“In crime fiction, the readers’ interest in a criminal’s motives often outweighs their interest in the
crime itself.” Explore the significance of criminal motives in two crime texts you have studied.
One of crime fiction’s many allures is its capacity for enabling readers to explore the dark and
twisted minds of criminals. The unwavering popularity of the genre is reflective of society’s appetite
for understanding the criminal psyche in the hope of explaining what motivates such complex
individuals to commit what are often deeply disturbing crimes. Graham Greene’s 1938 novel,
“Brighton Rock”, is no exception, shining light om the various motives driving the crimes of the
novel’s protagonist and criminal, Pinkie Brown. The significance of criminal motives is also
highlighted in the Browning monologues, “My Last Duchess” and “Porphyria’s Lover”, which offer
insight into the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators behind the murders that occur, largely detracting
readers’ interest from the murders themselves.
In “Brighton Rock”, Pinkie’s criminal motives are fundamental to both the reader’s understanding of
his character and Greene’s provision of social commentary on the contemporary issues he intended
to highlight. Pinkie’s initial motivator for engaging in a life of crime can be accredited to his
desperation to escape his predestined life of poverty. Pinkie grew up in “Nelson Place”, one of
Brighton’s most deprived slums in the 1930s, making it a fitting setting for feature in the novel to
exacerbate why Pinkie was so intent on permanently liberating himself from his birthplace. This
desperation to escape makes Pinkie welcomingly accept the false sense of security offered by the
entrapment within a cycle of crime; each of his crimes providing motivation for the next. At first,
Pinkie doesn’t appear phased by this phenomenon, seeing it as a natural consequence of crime,
explaining to his fellow mob member, Dallow, that he had read about how “when people do one
murder, they sometimes have to do another, to tidy up”. However, later on in the novel, we get the
sense that Pinkie’s motivation stems from his lack of control for we are told “it was as if he was
travelling too far down a road he only wanted to travel a certain distance”, this being a metaphor for
how he had recognised that the measures he had been taking to “tidy up” had become too drastic
even for Pinkie.
Pinkie’s motivations for crime also stem from his inherent, overwhelming jealousy of Brighton’s most
notorious gangster, Colleoni. Greene repeatedly reminds us of how Pinkie is “taunted” by “the
memory of Colleoni’s luxury”, acting as his encouragement to continue reoffending in the belief that
this would get him to “where Colleoni was and higher…” Furthermore, Pinkie is insulted by the
Brighton constable, who tells him that he “isn’t big enough for [his] job” and “can’t stand against
Colleoni”, invigorating Pinkie’s desire to assert his power and demonstrate his capability by
committing further wrongdoing. The dichotomy Greene establishes between Pinkie and Colleoni can
be interpreted as Greene’s social commentary on how poverty and class inequality can inspire
criminality, linking to Graham Greene’s personal view that “man is made by the places in which he
lives”. “Brighton Rock” serves to perpetuate the stereotype that poverty leads to crime, which is
embodied throughout the history of literature, particularly notable in the works of 19 th century social
reformists, Charles Dickens being a renowned example.
Jealousy and social inequality as motivators for crime also present themselves in the Browning
monologues. In “My Last Duchess”, the Duke becomes envious of his Duchess’ seemingly innocent
interaction with other men, claiming how “it was not her husband’s presence only, called that spot
of joy on the Duchess’ cheek”. Instead of confronting the Duchess about her “flirtatious” behaviour,
believing that to do so would be lowering himself to her level and he “[chooses] never to stoop”, the
Duke abuses the power of his “nine-hundred-year-old name” by giving “commands” to order the
murder of his Duchess. This action is also representative of the gender inequality prevalent in 19 th
