Ways Of Escape Graham Greene Analysis

Brighton Rock takes Graham Greene into a new territory of the “Catholic novels” that is the initial basis of his reputation as a major novelist of his age. Moreover, it earned for him the name and fame of a "Catholic writer"―a label he was not able to peel off throughout his literary career. One can imagine Greene's chagrin when Catholic critics try to fit his novels into their pattern by giving elaborate theological arguments in their defence. Greene gives vent to his feelings in Ways of Escape: “...I was discovered to be―a detestable term!―a Catholic writer. Catholics began to treat some of my faults too kindly, as though I were a member of a clan and could not be disowned, while some non-Catholic critics seemed to consider that my faith gave me an unfair advantage in some way over my contemporaries....”1 Brighton Rock states the beginning of Greene’s obsession with evil. In his earlier novels, pursuit, betrayal, murder, violence, corruption,

I mean―a Catholic is more capable of evil than anyone. I think perhaps because we believe in him―we are more in touch with the devil than other people.” (Brighton Rock, 331.) He claims that Pinkie's love for Rose was an indication of his goodness and that it shows that he was not beyond redemption. Rose goes home to play the phonograph record of Pinkie's 'loving' message ('God damn you, you little bitch, why can't you go back home for ever and let me be?'). The novel ends: "She walked rapidly in the thin June sunlight towards the worst horror of all.” (Brighton Rock, 333.) This is the final and the most painful turn of the screw. From this scene it might be deduced that there is yet a chance for Pinkie to be saved, that a chink has been left in the walls of heaven for him to slip through. This seems to be Frederick Karl's conclusion when he says: "In Greene's world, few are past saving, even Pinkie, who has reached so far into the lower depths, can be saved because he did love at one