Graham Greene’s Paradoxical Vision
Graham Greene is one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century, indeed, of any century. Undoubtedly, his major novels are world-famous and have remained steadily marketable, while at the same time they challengingly display religious and political problems of abiding importance. Indeed, they make a happy blend of the two paradoxical ways of life: the religious and the political. Naturally the first continual theme of Greene is good and evil, that fight over man continually, and the second one is the political current that leads to disaster.
The term ‘paradox’ has its origin in the Greek word ‘paradoxos ― para + doxa(opinion). Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines the term as ‘a statement or tenet contrary to received opinion or belief, especially one that is incredible, absurd, or fantastic’ or ‘a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated or explained may prove to be well-founded or true’.1 The adjective form of the word is paradoxical.
Thus, ‘paradoxical vision’ means the vision which includes two contradictory ideas or principles. Greene’s vision of life is paradoxical as he holds both Catholicism and modern politics together in unison. In his interview with Fidel Castro and Ho Chi Minh, he, very emphatically, says that both religion and politics can be combined and made complementary to each other. In fact, he has tried to make a compromise between two contradictory ideas—religion and politics, and soften the opposition between the two through his novels and other prose writings. Finally, it is right to argue that Greene's concept of ‘paradoxical vision’ is closely associated with his contradictory blending of religious and p...
... middle of paper ...
... ed., Samuel Hynes (UK: Prentice Hall International Ltd., 1987), p.96.
9. François Mauriac, D'autres et moi (Paris: Bernard Grasset, 1966), p. 61.
10. Graham Greene, Brighton Rock (London: Heinemann, 1938); (Uniform
Edition,1955), p.1. Hereafter, the novel with page numbers is noted parenthetically.
11. A. F. Cassis, ed., Graham Greene: Man of Paradox (Chicago: Loyola University
Press, 1994), p. 271.
12. Graham Greene, The Quiet American (Delhi: Surjeet Publications, 2007), p.199.
13. Peter Mudford, Graham Greene (London: Northcote House, 1996), p. 45.
14. Marie-Françoise Allain, The Other Man: Conversations with Graham Greene
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1983), pp. 75-76.
15. Ibid., p.78.
16. A. F. Cassis, ed., Graham Greene: Man of Paradox (Chicago: Loyola University
Press, 1994), p. 207.
17. Ibid., pp. 385-86.
18. Ibid., p. 423.
In “1984,” Orwell portrays Winston’s secret struggle to undermine the totalitarian rule of Big Brother and the Party in Oceania. The different government agencies, such as the Thought Police and Ministry of Love, exercise unrestricted totalitarian rule over people. Winston actively seeks to join the rebellion and acquire the freedoms undermined by the Party. On the other hand, Heinlein’s brief narrative, “The Long Watch,” depicts a contrasting struggle championed by Dahlquist against the power hungry Colonel Towers and the Patrol. In his struggle to prevent the total domination of the world by the Patrol, Dahlquist chooses to sacrifice his life. Le Guin’s “The Ones who walk away from Omelas,” illustrates a communal form of injustice tolerated for the benefit of the entire city but necessitating the inhumane imprisonment of a child. He portrays the ambiguity of human morality and the individual struggle to determine right from wrong. The authors address social change and power in different ways, reflective of their individual perceptions. Hence, in each narrative, the author illustrates the individual’s role in effecting social change and the conditions under which such change becomes possible.
Without knowing, one could assume Greene’s “Wide-Awakeness and the Moral Life” and “The Art of Being Present” were written modern times. In fact, I thought they were recent articles. In a world that is constantly changing, there are few things that stay the same. And although sameness is the exact thing that these articles argue against, as educators we can use that sense of stalemate to continue to push ourselves and our students.
Consequently, love, moral, or spiritual belief are the three senses that can brace people up in adversity. The stronger these senses are, the stronger the person is. The Grapes of Wrath and The English Patient portray many vivid characters. Each of them undergoes various plots and encounters all kinds problem. While the fates are testing them, some stand up and overcome, and others escape and hide. At this moment, who are the ‘goats’ and who are the ‘sheep’ has never been so clear.
