Two Gallants Themes

Joyce once wrote that he set the stories of Dubliners in Dublin because he saw that city as being the center of a “paralysis” that he saw as afflicting all of Ireland. “Two Gallants” puts the paralysis and decline of Ireland on full display. One way the story makes this point is through an intensive use of symbolism—from the harp, to the street names, to the moon and colors that symbolize purity and the…

Not much happens in “Two Gallants.” Most of the story centers on Lenehan and Corley walking around Dublin, laughing and talking. And even the minor things that do happen—Corley meets his romantic interest, perhaps has sex with her, and then gets her to commit a petty crime—are left unseen. The story instead follows Lenehan as he wanders around morosely, idly talks with some friends, and eats some peas. Both because so little happens and because…

 “Two Gallants” is full of characters talking and thinking about money. Lenehan and Corley, for instance, talk about the foolishness of spending money on women. The narrator of the story also mentions what the two men do to scrape by, their methods for getting other people to pay for things they want, and even how other characters make money. Further, the primary action of the story centers around what Corley is trying to…

“Two Gallants” is full of betrayal and the fear of being betrayed. Corley is exploiting and thus betraying the maid he is dating. At one point in the story, Corley fears Lenehan means to steal the maid and scam him. At another, Lenehan fears that Corley has slipped off with his winnings from the maid and abandoned him. Meanwhile, it seems likely that Corley convinces the maid to betray her employers by stealing from them…