Member-only story
The Two Gallants
From Dubliners by James Joyce
James Joyce described this story in the Dubliners as one of the most important in the collection. As with all the stories, it has a slight plot. It’s power lies in the characters and the images of Dublin, creating powerful symbols of an impotent and impoverished country. A culture and society that is paralysed, as seen by Joyce and his view of Ireland at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The title of the story, Two Gallants, is ironic. The two male characters are far from the chivalry and ideals of gallant knights of old. There are the opposite to such romantic narratives as conjured by a literary canon that now seems obsolete. The ideal is now subverted.
The main character is Lenehan. The narrative is from his point of view. The other character is another young man, Corley, who acts as a foil to Lenehan. That is, we are able to see the protagonist, Lenehan, in a clearer light through his contrasts and comparisons with Corley.
The narrative is a seemingly meandering tale of two men wondering through the streets of Dublin as Corley boasts about his seduction of women. These are clearly exploitative relationships. As the dynamic between the two men unfolds, it is clear they are both frustrated with their lives and what it has offered them so far. Although Corley is the more talkative…
