Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
A classic of its kind, Graham Greene’s terrifying exposé of gang conflict and bloodshed in the pre-war underground. Pinkie, a young mobster on the rise, is devoid of empathy and human feelings and despises both spiritual and physical frailty. Pinkie is the essence of planned evil, responsible for the razor slashes that murdered mafia boss Kite and also for the assassination of Hale, a reporter who endangered the mob’s existence. However, Pinkie is a Catholic and is sure that he will not receive justice from others. He is so unprepared to face Hale’s vengeful angel, Ida Arnold. Ida, whose loyalty is to life and the present, has her own theories regarding the circumstances surrounding Hale’s passing.
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
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One of Greene’s earliest books is this one. Another of Greene’s mob books, This Gun for Hire, the film adaptation of which featured Alan Ladd, shares similarities with one of the main characters, Pinkie, the villain. In this book, Brighton Rock or Brighton Beach in England serves as the setting. The crime gangs that operated there before World War II are the focus of the action. A couple or three bookie mobs operating in the neighbourhood accept illegitimate bets on the adjacent horse races. At the outset, a newspaper reporter is killed. The main character, an Everyman, gets accused of the murder, which Pinkie actually committed, and is pursued by the police. This is the Macguffin (we never learn the motivation for the crime). The drama comes in the fact that Pinkie has to hide his homicidal deeds while Everyman has to defend himself.
The fact that the experienced criminals around Pinkie, all of whom are middle-aged men, submit to his orders is an intriguing component of the narrative. Additionally, Pinkie kills everyone who disobeys his directives. Pinkie is a really vile individual. It’s intriguing to observe how Green demonizes this adolescent. You ponder how Pinkie developed into such a heartless murderer. We are left with the impression that certain people are simply born with a particular personality because Greene never provides enough background information on Pinkie’s early years to explain why he is so nasty, especially at such a young age.
The drama arises from the fact that Pinkie must conceal his murderous actions while Everyman must stand up for himself.
A fascinating aspect of the story is how the middle-aged guys who are all the seasoned crooks around Pinkie follow his directions. Pinkie also puts an end to anyone who ignores his orders. Pinkie is a truly evil person. Watching Green denigrate this youngster is fascinating. You wonder how Pinkie got to be such a cold-blooded killer. Greene never gives us enough background on Pinkie’s early years to explain why he is so vicious, especially at such a young age, leaving us with the sense that certain people are simply born with a particular mentality.
Pinkie’s homosexuality is not equated with his evilness by Greene; rather, Pinkie’s suppression of his homosexuality is related to his flaws as a human being rather than being portrayed as being inherently nasty. In all of his writings, Greene excelled at creating people with such intricate psychological traits. For instance, Pinkie hates himself much more than he hates his girl and the less-skilled, more experienced criminals he hires to do his dirty work. He doesn’t know why. Greene excels in capturing the complexities of the human mind and exploring self-doubt in his characters, even to the point of self-hatred.
