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Roopesh says: I just read the story last night. These are of course, young men-about-town of Joyce's time in Dublin. They are reckless, show little regard for the opposite sex and like drink and momentary pleasures of life. I was also reminded of some people I knew back in India. They could be Lenehan and Corley! These guys had a lot of ambitions, usually centered around money, but they either knew early on that they couldn't make it the hard way or lacked the direction and energy. It didn't help that a lack of resources, a rigid society and bureacratic corruption squashed any entrepreneurial inclinations they might have had. So they became the "loafers", "taporis", "bus stop types" that all of us in India and elsewhere have known - the eternal lament of parents and wives. They live on sharp practice and don't have much money in their pockets. Their natural ally is the guy who has money (usually inherited) and is equally adrift! Like Lenehan, many repent their waywardness later on and settle down late in their lives. The gold coin mystifies me totally, though! Chandra guesses: Let me make a wild and prosaic guess! I think though in this story Joyce is directly talking about Corley and Lenehan, and of their "adventures", the girl Corley goes with must be more than his match. Corley is confident he is up to the little tricks girls come up with, but here he is in for a surprise. The gold coin he gets in the end is the payment for his services. The girl is out to seduce Corley. Look at the following sayings of Corley before he goes of with the girl on this particular night: "It was fine, man. Cigarettes every night she'd bring me, and paying the tram out and back. And one night she brought me two bloody fine cigars - O, the real cheese, you known that the old fellow used to smoke.." Then he goes off with her for a while, and returns with a gold coin! Bravo girl! Coreley brags and the girl does it!! |
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