The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Matter ( The Heart of the Matter ) is a novel by Graham Greene, published in 1948. He deals with moral issues in close connection with Catholicism. The novel is part of the list of the "100 best English-language novels of the 20th century " the Modern Library.

Greene tells the story against a background that he as a British intelligence officer in Freetown, Sierra Leone, met. The place is not mentioned in the novel, but Greene calls him in his memoirs, Ways of Escape.

Action

The main character is a policeman Scobie in colonial West Africa during the Second World War. He is married to a Catholic, Louise, on account of which he entered the Catholic Church. Although it is a rather superficial practicing Catholic, he is very religious.

Louise leaves him and goes to South Africa. Scobie meets a young English girl named Helen and begins a passionate affair with her. But he is aware that he thus commits a grave sin. When Louise returns unexpectedly, Scobie tries to hide the affair in front of her, but can not let go of Helen, so that his priest he recommends thinking about it and denied him absolution. Scobie is still with his wife, the fair and still receives Communion

Desperate, he decides everyone - even God - to get rid of and commits suicide, although he is aware of in order to be condemned. His attempt is to end up being useless because Louise was not as naive as he believed. The affair with Helen and the suicide are revealed and his wife comes in doubt about God's grace and forgiveness.

Bibliography

  • Graham Greene: The Heart of the Matter. Novel. William Heinemann, London 1948. German edition: The Heart of the Matter. German by Walter Puchwein. Zsolnay, Hamburg 1949, most recently at dtv, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-423-19128-9.

Films

  • The Heart of the Matter ( The Heart of the Matter ), TV four-part documentary, ZA / D / F / I 1983, directed by Marco Leto, Jack Hedley, Erica Rogers, Christiane Jean, Wolfgang Kieling and Manfred Seipold.
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