As World War I raged about Europe. Great Britain took every step available to guarantee the war didn’t spread into their ain backyard. Their ground forces was making all right contending elsewhere in France and Germany. but as William I proved in 1066. when you invade England. it’s non the English that win. Britishers lived in changeless fright of a coup d’etat by the German “huns. ” and this fright inspired Graham Greene to notice on morality in adult male in his short narrative. “I Spy. ” Greene explains. through the struggle that his supporters suffer. that sometimes society’s ethical motives are unnaturally removed. for illustration in a clip of war in which the object is to kill as many people as possible that aren’t on your side. In these state of affairss. people have to do their ain determinations about morality and right and incorrect. and this perfectly terrifies them. This is shown in “I Spy” through the characters. imagination. and puting in the narrative.

The chief character in “I Spy” is Charlie Stowe. a 12 twelvemonth old male child life in England. Charlie is teased by male childs at school about ne’er holding smoked a coffin nail. so one dark sneaks downstairs to his father’s tobacconist store to hold one. He knows this is non merely incorrect but illegal. but does it anyways to seek to extenuate his schoolmates’ ridicule. Since Charlie knows he is making incorrect. throughout the narrative he has an overbearing fright of being caught. Apparently for Charlie. nevertheless. the effects of being caught stealing coffin nails are less than the effects of non smoking at all. so he goes through with his program. The other chief character in the narrative is Charlie’s male parent who owns the store. He is described as an ‘unreal ghost. ’ non loved by his boy.

As the narrative progresses. it becomes apparent that Mr. Stowe has been taken into detention for being a undercover agent. and is being brought to the store to acquire his coat before he is led. presumptively. to test and executing. It is non clear whether Mr. Stowe became a undercover agent because he was a tobacconist ( specialising in imports from Turkey. a WW-I ally of Germany ) . or whether he became a tobacconist because he was a undercover agent ( supplying a common assemblage topographic point. doing it easy to go through information or points back and Forth ) . It is clear. nevertheless. from Charlie’s memories of his male parent strengthening himself with Proverbss and mumbling to himself. that he may non hold wanted to keep his faithless business. Both Charlie’s and his father’s society’s ethical motives have been removed. Charlie’s by his classmates and Mr. Stowe. likely. by German undercover agents haling him to fall in their ranks. Both of them know they are making incorrect and. though they display their fright otherwise. are scared however about what might go on if they don’t do their several undertakings.

The imagination in “I Spy” besides helps demo the cardinal thought of fright. Throughout the narrative. visible radiation is represented as a danger of being caught. and each clip Charlie shies off from the visible radiation. The taper in his mother’s room. the limelights brushing the Windowss of the store. and the policeman’s flashlight all provide menaces to Charlie’s mission of stealing a coffin nail. In add-on. the nature of the store itself lends itself to fascinate and fear. The phrase “smoke-filled room” traditionally stirs feelings of cloak-and-dagger trades and furtive secrets. and this room is no different. The apprehensiveness is about every bit seeable as the fume in this room of shady minutess. Imagery. in add-on to demoing deficiency of ethical motives. contrasts it by demoing pillars of morality and fortitude. the two agents attach toing Mr. Stowe. With their indistinguishable suits. bowlers. and macintoshs. these authorities agents. presumptively from the British MI-5. represent those that do non hold to do determinations for themselves and have their codification of morality laid before them.

Finally. the scene of “I Spy” does a great trade to back up the cardinal thought of holding to take 1s moral determinations. This is Great Britain in the early 20th century. when the last leftovers of the British Empire are being swept off and planetary warfare is everyone’s biggest fright. Britain is besides coming off its “jingoism” ( intending improbably chauvinistic ) policy. significance that there are a great trade of fervent nationalists populating in the country. Charlie’s female parent is one of these. holding nil but good to state about the queen. and nil but bad to state about the Germans. Charlie’s male parent besides validates the nationalism. stating that one time the neighbours find out he is a undercover agent. they will rupture down the tobacconists shop. These neighbours would usually non band together to make such a violent act. but for the clip.

They are used to hearing that everything related to Britain is perfect. and everything related to Germany should be destroyed. and will move consequently. The narrative takes topographic point in a coastal town. so limelights are continually sweeping across the sea looking for German boats. and across the skies looking for enemy airships. These visible radiations serve a double intent. nevertheless. and subconsciously remind the population that even they can be watched. This may take to conflict within ordinary people. who may ever worry whether their actions are “good” or “good for the state” or could be interpreted as conflicting with the involvements of Britain. It is apparent that these visible radiations. built to protect. can besides strike fright into the Black Marias of people fighting to do their mundane moral determinations.

There will ever be cases in which definite morality is suspended or removed. Peoples will ever be forced to do up their ain set of ethical motives and abide by them. and they will ever be fearful that their set of ethical motives is incorrect. The differences that arise among people is how they act on these frights and codification of ethical motives. Charlie and his male parent both experienced the fright of being discovered in the incorrect. They besides both experienced the desperation at cognizing there is no other pick but the action they are taking. In world. nevertheless. both Charlie and his male parent took the easy manner out in covering with their jobs. Charlie could hold merely stood up to his tormentors and defended his right non to smoke. and Mr. Stowes could hold refused to go a undercover agent for Germany. Both of these responses could hold resulted in serious personal hurt. but it should hold been a little monetary value to pay for maintaining one’s award.