Morality in Graham Greenes I Spy - 1072 Words

As World War I raged about Europe, Great Britain took every measure available to ensure the war didnt spread into their own backyard. Their army was doing fine fighting elsewhere in France and Germany, but as William I proved in 1066, when you invade England, its not the English that win. Britons lived in constant fear of a takeover by the German huns, and this fear inspired Graham Greene to comment on morality in man in his short story, I Spy. Greene explains, through the conflict that his protagonists suffer, that sometimes societys morals are artificially removed, for example in a time of war in which the object is to kill as many people as possible that arent on your side. In these situations, people have to make their own†¦show more content†¦Finally, the setting of I Spy does a great deal to support the central idea of having to choose ones moral decisions. This is Great Britain in the early twentieth century, when the last remnants of the British Empire are being swep t away and global warfare is everyones biggest fear. Britain is also coming off its jingoism (meaning incredibly nationalistic) policy, meaning that there are a great deal of ardent patriots living in the area. Charlies mother is one of these, having nothing but good to say about the queen, and nothing but bad to say about the Germans. Charlies father also validates the patriotism, saying that once the neighbors find out he is a spy, they will tear down the tobacconists shop. These neighbors would normally not band together to do such a violent act, but for the time. They are used to hearing that everything related to Britain is perfect, and everything related to Germany should be destroyed, and will act accordingly. The story takes place in a coastal town, so spotlights are continually sweeping across the sea looking for German boats, and across the skies looking for enemy dirigibles. These lights serve a dual purpose, however, and subconsciously remind the population that even the y can be watched. This may lead to conflict within ordinary people, who may always worry