Graham Greene (1904–1991) is critically-acclaimed as one of the best
storytellers of the twentieth century. Part of Greene’s distinction lies in his depiction
of the ever-conflicted emotions that plague human beings. This emotional complexity
is intensified as the Catholic religion conflates with the sensual and sexual
values sanctified in the mundane world. Thus, although Greene frequently expressed
his irritation at being labeled a Catholic writer, many critics maintain that understanding
the close connection between religion, politics, and the theme of betrayal
in Greene’s works is crucial. In The Heart of the Matter (1948), Greene presents
Major Henry Scobie, an upright assistant police commissioner, who is involved in a
triangular love relationship with his wife and a young widow in a West African
coastal town. Torn between his sense of responsibility and his passion, Scobie is
ensnared in love and guilt at the same time. Scobie’s emotional complexities,
coupled with his troubled faith, paradoxically make him a heroic coward with tragic
flaws as well as a sinner engulfed in a terrible conflict between passion and faith.
This paper aims to discuss the emotional ambiguities of Scobie that arise from the
conflations of love and marriage, pity and duty, humanity and divinity, evaluating
the morality of Scobie and its implications.

EB00000002891K

Available

• Emotions, religion, and morality in Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter