It describes how religious belief can shape human perception and behaviour. The novel thus depicts the world as it is seen by a Roman Catholic. His behaviour is shaped by his Roman Catholic concepts of good and evil, of damnation and salvation.

He is a religious gang-leader, who fights against secular enemies. Although there are various shifts in point of view, the main perspective is that of Pinkie Brown.

This division of characters is taken up but then transformed into a spiritual one by introducing the religious dimension, which establishes a spiritual gap between the believers (Pinkie and Rose) and the non-believers (especially Ida Arnold). Ida Arnold, Colleoni and the police are the hounds that are after Pinkie, which can be described as the secular level of the text. The true meaning lies on a second level beneath the surface of the entertaining action. Yet this is only the first or basic level of Brighton Rock. As a means of suspense Brighton Rock is pervaded with pairs of opposites: The sunny Brighton of the Bank Holiday against the gloomy Brighton of the gang fights Ida Arnold against Hale’s murderers Pinkie against Colleoni. Greene originally conceived Brighton Rock as an “entertainment”, and it indeed starts out as an exciting thriller. It is incorporated into a thriller plot that functions as the framework of the novel. However, the subject of Roman Catholicism is not immediately apparent to the reader. This marks a turning point in his writing career.

In Brighton Rock, Greene introduces the religious dimension for the first time.

Brighton rock author