” This “fine tart,” as Corley puts it, not only provides sexual favors but also brings him cigarettes and expensive cigars. She also pays for his tram ride to and from their rendezvous. Corley says he worried that the maid would get pregnant, but she knows to avoid that. Lenehan comments sarcastically, “Maybe she thinks you’ll marry her.” Corley replies that he’s too clever for that: he hasn’t even told the maid his name and has both told her that he is employed and unemployed.
The two men do not discuss women with respect. Instead, the crude phrases “picked up” and “fine tart” imply that the men see the maid as a sex object whom Corley is using. And, like Lenehan essentially manipulates people to include him in social situations and buy him drinks, Corley exploits the maid to buy him things. It seems that his desire for money has replaced genuine human interactions based on love. Lenehan knows Corley does not mean to marry the girl, and indeed, Corley’s fear of the maid getting pregnant implies that he has no interest in being a husband or father—he’s only using the maid for his selfish ends. Though the story is titled “Two Gallants,” then, this incident illustrates that Corley is far from gallant, and Lenehan does nothing to stop Corley’s habits.
Themes
Corley is the son of a police inspector and inherited his father’s build and stature. His “large, globular and oily” head glistens and sweats constantly, no matter the weather. Corley is out of work and is not interested when his friends tell him the unpleasant information that there are jobs available. It seems likely that he makes what money he does by being a police informant. He enjoys making bold pronouncements, monopolizes conversations, and mostly talks about himself.
Though Corley comes from a family with money and some level of status, he is portrayed as downtrodden and lazy—he could find an honest job but just doesn’t want to work. His sweatiness and “large, globular and oily” head subtly imply that Corley is greasy or slippery in both a literal and a figurative sense—he is dishonest and flatters people in order to get what he wants from them. This also applies to his job as a police informant, which likely involves ingratiating himself with people only to betray them to law enforcement.
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Literary Devices
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As the men walk through the city crowds, Corley regularly smiles at girls they pass. But Lenehan becomes absorbed in looking at the moon, which is “circled by a double halo.”
While Corley is absorbed in his womanizing activities, Lenehan’s attention is on the moon, something that transcends earthly concerns altogether. The moon’s “double halo” gives it an angelic appearance, associating it with divinity and purity. In this sense, the moon symbolizes Lenehan’s longing for something more meaningful than sex and money. This begins to suggest that the way Lenehan and Corley are—aimless, restless, and manipulative—is perhaps a product of their society rather than what they genuinely want, and that this is an unnatural and unfulfilling way to live. But the moon’s distance suggests that a more meaningful way of life is out of reach in Dublin.
Themes
Literary Devices
Still walking through the city, Lenehan asks Corley if he can “pull it off.” Though what, exactly, Corley is “pulling off” remains ambiguous, it must refer to the maid Corley is meeting, as Lenehan asks “Is she game for that [...] you can never know women.” Corley replies that he knows the way to “get around her.” Lenehan enthusiastically calls Corley a “Lothario,” though the narrator notes that Lenehan’s seeming “servility” is undercut by mockery that Corley isn’t able to notice.
Lenehan’s question sets up an expectation that Corley is trying to have sex with the maid—“pull it off” could refer to convincing her to sleep with him. Lenehan jokingly calls Corley a “Lothario,” a term for an uncaring and unprincipled seducer. But while Corley might take this as a compliment indicating his sexual prowess, Lenehan seems to see some of the situation’s unpleasantness. By mocking Corley, he shows his awareness that Corley is probably not very alluring to women, and that the whole situation is rather cheapened—not at all like a Lothario’s seduction.
Themes
Literary Devices
Corley and Lenehan then discuss Corley’s romantic exploits. Corley asserts he was once a good, honorable lover who would buy women things and take them out on dates. But both men agree that these traditional, honorable romantic encounters are a fool’s errand that never yields anything in return. Corley adds that he did get something “off of one of them,” though. For a moment, Corley stares at the moon and sadly says that this woman was “a bit of all right.” Then he notes that she is now a prostitute. Lenehan says that her becoming a prostitute must be Corley’s doing, meaning this as a kind of compliment. But Corley only replies, “there was others at her before me,” to which Lenehan responds, “Base betrayer!”
