The Fall Of A Good Man---On Scobie's Pity In The Heart Of The Matter

This thesis intends to analyze the development of the tragic character of Henry Scobie, the protagonist of Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter. It is Scobie抯 strong desire to do good to other people and the extent of his sin that appeals to the readers. His fatal flaw is his excessive sense of pity and his pride in attempting ,to arrange others?happiness. Pity carries him from one sin to another until he commits the ultimate sin of suicide. As a Catholic, he is both a rebel and a saint. He disobeys the orthodox Catholic dogmas because he is not satisfied with God who is not as compassionate as himself. Meanwhile, he is a good servant of God because the motive of his sins is sacred. In fact, his death is a sacrifice of his own salvation for the good of others. In this sense, Scobie is a tragic hero. The thesis is composed of three parts. Part I explains the nature of Scobie抯 sense of pity and responsibility, which causes him to lose his integrity. Part II probes deeper into Scobie's mind, trying to find the psychological reasons of his sense of pity. Part III deals with Scobies spiritual world, dwelling chiefly on his relation with God, which has been changed by his sense of pity. The thesis concludes that Scobie has the characteristic of a modern hero because he does not identify himself with the corrupt society he lives in, nor with the rigid doctrine of the Orthodox Church.