| Graham Greene is one of the most distinguished contemporary British writers. William Golding regards Greene as "the ultimate twentieth-century chronicler of consciousness and anxiety." Such a statement can be verified by The Heart of the Matter, one of Greene's best novels. Through examining Scobie's relations to those he claims to love, this thesis tries to show Greene's concern about how man can live a meaningful life in this world.Chapter â… gives a brief introduction to Greene's life and his works. Besides, this chapter also summarizes the criticism on Greene's works in general and The Heart of the Matter in particular.Chapter â…¡ argues The Heart of the Matter is an excellent tragedy in the spirit of Aristotle's definition. In terms of tragic action and tragic hero, this novel coheres with Aristotle's tragic principles. Furthermore, through skillfully registering Scobie's inner thought, this novel develops Aristotle's theory.Chapter â…¢ is devoted to finding out the central cause of Scobie's tragedy. Scobie's relations to those he claims to love are basically ones of I—It. His wife and his mistress are the objects of his pity and his responsibility. Ali, his faithful servant, only serves the function of taking care of Scobie's daily life. Scobie cannot find the meaning of life in the world of It and thus has a constant sense of failure and tiredness. He longs to be alone, and when this cannot be achieved in life, suicide becomes his inevitable end.Chapter â…£ deals with the tragic effects aroused by this novel. Scobie's undeserved misfortune leads the reader to feel tragic pity. Furthermore, being aware of the central cause of Scobie's tragedy strikes tragic fear in the reader's heart. Thus this novel achieves the effect of catharsis by making the reader consider how to find the true meaning of life.In the concluding chapter, this thesis maintains that this novel, as a good illustration of Aristotle's tragic theory, reveals that the meaning of life lies between I and Thou.
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