Corley is genuinely sad that the woman he once dated is now a prostitute, but he’s seemingly unaware of the fact that he and Lenehan have impossible standards for women. Part of them seems to want a woman who’s entirely pure and chaste, as represented by the way they shame the woman for having other men “at her” before Corley, and by the way they gaze at the moon, which symbolizes purity. Yet they’ve also become cynical about courtship and romance and expect women to have sex with them—Lenehan even suggests that Corley driving a woman into prostitution is something to be proud of. Notably, in the early 20th century (when “Two Gallants” is set), Ireland was a colonial state under English rule. So, the way Corley and Lenehan conquer, objectify, and exploit women mirrors the way England was treating Ireland at this time.
Themes
Literary Devices
Now walking past Trinity College, Dublin, Corley is about to meet up with the maid for a date. Before he heads to the meeting point, though, he tells Lenehan that he always lets the woman “wait a bit” before he meets her. Lenehan laughs at Corley’s wily ways, and asks again if Corley can “bring [the job] off.” Corley, annoyed, reassures Lenehan that he will. He adds that the maid is a “fine decent tart.”
Corley is up to his old ungallant ways—a gentleman wouldn’t make a lady “wait a bit,” but Corley is no gentleman. Lenehan does nothing to try to change Corley, though, instead going along with Corley’s idea and laughing. They again objectify the maid by referring to her as a “fine decent tart” and are only concerned with Corley’s ability to “bring [the job] off”—presumably, to have sex with her. This again points to a decline in relations between men and women that symbolizes the decline in relations between England and Ireland. Moreover, Corley and Lenehan seem content to continue walking aimlessly around Dublin, an activity that symbolizes their general restlessness and lack of purpose in life.
Themes
Still walking, Lenehan and Corley see a harpist playing “heedlessly” while glancing around at his listeners and also sometimes “wearily” upwards at the sky. The harp, “heedless that her coverings had fallen about her knees,” is also described as seeming weary of both “the eyes of strangers and of her master’s hands.” The “mournful” music accompanies the men as they walk.
The harp is a national symbol of Ireland, and it’s significant that it’s being played “heedlessly” by a weary man. This represents Ireland’s plight at this time: the story implies that the country is being carelessly played upon by colonizers and by men like Lenehan and Corley, who do nothing to better themselves or their country. Thus, the “mournful” music symbolizes the mournful state of Ireland itself.
Themes
Literary Devices
Corley suddenly sees the maid on a street corner. She is dressed in a blue dress and white hat. Lenehan excitedly says he wants to get a good look at her, to which Corley slyly and angrily asks if Lenehan is trying to steal his woman and take his place. Lenehan reassures Corley that he has no intentions of taking his woman—he only wants to look at her. Corley is satisfied and says Lenehan can walk by as he talks to the maid. Corley walks off to meet her, agreeing over his shoulder to meet Lenehan later that night at the corner of Merrion Street. Lenehan calls out “work it all right now” to Corley’s retreating figure, but Corley does not answer.
It is ironic that the maid is dressed in blue and white—colors that are associated with the Virgin Mary in Catholicism, the dominant religion in Ireland—because her meeting with Corley is far from a religious encounter. The two have already had sex, and this meeting is not only for romantic purposes, but for Corley to get something from her. There is also tension between Lenehan and Corley when Corley thinks that Corley wants to steal the maid away from him. This again confirms that the men see the maid as an object to be possessed rather than a person in her own right. It also speaks to a lack of trust in their relationship—even though the men are close friends, they’re both worried the other will betray them.
Themes
Lenehan watches Corley speak to the maid, noting that Corley’s “bulk, his easy pace and the solid sound of his boots had something of the conqueror in them.” Corley approaches the maid “without saluting” and immediately begins talking to her up-close. She laughs at several of his comments.
Corley’s association with a “conqueror” immediately places him on the side of those who have let Ireland down—like the English colonizers. Not saluting, and thus not showing the maid respect, Corley comes off as arrogant and self-interested.
Themes
Lenehan walks past Corley and observes the maid dressed in her “Sunday finery.” He notes her heavy perfume, “ragged black boa,” corsage of flowers pinned to her jacket with the flowers stems pointed upwards, and her blunt features and healthy complexion.
