The Informer · Chapter
V explained
Gypo is confronted by Bartly Mulholland, who hints at having seen Gypo's money.
What happens
Gypo is confronted by Bartly Mulholland, who hints at having seen Gypo's money. Gypo attacks Mulholland but is stopped by Tommy Connor. Mulholland then reveals that Commandant Dan Gallagher wants to see Gypo, and the three men go to a pub where Gallagher is waiting.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the irreversible turning point where Gypo’s fate is seale…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Guilt and Paranoia
Gypo's violent reaction to Mulholland's mention of money shows his guilt and fear of being discovered as the informer.
- Loyalty and Comradeship
The tension between Gypo and the other revolutionaries highlights the breakdown of trust and loyalty within the Organization.
Characters to notice
- Gypo Nolan
Gypo is paranoid and aggressive, attacking Mulholland when he mentions the money. He fears the Organization's reach.
- Bartly Mulholland
Mulholland confronts Gypo about his money and is nearly choked to death. He remains cold and insinuating.
- Tommy Connor
Connor intervenes to stop Gypo's attack on Mulholland, threatening Gypo with a revolver.
- Commandant Dan Gallagher
Gallagher is waiting at Ryan's pub to see Gypo, though he does not speak in this chapter.
Key passages
“He feared that mysterious, intangible thing, that was all brain and no body. An intelligence without a body. A thing that was full of plans, implacable, reaching out everywhere invisibly, with invisible tentacles like a supernatural monster.”
Gypo is terrified of the Organization's omnipresent and ruthless intelligence, which he sees as a bodiless, all-seeing force.
This passage illustrates Gypo's fear of the revolutionary group's reach and power.
