Brighton Rock
Can we feel any sympathy towards Pinkie Brown?
Brighton Rock
Brighton Rock
I think we can feel some sympathy for Pinkie because everything in his life was so negative and he just was mentally and emotionally paralyzed. Greene uses a motif of "the stirrup and the ground" throughout the book to demonstrate Pinkie's numerous opportunities to change; however, Pinkie rejects them all and ultimately dies at the end of the novel. On the other hand, it may be interpreted that Pinkie does not simply reject chances for change, but rather that he is forced to continue as a criminal as he is trapped by his own background and lifestyle. Greene consistently refers to Pinkie as "the Boy," which reflects his youthful immaturity and vulnerability.