This moment is ironic, as the maid’s “Sunday finery” is ostentatious and cheap—not the sort of outfit usually worn to church. With her “ragged” boa and flowers pinned upside down, the maid is attractive and in good health but far from elegant or modest. This is even more ironic considering she’s dressed in colors associated with the Virgin Mary, as the maid is no saintly figure.
Themes
Once Lenehan passes and is alone, he takes on a different persona than that he had had when he was with Corley. His “face look[s] older,” and “his gaiety seem[s] to forsake him.” He thinks back to the harp player he saw earlier, and “the air which the harpist had played began to control his movements.” His feet walk in time to the melody, and his fingers “swe[ep] a scale of variations idly along the railings after each group of notes.” Becoming increasing morose, Lenehan meditates on how “trivial” his surroundings are, and he avoids responding to the glances of those around him. He finds himself too exhausted to engage in social interaction, to constantly have to “invent and to amuse.” He worries about how he will pass the time until he once more meets with Corley—ultimately, he can’t come up with anything to do other than to just continue walking.
With Corley gone, Lenehan’s performance stops, and his real feelings shine through. His preoccupation with the harp, and the image of Lenehan moving to the mournful music’s melody, symbolize his discontent with his life and with the state of his country. Though Lenehan was eager to live vicariously through Corley and catch a glimpse of the maid, he now seems “older,” and his former “gaiety” has dissipated, suggesting that he isn’t satisfied with the same shallow pursuits that Corley enjoys. Rather than “invent[ing] to amuse,” Lenehan seems to long for more meaningful relationships and a sense of purpose, yet he is paralyzed when it comes to actually carving out a better life for himself. Ireland as a whole was similarly paralyzed at this time, stagnated and unable to forge a path for itself while under English colonial rule. The futility and stagnation Lenehan feels (and that the whole of Ireland was experiencing) are symbolized by his urge to just keep walking—not to anywhere, not for anything, but just to walk.
Themes
Literary Devices
Eventually, Lenehan notices a shop selling food and drink. He looks around, then quickly steps inside. Though he’s very hungry, he doesn’t order the ham or plum pudding on display. Instead, he gets a very inexpensive plate of peas and a bottle of ginger beer. When he orders, he tries to speak in a less upper-class fashion to “belie his air of gentility,” which had caused everyone to fall silent when he entered the shop.
Including this uneventful passage in the story contributes to its overall sense of mundanity and aimlessness, though it also suggests that these kinds of mundane moments are worth telling a story about. Lenehan’s meager meal of peas and ginger beer highlights how far he’s fallen since his upper-middle-class upbringing. His decision to disguise his accent, in order to “belie his air of gentility,” suggests that he is embarrassed of his personal decline and feels pressured to conform with the lower-class clientele in the shop.
Themes
Lenehan finds the food delicious and eats it quickly. Then, as he sips the ginger beer, he imagines Corley and his lover’s adventures, and particularly Corley’s “gallantries” and the maid’s “leer.” Thinking of all this, though, makes him feel sad, both for his lack of money and lack of spirit. He is tired of being on the brink of financial disaster and vagrancy, as he is almost 31 years old. “Would he never get a job?” he asks himself. “Would he never have a home of his own?” He thinks about the limited worth of his unsettled lifestyle: “experience had embittered his heart against the world” and his own life. He remains hopeful, though, that he can “settle down in some snug corner and live happily” if he only can find the right woman and enough money.
Lenehan lives vicariously through dreams rather than reality. The reader knows, of course, that Corley is no gallant, but Lenehan chooses to believe that Corley is engaging in “gallantries,” perhaps to maintain a willful illusion of his friend’s nobility. He fully acknowledges his discontentment with his own life—he wishes for more, for something better than helping Corley with his tricks and walking the streets pointlessly. Lenehan’s financial poverty is intertwined with his social poverty (that is, his lack of fulfilling relationships), implying that Ireland’s downtrodden state bleeds into all aspects of its citizen’s lives. Yet Lenehan’s internal state offers some hope for the betterment of his life––and of Ireland, too—simply through the fact that he takes the time to reflect on himself.
