Greene consistently refers to Pinkie as 'the Boy,' which reflects his youthful immaturity and vulnerability. On the other hand, it may be interpreted that Pinkie does not simply reject chances for change, but rather that he is forced to continue as a criminal as he is trapped by his own background and lifestyle. Greene uses a motif of 'the stirrup and the ground' throughout the book to demonstrate Pinkie's numerous opportunities to change however, Pinkie rejects them all and ultimately dies at the end of the novel. Pinkie's male role model was a criminal gang leader named Kite, who was murdered prior to the opening of the novel - this perhaps offers additional explanation for Pinkie's decision to pursue a criminal lifestyle. This is a key factor to Pinkie's character and it is something Greene has purposefully done to further convey the idea that Pinkie may be almost like the Anti-Christ, or the devil.

Despite his religious, Catholic beliefs, Pinkie continues to commit mortal sins and does not seem to consider the possibility of heaven he simply believes in hell, and this is reinforced by Greene's use of recurring hellish imagery of the sea. Pinkie retains a religious belief in morality, viewing the world in terms of 'good vs evil' in contrast to Ida's perception of societal 'right vs wrong'. He displays an unnatural aversion to love and sex as a result of witnessing his parents having sex as a child he inherently suffers from his own failure to achieve his aspirations because he is trapped in his hometown, the poverty-stricken Nelson Place. Pinkie is presented as a deeply troubled character. Pinkie is the central villain in Graham Greene's Brighton Rock.

Rock graham greene