The Basement Room, By Graham Greene - 1091 Words

Maya Angelou once said, â€Å"We are only as blind as we want to be.† This is not referring to literal blindness, but instead to the human tendency of to ignore, or â€Å"be blind to,† the consequences of their actions in relation to the good of other people. Renowned author Graham Greene explores this theme from what some people believe to be a Christian perspective in his many of his works. Although two of Graham Greene’s short stories, â€Å"The Basement Room† and â€Å"The Destructors,† are neither clearly redemptive or biblical, it is very possible that the stories are written from a Christian worldview because of their parallels to the nature and consequences of sin, and Greene’s criticism of selfish human behavior. â€Å"The Basement Room† has several†¦show more content†¦Old Misery, a lonely old man who lives in a singular house in the middle of bomb ruins, and his beloved home represent an innocent victim deceived by an evil force. After convincing Old Misery to let him see the inside of his house, T. devises a plan to destroy it. He explains his plan to his friends, saying, â€Å"‘We’ll destroy it†¦ We’d do it from inside. I’ve found a way in†¦ When we came out again there’d be nothing there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Destructors† 4). T. and his plan clearly parallel the effects of Satan on humans. Old Misery, like any other unsuspecting victim would, unknowingly lets a source of evil into his home. Once inside, T. learns the weaknesses of the place and figures out exactly how to ruin it, similarly to how all humans can be killed by their weaknesses. Old Misery never did anything against the boy. Instead, he acted kindly towards T . when he welcomes him inside. Like Satan, T. is aggressive and angry in nature, and feels prompted to completely sabotage Old Misery’s life for his own personal enjoyment. Similarly to T.’s type in â€Å"The Destructors,† Greene explores the selfishness of humans in the character of Mrs. Baines in â€Å"The Basement Room.† Mrs. Baines, Philip’s housekeeper, corrupts Philip by forcing him to keep her secrets and bribing him to help her conspire against her husband. After Philip lets it slip that Baines had beenShow MoreRelatedBasement Room Analysis1630 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Basement Room†: Graham Greene’s Perspective Like many other things in our world, society is comprised of two different aspects: free will and constraints. As Americans, we experience the former daily and seem to take it for granted. We simply live and maintain our daily routines monotonously, completely oblivious to the fact that we are exercising our rights of freedom, doing whatever pleases us. However, if one uses his or her free will corruptly, they will come to experience the latter aspectRead More Thomas Hardys The Sons Veto, Graham Greenes The Basement Room and alan Sillitoes Uncle Ernest1496 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Hardys The Sons Veto, Graham Greenes The Basement Room and alan Sillitoes Uncle Ernest In each of the three stories, The Sons Veto by Thomas Hardy, The Basement Room by Graham Green and Uncle Ernest by Alan Silitoe, the respective writer conveys a sense of isolation regarding the central character. There are numerous similarities between the characters based on their common plight, but each story differs in the portrayal of these characters. The writers effectively presentRead MoreDomestic Abuse In An Intimate Relationship . One Hears1892 Words   |  8 Pagesshort story â€Å"Spurs,† we witness emotional and physical abuse between Jacques Coube and Mademoiselle Jeanne, a newly married couple that had gotten together for the wrong intentions. There is also emotional and physical abuse seen in Graham Greene’s story â€Å"The Basement Room,† amongst Mr. and Mrs. Baines. It’s ironic that the people who are supposed to protect us, is the same person that abuses us. We’ll discuss the different types of domestic abuse, what is psychologically going on with the victim andRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesI am just stretched too thin on this project. Then Jim Bishop asked me if the system was running yet. I was worn out from dealing with the Controller, and I made a sarcastic comment to Jim Bishop. He gave me a funny look and just walked out of the room. I would like to talk with you about this situation at your earliest convenience. ITEM 14 – E-MAIL TO: FROM: DATE: Chris Perillo John Small, Group 6 Manager October 15 Welcome aboard, Chris. I look forward to meeting with you. I just wanted