The biography of Barrios is oddly non-layered for Conrad: Barrios is presented is a simple soul, close to nature and life's pleasures, devoid of higher ambition. However, gold symbolizes rulership, so there is possibly something symbolic in Barrios' handing over his gold-hilted sword (symbolizing military rule?) to a "shopkeeper" (symbolizing material interests?), the latter of whom seems somewhat terrified by the transfer of power. The image is repeated in the next paragraph, where another gold item is given to a "tradesman."