A young, prudish canvasser with a “frail” frame and “thin” face, Bantam Lyons challenges his colleagues on the moral legacy of the late Nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell, whose affair cost him his party leadership. Lyons has a fussy “double collar” and a slight build, unlike many of the other men. Throughout the story, Lyons does not fit in with his colleagues. His moral objection to Parnell’s scandalous reputation ignites an an upset among the other men, especially John Henchy. The men’s short spat highlights their inability to engage with the deep moral questions that have haunted the party since their leader’s death. Though his stance on the divisive issue is perfectly valid (“Do you think now after what he did Parnell was a fit man to lead us?”), Lyons is the odd man out in a debate with ardent Parnellites. (Even the bitter, anti-Parnellian Crofton admits that Parnell was a “gentleman.”) As such, Lyons is a central force in the story’s overall discord.
Bantam Lyons Quotes in Ivy Day in the Committee Room
The Ivy Day in the Committee Room quotes below are all either spoken by Bantam Lyons or refer to Bantam Lyons. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Ivy Day in the Committee Room
Quotes
—But after all now, said Mr Lyons argumentatively, King Edward’s life, you know, is not the very…
[…]
—What I mean, said Mr. Lyons, is we have our ideals. Why, now, would we welcome a man like that? Do you think now after what he did Parnell was a fit man to lead us? And why, then, would we do it for Edward the Seventh?
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Ivy Day in the Committee Room LitChart as a printable PDF.
Bantam Lyons Quotes in Ivy Day in the Committee Room
The Ivy Day in the Committee Room quotes below are all either spoken by Bantam Lyons or refer to Bantam Lyons. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Ivy Day in the Committee Room
Quotes
—But after all now, said Mr Lyons argumentatively, King Edward’s life, you know, is not the very…
[…]
—What I mean, said Mr. Lyons, is we have our ideals. Why, now, would we welcome a man like that? Do you think now after what he did Parnell was a fit man to lead us? And why, then, would we do it for Edward the Seventh?
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis: