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Graham Greene Biography & Story Analysis

The document provides biographical information about author Graham Greene, including that he was born in England in 1904, had an unhappy childhood, and served as a secret intelligence officer for Britain during World War II. It discusses the setting of one of Greene's stories being his character Charlie's house during World War I in England. It also provides a summary of questions from Greene's short story that analyze details like the narrator, main character, other characters, events, and themes of the story.

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Winniffer Lorenzo Castillo Ravelo
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200 views3 pages

Graham Greene Biography & Story Analysis

The document provides biographical information about author Graham Greene, including that he was born in England in 1904, had an unhappy childhood, and served as a secret intelligence officer for Britain during World War II. It discusses the setting of one of Greene's stories being his character Charlie's house during World War I in England. It also provides a summary of questions from Greene's short story that analyze details like the narrator, main character, other characters, events, and themes of the story.

Uploaded by

Winniffer Lorenzo Castillo Ravelo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1. Who's the author? Investigate the author's biography.

Graham Greene was born on October 2, 1904, in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, in England.


He was one of six children born to Charles Henry Greene, headmaster of Berkhamsted
School, and Marion R. Greene, whose first cousin was the famed writer Robert Louis
Stevenson (1850–1894). He did not enjoy his childhood, and often skipped classes in
order to avoid the constant bullying by his fellow classmates. At one-point Greene even
ran away from home.

During the years of World War II (1939–45: when Germany, Italy, and Japan fought
against France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States [from 1941
until the end of the war]) Greene slipped out of England and went to West Africa as a
secret intelligence (gathering secret information) officer for the British government. The
result, a novel called The Heart of the Matter, appeared in 1948, and was well received
by American readers.

2. What's the setting of the story? Mention the country, town, place and period of
time if it's possible. Describe the place and historical background of the story.
What do you know about World War 1?

In his house, world war 1, England

3. Why is the setting so important?

Because it tells you where the story is taking place. It gives you’re a better understanding
of the story. You can interpretate the characters mood and behavior and by knowing the
settings you can identify the environment and society in which the author is telling the
story.

4. Who's the narrator? From whose point of view the story is told? What does the
author want to achieve with that?

Graham Greene, third person,

5. Who is the main character? How do you know?

Charlie Stowe, because the narrator is telling his story.

6. Describe and visualize all the characters. 

Charlie Stowe had the curiosity about smoke a cigarette because he is being
bullied at school.
His father is a hard worker.

7. What was the boy doing downstairs?

He was stealing a cigarette from the tobacconist’s shop of his father.

8. Contrast Charlie's attitude toward his father with his feelings about his mother.

Charlie thinks that his father does not love him or does not care about him,
because he does not spend too much time at home and does not share with the
family.

9. Finish answering all the questions that you can find at the end of the story: To
increase understanding from 1 to 7.

During what period does the story take place?

World war 1

What is the Charlie´s impressions of his father in the early parts of the story?

His impressions were that he is unreal to him, wraith, pale, thin, and indefinite.

Why does Charlie raid his father´s shop?

Because he had the curiosity and because he did not love his father

Why does Charlie continue his actions in spite of his feeling of guild?

Because he thought that if he is caught there was nothing to be done about it.

What happened to Charlie´s father?

He is arrested by two police

What statement does Mr. Stowe make about his shop that reveals the nature of his
activities?

That he
10. Read very carefully the last paragraph of the story, and find the message.

You can love someone even though you do not like their behavior.

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