Corley and Lenehan's Transaction

Dubliners

This flow follows Lenehan's uneasy dependence on Corley and the pair's exploitative pursuit of a servant's money.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Boastful Companion A Boastful Companion from "Dubliners". Corley's Story The servant's gifts Corley recounts how a young servant has given him cigarettes, paid fares, and supplied cigars.

A Boastful Companion from "Dubliners". Corley's Story The servant's gifts Corley recounts how a young servant has given him cigarettes, paid fares, and supplied cigars.

Corley's Story The servant's gifts Corley recounts how a young servant has given him cigarettes, paid fares, and supplied cigars. Lenehan listens with laughter and probes whether the scheme will succeed. Unequal partnership Corley dominates the conversation while Lenehan seeks reassurance and inclusion. The friendship rests on dependence, mockery, and shared opportunism.

The Woman at Hume Street The Woman at Hume Street from "Dubliners". The Meeting A planned rendezvous Corley approaches the young woman while Lenehan watches from a distance.

The Woman at Hume Street from "Dubliners". The Meeting A planned rendezvous Corley approaches the young woman while Lenehan watches from a distance.

The Meeting A planned rendezvous Corley approaches the young woman while Lenehan watches from a distance. Corley keeps his companion excluded from the conversation and controls the arrangement. A spectator's hunger Lenehan studies the woman and imagines the pair together. His curiosity is mixed with envy and a sense of his own poverty.

Lenehan's Empty Hours Lenehan's Empty Hours from "Dubliners". A Lonely Interlude Wandering and hunger Left alone, Lenehan walks the streets, buys peas and ginger beer, and waits for the meeting time.

Lenehan's Empty Hours from "Dubliners". A Lonely Interlude Wandering and hunger Left alone, Lenehan walks the streets, buys peas and ginger beer, and waits for the meeting time.

A Lonely Interlude Wandering and hunger Left alone, Lenehan walks the streets, buys peas and ginger beer, and waits for the meeting time. The modest meal briefly relieves his physical hunger. A larger lack He reflects on being nearly thirty-one, without steady work or a home. Corley’s confidence sharpens his awareness of his own stalled life.

The Silent Return The Silent Return from "Dubliners". A Result Concealed Watching from the street Lenehan sees Corley return with the woman and follows them.

The Silent Return from "Dubliners". A Result Concealed Watching from the street Lenehan sees Corley return with the woman and follows them.

A Result Concealed Watching from the street Lenehan sees Corley return with the woman and follows them. She goes into a house; Corley waits outside, giving no explanation. Suspense without certainty Lenehan reads the pair’s quick steps as evidence of failure, but he cannot know what has happened. His need for the outcome exposes how much he has invested in Corley’s scheme.

The Gold Coin The Gold Coin from "Dubliners". Proof of Success A silent display Corley finally opens his hand to show Lenehan a small gold coin.

Proof of Success A silent display Corley finally opens his hand to show Lenehan a small gold coin. The gesture answers the question without explaining the method. The transaction's meaning The coin confirms that the servant has been used for money. Lenehan’s suspense resolves as admiration and complicity, not moral resistance.

Sunday evening as the men walk through the city

Later that Sunday evening

During the wait before half past ten

Near half past ten, on Baggot Street

Moments after the woman enters the house