3. A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself, but has veracity to it. Johnson demonstrates that there’s a paradox in this new age in that He provides a technical and ornate response by saying that computers of today, used by this new society dependant on “duh” and/or “like” and “yeah,
The novel 1984 is one that has sparked much controversy over the last several decades. It harbors many key ideas that lie at the root of all skepticism towards the book. With the ideas of metaphysics, change, and control in mind, George Orwell wrote 1984 to provide an interesting story but also to express his ideas of where he believed the world was heading. His ideas were considered widely ahead of their time, and he was really able to drive home how bleak and colorless our society really is. Orwell wrote this piece as a futuristic, dystopian book which contained underlying tones of despair and deceit.
Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Philosophical optimism of a bright future held by humanity in general was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the books Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 clear opposition to these subtle entrapments was voiced in similarly convincing ways. They first all established, to varying degrees of balance, the atmosphere and seductiveness of the “utopia” and the fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of their inability to conform – often in protest to the forced conditions of happiness and well being. Their struggle is to hide this fact from the state’s relentless supervision of (supposedly) everything. This leads them to eventually come into conflict with some hand of the state which serves as the authors voice presenting the reader with the ‘absurdity’ of the principles on which the society is based. The similar fear of the state’s abuse of power and technology at the expense of human individuality present within these novels speaks to the relevance of these novels within their historical context and their usefulness for awakening people to the horrendous consequences of their ignorance.
McQuade, Donald, ed. The Harper American Literature. Harper & Row Publishers: New York, 1987, pp. 1308-1311. This paper is the property of NetEssays.Net Copyright © 1999-2002
Contradictions are ideas or statements that oppose one another, such as paradox and irony. Paradox means that a statement contradicts itself, which may or may not be true; while irony is when you say one idea but mean another. For instance, The Declaration of Independence is one example which Americans show their contradictions. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “All men are created equal” at the same time Americans had slaves in their possession which evoked all African-Americans to obtain any natural rights as indicated in The Declaration of Independence (194). In addition, the paradox involved with this statement is a reason, which makes this country a travesty. All of these writers relate to The Declaration of Independence when dealing with contradictions
In the article excerpt, social critic Neil Postman describes two dystopian novels: George Orwell’s 1984, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Postman compares which novel is more relevant to today’s society, and leans more towards Brave New World. When both novels are compared side by side, it is evident that Huxley’s world is indeed more relative to modern day civilization.
In the note “Evils Imminent,” Erik Larson writes “Beneath the gore and smoke and loam, this book is about the evanescence of life, and why some men choose to fill their brief allotment of time engaging the impossible, others in the manufacture of sorrow” [xi]. The purpose of this novel is to compare and contrast the book's main characters, Daniel Burnham and Henry H. Holmes. The characters have contrasting personalities and feelings, but a few similar motives to a certain extent.
According to the notes from class, true paradox is defined as two ideas or principles that seem irreconcilable with each other, but prove on closer scrutiny, simultaneously valid. The theory of paradox is recommended to address and remove the ineffectiveness of opposing viewpoints. The benefit of the theory of paradox is that it seeks to recognize and value all perspectives. It also encourages using the effective aspects of all perspectives.
In addition, authors frequently lack originality and simply take the reader on all-too-familiar voyages into politics, morals, or religion. Successful writers are those who risk and go on to write about topics that many times others have been less willing to address. The product of these extraordinary efforts is compositions richly enhanced by human feelings and real problems that we encounter and relate to our everyday lives…thought-provoking discussions about religion, philosophy, or politics. These pioneering authors are not afraid to write about evil, the perverse aspects of man, or even sexuality… Their true voices have risen from behind the words taking shape in the minds of the readers. Few have done this, but in the 19th Century two remarkable Americans produced compositions of unequal quality. Their styles and the way they approach the reader are different from t...
While Robbins’s work was at first ill received, by the mid-1970s the public had started to warm up to this quirky and thought provoking writer. Even today, his work invites inquiry about what prompted him to write this controversial novel. That is, who and what influenced this line of thought? What was happening in America and with Christianity during the period, in which he wrote and researched this piece of fiction? And, finally, why did he write in this sporadic, nonlinear fashion, inserting seemingly non-related details and encrypting an official report within the structure of a novel? And how does this relate to the influences mentioned above? All of these questions and more offer themselves up from the pages of this funny and whimsical, yet philosophical and wise novel, Another Roadside Attraction.
Williams, Raymond (ed). Deutscher, Isaac: `1984 - The mysticism of cruelty' George Orwell: A collection of critical essays Prentice Hall Int. Inc. (1974)
Magill, Frank N. Ed. “Nineteen Eighty-Four” Masterpieces of World Literature. New York NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989. 582-585. Orwell, George.