GRAHAM GREENE

"Graham Greene was born on October 2, 1904, in Berkhamstead, England. He attended the Berkhamstead School where his father was headmaster and where, as a consequence, Greene was teased mercilessly by his classmates. At fifteen, he suffered a mental crisis, and after several questionable suicide attempts, ran away from home. In response, his parents sent him to a London psychoanalyst, Kenneth Richmond, who encouraged Greene to write and introduced him to a literary circle that included the poet Walter de la Mare..."

1904 -1991

"He went to Oxford where he studied modern history and served as editor of The Oxford Outlook...Joined the communist party (1925),... became a Catholic (1926), sub-editor for The Times... marriage marred by affairs..."

"Greene was impressively prolific during the 1930s, publishing thirteen books—including, Brighton Rock (1938) and The Power and the Glory (1939), which won the Hawthornden Prize."

SOURCE: CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE

Greene was impressively prolific during the 1930s, publishing thirteen books—including, Brighton Rock (1938) and The Power and the Glory (1939), which won the Hawthornden Prize. He also traveled extensively to Liberia and Mexico and established himself as a renowned film critic for The Spectator. When World War II broke out, Greene joined the Ministry of Information and in 1941 served as a British Secret Service agent, first in Sierra Leone, an experience he drew upon in writing The Heart of the Matter (1948), and then for the office of counterintelligence in London.

"After the war, Greene collaborated with Carol Reed in writing a film, The Third Man, which won First Prize at Cannes in 1949. In 1955, he wrote The Quiet American, about American...

.....involvement in Indochina. More novels followed, including Our Man In Havanna (1958), The Comedians (1966), The Honorary Consul (1973), and The Human Factor (1978), which stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for six months."

THE TITLE

“Outside the rest-house he stopped again. The lights inside would have given an extraordinary impression of peace if one hadn't known, just as the stars on this clear night gave also an impression of remoteness, security, freedom. If one knew, he wondered, the facts, would one have to feel pity even for the planets? if one reached what they called the heart of the matter?” (Book 2)

Heart ....."the point of the importance of human emotions." "The word ‘heart’ in the title alludes to the division of heart over mind, . At a physical, visceral level, the word literally refers to the heart issues that Scobie has that give him much trouble. On a slightly different level, the word metaphorically refers to the love that exists between different characteristics in varying measures. The love that exists between Scobie, his wife and his mistress is a curious case of the ‘matters of the heart’ that dominate the theme and plot of the plot. On another level, the word ‘heart’ also draws our attention to the ramifications of the human soul that is exhibited in various characters of the novel." Source:

Book 1: "The Heart of the Matter"

The moral dilemmas

How far one should sacrifice for the happiness of others? Is it possible to make others happy? (page 84) This is a poignant moral dilemma that the “The Heart of the Matter” by Graham Greene seems to unravel

“He could see in the driver’s mirror Ali nodding and beaming. It seemed to him that this was all he needed of love and friendship. He could be happy with no more in the world than this—the grinding van, the hot tea against his lips, the heavy damp weight of the forest, even the aching head, the loneliness. If I could just arrange for her happiness first, he thought, and in the confusing night he forgot for the while what experience had taught him—that no no human being can really understand another and no one can arrange another’s happiness” (page 84)

“What an absurd thing it was to expect happiness in a world so full of misery. He had cut down his own needs to a minimum, photographs were put away in drawers, the dead were put out of mind: a razor strop, a pair of rusty handcuffs for decoration: but one still has one's eyes, he thought, one's ears. Point me out the happy man and I will point you out either egotism, selfishness, evil or else an absolute ignorance.” (Book 2 / page 128)

"It seemed to Scobie later that this was the ultimate border he had reached in happiness: being in darkness, alone, with the rain falling, without love or pity ..." (page 142 Book 2)

THE SETTING OF THE ACTION

Scobie...a policeman in

Sierra Leone

The remoteness of the outpost

AUTHOR'S FOREWORD

“No character in this book is based on that of a living person. The geographical background of the story is drawn from that part of West Africa of which I have had personal experience—that is inevitable—but I want to make it absolutely clear that no inhabitant, past or present, of that particular colony appears in my book. Even an imaginary colony must have its officials—a commissioner of police and a colonial secretary, for example, I have a special reason for not wanting such characters in my book to be identified with real people, for I remember very great gratitude the courtesy and consideration received from the Commissioner of Police and the Colonial Secretary in the colony where I worked in 1942-43”

Forceful recoiling from any resemblance to reality...?

ANTICOLONIALISM?

Is there a rift between the division of the day between the natives and the colonisers?

“...this was not the hour or the day for white men they would be at the beach five miles away, but Wilson had no car. He felt almost intolerably lonely. On either side of the school the tin roofs sloped towards the sea, and the corrugated iron above his head clanged and clattered as a vulture alighted.” (page 3)

Wilson, unlike the other white men, does not have a car to indulge himself in idle activities. The metalic quality of the language highlights a pending heaviness on the character: tin roofs, corrugated iron, clanged and clattered.

“... using Sierra Leone as the setting provides an added dimension. The anti-colonialism is fairly subtle. There’s nothing noteworthy about racial attitudes in the book. Even Scobie is, at best, benevolently paternalistic. .... how little the war was impacting the colony. It has been said that Britain was more concerned with retaining her Empire than with defeating the Axis, and that is certainly reflected here by the fact that they’re sending an inspector to a minor colony instead of to the front lines…” Source: https://readlit.com/book/heart-of-the-matter/

"This is the original Tower of Babel," Harris said. "West Indians, Africans, real Indians, Syrians, Englishmen, Scotsmen in the Office of Works. Irish priests, French priests, Alsatian priests." "What do the Syrians do?" (page 6)

Other "matters" ...

Scobie and Louise: their crumbling relationship, Scobie's indolence, and apathy

"It was his (Scobie's) serenity that stoked the flames..." (page 140) On a first confrontation with Wilson about how little he (Scobie) understands Louise...

Louise , Wilson, and their relationship and their love for literature

Identified as false pretense by the community

"Do you like reading?" Louise asked, and Scobie realized with relief that she was going to be kind to the poor devil. It was always a bit of a toss-up with Louise. Sometimes she could be the worst snob in the station, and it occurred to him with pity that perhaps now she believed she couldn't afford to be snobbish. Any new face that didn't "know"was welcome. "Well," Wilson said, and fingered desperately at histhin moustache, "well . . ," It was as if he were gathering strength for a great confession or a great evasion. "Detective stories?" Louise asked. "I don't mind detective stories," Wilson said uneasily, "Some detective stories." "Personally," Louise said, "I like poetry." "Poetry," Wilson said, "yes." He took his fingers reluctantly away from his moustache, and something in his doglike look of gratitude and hope made Scobie think with happiness: Have I really found her a friend? "I like poetry myself," Wilson said. (page 26)

Catholicism

“Wilson sat on the Balcony of the Bedford hotel with his bald pink knees thrust against the ironwork. It was Sunday and the Cathedral bell clanged for matins. On the other side of Bond Street, in the windows of the High School, sat the young Negresses in dark blue gym smocks engaged on the interminable task of trying to wave their wirespring hair...” (Book 1, 4)

The subplot of diamond trafficking and corruption

The seedy characters: Yusef

The Film

-The Heart of the Matter-Directed by George More O’Farrell -Written by Leslie Storm and Ian Dalrymple from a novel by Graham Greene 1953/ UK London Film Productions

http://flickersintime.com/1953/the-heart-of-the-matter-1953/