The opening of Brighton Rock
Graham Greene's Brighton Rock begins by inviting the reader into a world of mystery, murder and suspense. Brighton is home to a host of holidaymakers 'determined' to enjoy themselves alongside the fearful Fred Hale, motherly Ida and angry Pinkie.
Greene presents his readers with an opening of contrasts. Discuss your response to this statement below as well as the views presented by your peers.
Greene presents his readers with an opening of contrasts. Discuss your response to this statement below as well as the views presented by your peers.
Words such as "Sparkled" and "glittering" reflect the superficial and cheap nature of Brighton's thrills. greene is trying to show us through his subtle mixing of positive language with negative connotations that although Brighton appears brilliant and happy, scrath not too far beneath the surface and you will observe its true dark nature.
ReplyDeleteOn top of contrasts of Brighton in general, it is possible to observe contrasts in characters due to the narrative viewpoint - even within a single character. "the Boy" is only 17, yet is described to have eyes with "the effect of heartlessness like an old man's". It is unusual for someone so young to have a feature capable of showing emotion (like eyes) likened to that of an old man, this could be symbolic of all that he has seen and handled as a gang leader at such a young age, a constant reminder of the toll it has taken on him. Moreover, it is evident that he holds some of his childish innocence still, he orders only "grape-fruit squash" in a bar, a show of his age. Furthermore, the fact that he openly refuses alcohol could be seen as a weakness by his gang-mates, however he still does so openly, this could imply his naivety and lack of understanding that would not be present in an "old man". - Ed Hobson
DeleteThe readers are initially met by a contrasting and conflicting description of Brighton. Greene introduces us to Brighton as a popular, glamorous and classy holiday resort for those arriving from the city. The holiday crowd are exposed to the "glistening air" and "new silver paint" of Brighton. However a contrasting image of Brighton having a dark and hidden side to it which can't be shown to the tourists is implied through quotes such as "new silver paint" as it shows that Brighton has a less attractive side which must remain hidden away from the holiday-goers.
ReplyDeleteAs well as the setting being contrasted in the opening, Greene contrasts two significant characters in Ida and Hale. Ida is introduced as being an optimistic, enthusiastic and free woman who is embracing life. However, Hale is seen as pessimistic, full of anxiety and paranoid about life. Greene also gives the impression that Ida loves all aspects of Brighton yet Hale desires to escape the chaos of the city almost as soon as we are introduced to the character. - Will Morley
Greene presents his readers with an opening of contrasts from the first characters of the novel to the initial setting in which Brighton Rock takes place.Firstly, a main contrast seen throughout the opening of the book, is the setting in which Fred Hale steps into and the contrast between the,bright and "glittering atmosphere," and the foreboding feeling that accompanied it. For example, there is a major contrast between,"the glittering air...the new silver paint sparkled," and, "the cream houses ran." The idealism and glamour that comes with the first sentence contrasts immensely with the impurity and escape of the second sentence. The words 'cream' and 'ran' imply that there are imperfections in Brighton and the word 'ran; emphasises how the true dark nature of the town is escaping. The characters are then compared to the descriptions of the setting as the glamour and life of Brighton could be Greene showing Ida's character as she is described as being, "life itself." The vitality of her character opposes Fred Hale's dull and bleak nature. The description of his 'inky fingers' and 'bitten nails' highlight this and again compare to the escaping dark, unknown world of Brighton. The impureness of Hale suggests the conflict between good and evil in Brighton. Ida's character representing the good and innocent world of Brighton and Hale's the underlying danger within the town. Greene therefore, uses both setting and characters to present readers with an opening of contrasts. - Amy Freeman
ReplyDeleteOne way Greene presents his readers with an opening of contrasts is with the imagery of creating Brighton as a very 'fake' place. He presents the reader with this idea when he describes Brighton as "the new silver paints sparkled on the pier". By using the word paint it suggests that Brighton itself is a fake place that puts on a mask and a show in order to attract the tourists and to present itself as a romantic place that "sparkled". When in reality it has simply been covered up, this links with the Characterisation in the book. This links with Pinkie (boy) who is forced to put on a fake exterior and change depending on who is around and adapting to his surroundings. This is shown when at the start of the book he is referred to as the boy whereas later in the book he is shown as Pinkie. This also links with the context as Brighton at the time was seen as a romantic popular holiday resort referred to as a "victorian watercolour", however it also has a large criminal underworld (e.g. Pinkie and his gang). However for obvious reasons they cover this up like with paint.
