"Corley halted at the first lamp and stared grimly before him. Then with a grave gesture he extended a hand towards the light and, smiling, opened it slowly to the gaze of his disciple. A small gold coin shone in the palm."
Two Gallants, lines 378- 381
The passage of the gold coin is an important passage pertaining to the book because it represents the idea that it was okay to use thievery as a means of rising above poverty. The men in this story spend the entire time loafing around, complaining about the state of their lives, wanting better, but the only thing they do about it is coerce a working girl to steal from her boss' house and give the money to them.
Rhetorically, Joyce uses syntax, diction and imagery in this passage to convey his meaning. Everything leading up to the moment where the coin is revealed is described as dark, dreary and miserable, but at the moment the coin comes into view, it 'shines'. Reinforcing the idea that money is everything to those oppressed and meager people living in the Dublin area. Also the word choice of ‘disciple’ suggests that everyone is looking for someone to show them a way to find money without having to work too hard for it.
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