Thursday 12 March 2009

Brighton Rock Essay

Question -

Choose a novel which is influenced by the presence of a powerful or overbearing character. Show how the novelist creates this impression of the character and discuss to what extent you felt you could sympathise with him/her.

Structure -

  1. Introduction
  2. Characterisation of Pinkie
  3. Contrast of Pinkie and Rose
  4. Key scene - Pinkie is attacked with razors
  5. Sympathy for Pinkie
  6. The climax
  7. Theme of religion
  8. Conclusion

A novel which is influenced by the presence of a powerful character is ‘Brighton Rock’ by Graeme Greene. The character of Pinkie is a powerful character who, at rare points, the reader feels slight sympathy for, and Greene effectively creates the sense of power through characterisation and description.

We are introduced to Pinkie early on in the novel. It is made clear from the start that he has a menacing presence: “You might expect a hunter searching through the jungle to look like that – before the kill.’ Seen from the perspective of the hapless Hale, this gives the reader the impression of his murderous nature. It also emphasises that Pinkie’s power is so that his prey cannot escape from his view, which is confirmed in the novel when Pinkie continues to stalk and eventually murder Hale. At this point in the novel, the reader feels no sympathy but only alienation.

However, Pinkie’s mixture of will and ruthlessness is contrasted with that of his unlikely bride, Rose. They are both named after shades of red, the colour of passion. Yet ‘Pinkie’ suggests an innocuous colour, or the smallest finger – implying he is physically small compared to his fellow gangsters. On the other hand, a ‘Rosy’ outlook has connotations of naiveté and a reluctance to see the truth. This suggests the pitiable side to Pinkie and the subtle similarities between him and Rose – both are only on the cusp of the adult world.

But compared to Rose’s fragility, Pinkie seems powerful beyond his years. Perhaps the most ‘impressive’ sign of Pinkie’s authority is that he is able to buy off his girlfriend Rose’s parents, so that he can marry her. After Pinkie offers a sizeable sum, Rose’s father asks him to ‘Make it guineas.’ This shows that due to Pinkie’s wealth, he can effectively buy out people and this puts him in a position of dominance.

However, there are points where Pinkie’s power falters. In part four of the novel, Pinkie is attacked with razorblades by members of the superior rival gang, and he flees weeping. At this point, the reader feels a rare sense of sympathy for Pinkie as we feel maybe he is too young and does not realise what he is getting involved in, and we see that he is still a child. Although, this feeling of sympathy is cut short, certainly for me, when Pinkie thinks of how things should be in his head: ‘It was as if one of the bullied brats had stabbed first with the dividers.’ This shows that Pinkie is accustomed to abusing his position and the one doing the bullying; he thinks this is the way it should be. At this point we realise that this is the life Pinkie is used to leading and so that in being attacked he gets what he deserves, so one’s sympathy wanes.

Although the feeling of sympathy is not usually present for Pinkie, the reader may feel pity when he describes himself as being ‘real Brighton.’ It is known that in those days there were two very different sides to Brighton: One of tourism and happy family holidays, and another of desperate poverty and gang life. By describing himself as ‘real Brighton’, he is saying that he is a product of this impoverished side of Brighton. The reader feels sympathetic here as we feel that maybe Pinkie cannot help the way he is, as he was brought up in that way and so knows no better than bullying and overpowering people. However, at this point I feel sympathy for Pinkie as I can understand the mitigating circumstances resulting in his overbearing behaviour. Whilst it does not excuse his actions, it does give an insight into just why he feels the need to be dominate others.

Pinkie’s power is once again exhibited towards the end of the novel when deliberating whether to rid himself of Rose. He addresses that matter in such a flippant way as if it is an everyday thing to do: “’We’d be safer without her’ he said, touching the loving message in his trouser pocket.’ This shows that Pinkie takes almost a sense of joy in killing defenceless people who have no right to be killed, and having the power to kill at the end of his fingertips.

Pinkie’s effectiveness in the violent criminal underworld is at odds with his obsession with morality, and the promise of eternal punishment. He tells Rose ‘of course there’s hell’ yet he clings to the ideas that he can be saved ‘between the stirrup and the ground’. At the climax of the novel he ‘vanishes’ off the cliff. This is an ambiguous ending – either he goes straight to hell like Faust, or the power he wielded while on earth has simply gone. This depiction of Pinkie’s end leaves the reader questioning whether Pinkie really did repent as he went to his death, and reflecting on his life – the only remnant of which is in the spiteful record he left with Rose. This leaves the impression of a poignant character who was ultimately a failure.

In conclusion, Greene effectively gives the impression of a powerful character in his novel ‘Brighton Rock.’ From Pinkie’s ability to buy off people to marry their daughter; to his ability to have someone killed in an instant, the read is left in no doubt that he is a powerful figure. Sympathy is also surprisingly felt for this character at some points, and Greene effectively makes use of setting to display this as Pinkie’s background is less than desirable.

My comment


'Brighton Rock' was a novel I studied in school and didn't quite 'get'. Why was a crime thriller so short on action, and filled with a bogus love affair instead? How come Pinkie was pure evil, yet so much more religious than Ida, who spends the novel tracking him down? Still, Johnny Rotten liked it, and the book sticks in your memory for years after you read it.

This essay is on the sophisticated side and is probably too long for the final exam, but would be suitable for passing a NAB.

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