Themes
Literary Devices
After paying his bill, Lenehan walks out into the street again. He meets some friends and stops to talk to them, “glad that he could rest from all his walking.” His friends ask after Corley but otherwise say little. Lenehan and his friends then discuss a mutual friend, who apparently won a little money in a billiards match, and how another friend bought a round of drinks the day before. Then, Lenehan leaves his friends and continues walking.
Lenehan longs to rest “from all his walking”—which implies that he also wants to find a way out of the restlessness and aimlessness that walking represents. This interaction with his friends seems cursory and unfulfilling: they halfheartedly discuss trivial matters, then leave. It is far from a meaningful interaction, and the friends don’t seem deeply engaged with one another. Like everything else in “Two Gallants,” the conversation is fraught with discontentment and futility.
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Literary Devices
It’s now 10 o’clock at night, 30 minutes before Lenehan said he would meet Corley. Lenehan hurries to his meeting point with Corley—he wants to be there in case Corley arrives early from his date—and then watches for Corley’s arrival. He wonders “if Corley had managed it successfully,” and if “he had asked her yet or if he would leave it to the last.” Lenehan’s excitement grows as he imagines these possibilities, but he is “sure Corley would pull it off alright.” Then, suddenly, Lenehan wonders if Corley has gone home another way and has decided not to meet him at the prearranged meeting point. His anxiety grows as he debates whether Corley would “do a thing like that.” He angrily decides that Corley would, in fact, do a thing like that, and throws his cigarette into the road “with a curse.”
Again, Lenehan is living through his imagination, rather than reality, as he anticipates Corley’s arrival. His interest in Corley’s date, wondering if “Corley had managed it successfully” or “if he would leave it to the last” suggests that Lenehan is trying to live vicariously through Corley’s sex life—or perhaps that Lenehan has some other investment in whatever “it” is. Lenehan’s excitement turns to anxiety, though, as his constant fear of betrayal and lack of trust in Corley come to the fore. Though the two are friends, Lenehan’s willingness to believe in Corley’s betrayal shows that Lenehan is aware that Corley isn’t a good friend or a morally upright person. Lenehan still associates with Corley, though, which speaks to Lenehan’s passivity and yearning to belong.
Themes
At just this moment, however, Corley appears with the maid. Lenehan is initially thrilled to see them, but then he notices that the couple is walking quickly and not speaking. Immediately, he thinks Corley has failed.
Lenehan is willing to let his hope and faith in Corley to fade almost immediately. This illustrates the lack of trust Lenehan feels in his so-called friend, and the cheapness of their friendship. It’s important to note that at this time, Ireland had just been through a kind of national betrayal: the statesman Charles Parnell, who could have led Ireland to self-rule, had been embroiled in an extramarital affair, prompting the Irish government and the Catholic Church to reject him. So, this ever-present sense of betrayal lurking beneath relationships reflects Ireland’s climate of political betrayal in the early 20th century.
Themes
Lenehan again follows Corley and the maid. Soon, they stop in front of a townhouse, and the maid goes into the house through the basement entrance while Corley waits outside. A few minutes later, the maid rushes out of the front door of the building and meets briefly with Corley before running back up the steps and into the house once more.
Lenehan is constantly looking on but never engaging, which reflects his inner sense of unbelonging. He is always on the outskirts of social groups, an onlooker in his own life.
Themes
Corley begins to walk away, and Lenehan races after him, calling his name. Lenehan asks Corley eagerly if he pulled “it” off. Corley doesn’t answer, and Lenehan feels anxious, as well as confused and angry. “Can’t you tell us?” Lenehan asks. “Did you try her?” Corley stops walking and holds out his hand toward Lenehan, smiling. “A small gold coin shone in the palm.”
The fact that Corley doesn’t answer immediately is likely a technique to build up tension and anticipation, since Corley loves to be the center of attention—and Lenehan takes the bait. But all of Lenehan’s anxiety, constant questions, and imaginings have led up to an anticlimactic ending: all Corley got from the maid is a single coin. It’s implied that this is what the men have been referring to when they’ve discussed Corley “pulling it off”—he has convinced the maid to commit petty theft and rob her employers. The end of the story, like Lenehan’s life and like Irish society as a whole, is hollow and unfulfilling.
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