ReplyDeleteHowever in direct contrast Greene describes the tourists flocking to Brighton as effectively soldiers/troops. "two by two each with an air of sober and determined gaiety" This shows that the tourists are almost controlled and ordered to have fun and enjoyment. The phrase "two by two" not only evokes imagery of military order and control but also conflict. Aswell as this it presents a sense of scale as there are so many tourists that they are having to enter two by two. This is of huge contrast to that of Hale. This is as he is described as "his inky fingers and his bitten nails his manner cynical and nervous, anybody could tell that he didn't belong". This contrast between organised, regimented, purposeful and cheerful vs unorganised and "cynical" helps to emphasis how out of place Hale is, not just in Brighton but society as a whole. This is why his death has very little in the real world.
In the opening of Brighton Rock Greene puts forward two main contrasts which both add to one of the main themes in the book, appearance vs reality. In the opening of Brighton Rock, Brighton is made out to be a glamours, ideal holiday resort, words such as 'glittering' and 'sparkled' connatate the idea of glamour, wealth and attraction. However this contrasts with the idea of Brighton being made out to be all of those things even though truly it's not all the way it seems, 'the new silver paint sparkled..' even though the words 'silver' and 'sparkled' are used the words 'new' and 'paint' suggest the idea that something is being covered up and a sense of imperfection starts to come through at this point in the book.
ReplyDeleteThe other contrast introduced at this point in the book is the contrast between the two characters Hale and Ida as they are complete opposites. Ida is described as 'life it self' and is a bubbly, upbeat character. In contrast Hale is described as lonely, hopeless, and dull. Ida being the complete opposite shows us as readers how hopeless Hale is in this situation.
Eleanor
Greene has crafted the introduction to act as a foreshadow of the future of 'Brighton Rock'. He has achieved this by creating two contrasting perspectives of Brighton depicted by the reader. "...glittering air: the new silver paint sparkled on the piers". The adjective "glittering" and verb "sparkled" connote towards ideas of riches, attraction and fascination, clearly illustrating the materialistic ideas Brighton displays. To any holiday-goer, Brighton would appear to be a state of the art, perfect location to spend a holiday. Although this idea of attraction and perfection is contradicted by the underlying connotations in the introduction. The idea of "new silver paint" being used to paint the piers, links towards the idea that this paint is being used to cover up a previous dilemma occurring in Brighton and that by using the idea of "silver"; glamorous, to cover this, it'll be unnoticed and eventually forgotten by the visitors and residents of Brighton. This can be linked towards the plot untwisting from its enchanting theme to reveal the bigger issues discussed in the book. - Natasha Syed
ReplyDeleteIn the opening of "Brighton Rock" Greene provides a contrast between the appearance of Brighton and the reality of it. He does this through describing the "cream houses" that "ran away into the distance". By describing the houses as "cream" Greene is alluding to the fact that the "glittering" and superficial nature that is presented to the holiday-goers is not an accurate representation of Brighton's true nature as the houses aren't described as white, which is associated with purity, but "cream", a dirty version of white, representing the darkness that is trying to be hidden from public knowledge. Also the fact that the houses are described as running "into the west" represents how the darkness is trying to hide from the light as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, showing how it is trying to remain unnoticed by the public - Ben Gibson
ReplyDeleteOne way that Greene presents contrast within Brighton Rock is through the setting of Brighton itself. The quote ‘The crowd uncoiled endlessly past him, like a twisted piece of wire, two by two, each with an air of sober and determined gaiety’ presents Brighton, not as the sparkling seaside resort that it is often thought of being but in fact a place of danger and destruction, these connotations come from the simile of the line of people as ‘twisted wire’ which is often associated with prison and a sense of danger. The description of the people walking ‘two by two’ brings to mind Biblical literature, specifically the story of Noah’s Ark. This portrays the people in the line as animals and suggests that they are in fact in captivity and do not actually wish to be in Brighton at all. This line of thought is further strengthened by the use of the words ‘determined’ and ‘sober’ to describe the peoples ‘gaiety’ suggesting that the people are forcing themselves to enjoy themselves and that there joyfulness is very unnatural and false. All of these negative connotations contrast the common themes that surround Brighton such as fun, enjoyment and relaxation. – Jack Wright
ReplyDeleteThe begining of Brighton Rock shows two conflicting semantic fields that describe Brighton's setting. The first semantic field is one of positivity such as "summer sun" , "glittering air" , "fresh" and "holiday". the second semantic field is in contrast to the first with words like "ghost train" "cream" "bewildering" and "crowd". The two contrasting semantic fields provide the idea that Brighton is not the perfect place that it's made up to be, leaving a darker more sinister perspective of the holiday town. The quote "cream" shows this clear sense of hidden danger that Brighton has, cream being impure and seen as an infected white for which Brighton is infected with the spread of gang crime and murders.
