The conflict between good and evil is a common theme in literature. Graham Greene integrates the conflict throughout the text of his novel Brighton Rock. To do this, he uses two notable characters, Ida Arnold and Pinkie Brown. Ida represents "good" and is portrayed as a woman with high morals and sensitivity, while Pinkie represents "evil" and is portrayed as a ruthless sociopath. Throughout the plot of Brighton Rock, the two characters continually clash, which helps set the theme of good versus evil. The characterizations of Ida and Pinkie, along with the underlying themes of morality and malevolence, create the conflict between good and evil in Brighton Rock. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Early in the novel, Pinkie approaches Hale on the street while he is talking to two girls. During her conversation with Hale and the girls, Pinkie is described as someone with "inhuman gray eyes" (12) and a "deep, dead voice" (13). These characteristics immediately put Pinkie in a negative light, as his eyes indicate that he lacks qualities of compassion and mercy, and his voice reflects his lack of emotion and liveliness. Thus, Greene characterizes Pinkie as a sort of bestial creature, as he does not appear to have any typical human qualities. Pinkie's characterization also allows Greene to introduce "evil" into the text, as her personal qualities match those of someone who would be considered a villain. As soon as Pinkie leaves, Ida is formally introduced when Hale asks if he can sit next to her. In stark contrast to Pinkie's personality, Ida is portrayed as a caring and compassionate person who feels "comfort and peace...a touch of nursery" (14). She also has a vivacious attitude, being "only a little drunk and happy" (15). Greene effectively introduces Pinkie's foil into the novel, a person who represents "good", illustrating an obvious contrast between Pinkie and Ida. It also gives readers insight into Ida's moral compass. When Hale tells her he's sick, Ida comments, "You shouldn't be alone." What do you have? (16), which reflects his concern. Thus, Greene's initial characterization of Ida develops her "good image" and her role as the moral backbone of Brighton Rock. By the end of the first chapter, Greene is able to set up the conventional theme of good versus evil by introducing and characterizing Pinkie and Ida. After Hale is murdered by Pinkie's gang, Ida plans to investigate his death. “The more she thought about [Hale's death], the more she wished she had been there: it was like a pain in her heart, the idea that no one at the inquest was interested” (32). Her concerns and curiosity about Hale's death push her to get involved, even though her friend Clarence tells her it's none of her business. “I know,” [Ida] said. 'It's none of mine.' But it doesn't belong to anyone, her heart kept telling her: that was the problem: no one but her to ask questions” (33). Hale's murder sticks in Ida's heart and, determined to find out what really happened, Ida decides to investigate his death. Ida's attitude reflects her responsibility, as she decides to tackle Hale's murder after no one wants to question his death. She also demonstrates fair character, as she is hurt by the fact that Hale's death was not properly investigated and feels she is doing him justice by trying to deduce what which really happened. Greene is deceptively capable of building anddevelop Ida's role as a representative of "good" in Brighton Rock, as it characterizes Ida as a determined woman with strong morals and values. Greene also continues to develop Pinkie's role as a representative of "evil" in the text. When Pinkie discusses Hale's murder with his gang members, he remarks, "When people commit one murder, I read that sometimes they have to commit another - to clean up" (47). Pinkie for Life is obvious, as he nonchalantly talks about how murder must be balanced with the murder of another person. Furthermore, “the word murder does not bring him any more than the words ‘box’, ‘necklace’, ‘giraffe’” (47). Greene's characterization of Pinkie shows that he is not perturbed by the loss of life and that the murder has no negative connotations in his mind. Therefore, Pinkie is portrayed as a psychopath, which goes hand in hand with her role as a representation of evil in the text. Pinkie's psychopathic nature is further demonstrated when it is said that "he could not see through the eyes of others, nor feel with their nerves" (47), which shows his lack of empathy. As the novel progresses, Greene is effectively able to demonstrate how Ida plays the role of "good" and how Pinkie plays the role of "evil", delving into their psychological thought processes. Later in Brighton Rock, Pinkie becomes romantically involved with a waitress named Rose, in order to prevent her from providing incriminating evidence to the police. Ida, realizing that Pinkie is trying to use Rose, confronts her several times in order to tell her the truth. Ida is also relentless in her pursuit of Rose, one day saying, "I'm going to work on this child every hour of the day until I get something" (129). Moreover, his aggressive approach is supported by “ruthless compassion” (129), an intriguing oxymoron. Ida is portrayed as someone who desperately wants to help Rose, as she is willing to spend as much time as possible talking with Rose about Pinkie's mischievous behavior. Therefore, Ida completes her role as "good" in the text by trying to protect Rose from succumbing to Pinkie and her malicious intentions. Essentially, Ida is a guardian angel to Rose, except Rose tries to thwart her. When Rose asks Ida "Why should you care about me?" » (130), Ida replies “I don't want the Innocents to suffer” (130). Again, this shows how Ida is trying to be a guardian figure for Rose, except Rose thinks she doesn't need any help, because she's too naive to understand Pinkie's true intentions. Ida also continues to pursue Rose, telling her, "Don't be stupid now...I'm your friend." I just want to save you from [Pinkie]…he’s bad” (130). Here the conflict between good and evil can be seen. Rose wants to be with Pinkie even though he manipulates her, and Ida tries to persuade Rose to leave him, as she is trying to protect her from harm. Rose is essentially a seesaw, where "evil" is on one side and "good" is on the other. At this point in the text, she leans toward "evil" because she is attracted to Pinkie and continues to ignore Ida's advice about her. However, Ida doesn't back down, continuing to explain to Rose why she should leave Pinkie, arguing, "He doesn't care about you...I've liked a boy or two in my time." Well, that's natural. It's like breathing. Only you don't want to get upset about it. There isn't one that's worth it – leave him alone. He is evil” (130-131). Finally, Ida holds out her hand and says to Rose, “It’s in my hand: the girdle of Venus.” But I've always been on the right side... Don't take away the idea that I'm against love....