Brighton Rock: what does it mean to you?
In Blake's collection of poetry labelled Songs of Innocence and Experience, he juxtaposes the naive, ignorant state of childhood against a corrupt adult world. He looks at the same situations through both perspectives with dramatic eyes, exploring morality, religion and sexuality. Blake's own views can be said to be outside both of these realms, not quite satisfied with either. Whilst Blake does explore the concept of innocence in youth, Greene portrays a much grimmer picture in Brighton Rock that develops Blake's initial imagery. He states:
it was like the dreadful appeal of innocence, but there was not innocence; you had to go back a long way further before you got innocence; innocence was a slobbering mouth, a toothless gum pulling at the teats; perhaps not even that; innocence was the ugly cry of birth.
Greene suggests that there is indeed no such a state as innocence; once you are brought into this world in an 'ugly cry', corruption becomes you. The simplicity of the descriptor 'ugly' exemplifies the candor with which Greene conveys this statement. When combined with words like 'dreadful', 'slobbering' and 'toothless' we are presented with a bleak outlook on the life to follow. Rather than celebrating an innocent birth, the imagery is reminiscent of old age and highlights the loss of control you have. This links to Pinkie's character in his oxymoronic quest for experience in the 'dreadful' Brighton underworld and want for eternal innocence in so far as his virginity and relationships with women. Even in a state of innocence, Greene portrays a useless and unappealing circumstance, later displayed through the frustratingly naive character of Rose whose inability to see through Pinkie's self-created projection of experience leads to her inevitable facing with 'the worst horror of all'.
Ultimately, Brighton Rock is a novel about corruption; it is a novel where the innocent become more ignorant - but this is only because they were never allowed to be innocent in all its glory. Do we learn from Pinkie and Rose's mistakes? Or are we tragically more alert to the dire state of innocence vs. experience, of uncontrollable corruption? Of the 'ugly cry of birth'?