DeleteMatt G
I agree with the statement that readers of Brighton Rock are met at the beginning of the novel with contrasts. this is because of the two contrasting sides of Brighton that we are introduced to. On one side there is the 'glittering air' resembling the beautiful holiday destination side of Brighton and then the obscured hidden side of the sea-side resort shown with the 'new' silver paint.
ReplyDeleteNot only is the setting contrasted, but so too are two prominent characters Ida and Hale. Their contrasted personalities, Ida being full of life and optimism compared to Hale who (quite rightly so) feels on the verge of death and pessimistic about his predicament. -Tom Brooks
In the beginning of the novel we are introduced with an opening of contrasts. One contrast can be observed through the characters of Ida and Hale. Hale being full of anxiety, paranoia and negativity. Which directly contrasts with the character of Ida, as a high-spirited character who is exceptionally self-assured, as well as a loving figure with maternal instincts.
ReplyDeleteAs well as this, within the opening of Brighton Rock we can notice a contrast between appearance and reality, shown through the setting alone. In the opening Greene creates a common atmosphere to contrast with the underlying darkness within particular characters throughout the novel. The quote “…glittering air: the new silver paint sparkled on the piers" connotes ideas of glamour and attraction. This would appear inviting towards holiday-goers. These initial impressions of Brighton contrast to the underlying darkness within. Which can be shown through the quote "the new silver paint". The idea of paint hints towards something being hidden underneath. Alfie Narborough
In the opening of Brighton Rock, Greene uses the contrast between the appearance of Brighton and its reality. This is seen in the quote "The new silver paint sparkled on the piers, the cream houses ran away into the west like a pale Victorian watercolour" The word 'sparkled' shows the life and energy that Brighton seems to possess which contrasts to the description of the houses looking 'like a pale Victorian watercolour'. The juxtaposition of energy and life next to paleness sets the tone of the novel by showing the reader that everything is not what it may appear to be and there may be deeper, darker elements when you look deeper. This element of mystery may entice the reader to be fully immersed in the novel due to the curiosity of finding out the reality of the situation rather that the assumptions found when taking into mind the appearance.
ReplyDelete- Dylan Peters
Within the opening of Brighton Rock, the inaugural paragraph presents the conception of contrast.
ReplyDeleteThe idealistic, and utopian vision of Brighton is disputed, ‘the new silver paint sparkled on the piers’. A perplexing, though conflicting quote; ‘the new silver paint’ exposes, revealing a hidden truth, inundated within this metaphor, whereby the ‘paint’ is concealing this. ‘Silver’ connotes glamour, and prestige, suppressing the truth. ‘Sparkled’, too, implies similar connotations of allure, through appeal, and attraction, as to deter any ambiguity.
The ideology of contrast, and that of a contrived, falsified setting is significant within the opening. A tone is established, and this atmosphere foreshadowing latter narrative. - Ben Spicer