Pinkie Brown
Encyclopedia
Pinkie Brown is a fictional character, the main character and antihero of Graham Greene
's 1938 novel Brighton Rock.
, the teenaged leader and enforcer of a powerful gang in the Brighton
underworld. A violent sociopath
, he brutalizes and murder
s people, even his own henchmen, without compunction or remorse. In the beginning of the novel, he kills Fred Hale, a chronic gambler who assisted the rival gang in dispatching Brown's predecessor; that crime sets the rest of the story in motion.
Brown is depicted as severely neurotic
. He abhors sex; as a child, he spied on his parents making love, and was both aroused and disgusted by it. He is obsessed with the idea of sin
, his idea of which is shaped by his Roman Catholic upbringing, and believes himself to be pure evil. He has no friends, and has nothing but contempt for women, thinking of them as the embodiment of weakness. He is not without normal desires, however; he wonders what it would feel like to love someone, even as he thinks himself incapable of it, and his phobia
of sex does not prevent him from being as preoccupied as any other teenaged boy with losing his virginity
.
Although clearly named by the other characters, within the narrative Pinkie is never referred to as such; he is only ever called "the Boy".
Brown eventually contracts a civil marriage with Rose, mostly to make sure she doesn't go to the police. It is a dysfunction
al union from the start: he degrades and abuses her, can find no common ground to relate to her on, and is sexually inadequate. Arnold appeals to Rose to leave the marriage, but Rose refuses, even though she knows deep down that her husband is a monster; a devout Catholic, she sees his abuse as a punishment for "living in sin", and fantasizes
about going to Hell
with him.
By the novel's conclusion, Arnold has unraveled Brown's gang and brought the police down upon him. Cornered, Brown inadvertently splashes acid
in his own face while attacking Arnold, subsequently falling to his death in his pain and confusion.
in the 1947 film adaptation of the novel and by Sam Riley
in the 2010 adaptation
.
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
's 1938 novel Brighton Rock.
Character overview
In the novel, Brown is portrayed as an up-and-coming gangsterGangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
, the teenaged leader and enforcer of a powerful gang in the Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
underworld. A violent sociopath
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is described by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition , as an Axis II personality disorder characterized by "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood...
, he brutalizes and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s people, even his own henchmen, without compunction or remorse. In the beginning of the novel, he kills Fred Hale, a chronic gambler who assisted the rival gang in dispatching Brown's predecessor; that crime sets the rest of the story in motion.
Brown is depicted as severely neurotic
Neurosis
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic...
. He abhors sex; as a child, he spied on his parents making love, and was both aroused and disgusted by it. He is obsessed with the idea of sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
, his idea of which is shaped by his Roman Catholic upbringing, and believes himself to be pure evil. He has no friends, and has nothing but contempt for women, thinking of them as the embodiment of weakness. He is not without normal desires, however; he wonders what it would feel like to love someone, even as he thinks himself incapable of it, and his phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
of sex does not prevent him from being as preoccupied as any other teenaged boy with losing his virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
.
Although clearly named by the other characters, within the narrative Pinkie is never referred to as such; he is only ever called "the Boy".
Conflicts with other characters
Brown is faced with two main conflicts throughout the course of the novel, in the form of the two other main characters: Ida Arnold, a local busybody who wants to bring him to justice because it's "the right thing to do"; and Rose, a young waitress who falls in love with him. Brown does not really love her and looks down on her as his inferior yet uses her without a second though to cover up Hale's murder.Brown eventually contracts a civil marriage with Rose, mostly to make sure she doesn't go to the police. It is a dysfunction
Dysfunction
Dysfunction can refer to:* Abnormality * Dysfunctional family* Sexual dysfunction* Dysfunction , an album by the rock band Staind...
al union from the start: he degrades and abuses her, can find no common ground to relate to her on, and is sexually inadequate. Arnold appeals to Rose to leave the marriage, but Rose refuses, even though she knows deep down that her husband is a monster; a devout Catholic, she sees his abuse as a punishment for "living in sin", and fantasizes
Fantasy (psychology)
Fantasy in a psychological sense is broadly used to cover two different senses, conscious and unconscious. In the unconscious sense, it is sometimes spelled "phantasy".-Conscious fantasy:...
about going to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
with him.
By the novel's conclusion, Arnold has unraveled Brown's gang and brought the police down upon him. Cornered, Brown inadvertently splashes acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
in his own face while attacking Arnold, subsequently falling to his death in his pain and confusion.
In other media
Brown was portrayed by Richard AttenboroughRichard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
in the 1947 film adaptation of the novel and by Sam Riley
Sam Riley
Sam Riley is an English actor and singer.-Early life:Riley was born in Menston in the Metropolitan District of Bradford in West Yorkshire, the son of "a textile agent and nursery-school teacher". He was educated at Uppingham School...
in the 2010 adaptation
Brighton Rock (2010 film)
- External links :* * * * from BBC Films...
.
See also
- Brighton Rock
- Graham GreeneGraham GreeneHenry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...