Two Gallants

“The grey warm evening of August had descended upon the city and a mild warm air, a memory of summer, circulated in the streets.”

In the first line of “Two Gallants,” Joyce establishes the setting, indicating the story’s season and describing it in metaphorical terms. The juxtaposition of “grey” and “warm” is deliberately jarring, suggesting a figurative cloud hanging over the late summer evening in Dublin. This image introduces the theme of Ireland’s Social Decline.

“Two young men came down the hill of Rutland Square. One of them was just bringing a long monologue to a close. The other, who walked on the verge of the path and was at times obliged to step onto the road, owing to his companion’s rudeness, wore an amused listening face.”

This passage introduces the story’s main characters. Corley assumes a commanding role in the scene as he concludes a ribald tale. Lenehan allows him to dominate the sidewalk, steps to the side, and listens attentively. The description suggests that Lenehan takes a subordinate role in the friendship.

“Most people considered Lenehan a leech but, in spite of this reputation, his adroitness and eloquence had always prevented his friends from forming any general policy against him. He had a brave manner of coming up to a party of them in a bar and of holding himself nimbly at the borders of the company until he was included in a round.”

This passage provides a detailed description of Lenehan’s character. It establishes him as a socially marginal figure who relies on his cunning and eloquence to ingratiate himself with others.