1. Despite of structural simplicity, The Tenth Man is a combination of profound
themes and philosophies pertaining to the choices an individual makes in life.
Discuss.
Graham Greene was a Post-war Modern writer. But he follows the classical form of the writing
in his work. As he has seen the destructions and intensely painful effects of World War, so he
was psychologically depressed because of these prevailing conditions. He was going to commit
suicide but he found salvation and refuge in religion when he turned toward Catholicism. We see
in his work, he communicates an element of hope through humor and satire.
Graham Greene wrote The Tenth Man in 1944 when he was under a two-year contract with
Metro-Goldwin-Mayer, and the manuscript lay forgotten in MGM's archives until 1983. It opens
in time of World War II, when a group of men is held prisoner by the Germans, who determine
that three of them must die. This is the story of how one of those men trades his wealth for his
life, and lives to pay for his act in utterly unexpected ways.
The Tenth Man is vividly showing the impacts of World War on mankind. The people were
mostly psychologically disturbed. Other than this, there was a kind of sudden property shift like
the fate of someone gets changed. The poor all of a sudden became rich, and the rich transformed
into poor. Like by getting the property of Chavel, Janvier's sister became rich and Chavel himself
poor, living in his own house as servant.
When we see the structure of the novel it is simple. The plot is linear. Events are in chronological
order. The story comprises four parts. In Part I, set in prison, the occupying German guards issue
a decimation order to the thirty inmates. One of the three chosen by drawing lots is a rich lawyer
named Chavel. Chavel becomes hysterical and desperately offers his entire wealth to any man
willing to die in his place. A young man, known as Janvier, accepts his offer and is executed.
In Part II, the war is over and Chavel is alive and free, but virtually destitute. He returns to the
house he sold for his life and finds it occupied by Janvier’s mother and sister, Thérèse. Assuming
the false name Charlot, he becomes their servant.
Part III sees the arrival of an impostor, named Carosse, who claims to be Chavel. Carosse
attempts to denounce Charlot, win the favour of Thérèse and stake a claim on the property.

2. Finally in Part IV, Charlot, having fallen in love with Thérèse, must save her from Carosse, as a
means of redemption from his earlier cowardice.
In start we are introduced with the characters and action(drawl of marked slip) in the prison. At
the climax point, Charlot is confused about the reaction of Threrese, on revealing his identity.
Whether she will forgive him or not, while he loves her he does not want to mistrust her. Climax
comes to end when he himself reveals his identity by addressing in his words, "My name, is not
Charlot. I am Jean Louis Chavel."P#152
Graham Greene has portrayed ordinary people as his characters. Janvier, Therese, Carrose are
people from the lower class of society. We see the depiction of the problems faced by the lower
class as Janvier sacrifced his life to give his mother and sister a comfortable life. Greene’s
characters are tortured by inner conflicts and their struggle to survive and at the same time to
escape, is doomed to failure.
The notion of Graham Greene's writing this novel is to be presented in theatre so his dialogues
are short and simple. Its scenes are clearly wrote to be acted on stage, its setting and depiction
also shows that it was written for theatre;”In the drive the gravel was obscured by weeds: a tree
had fallen across the way,…”.P#61. “on landing below a wooden crate had been opened and
standing in the straw was a table-lamp about three feet high built hideously in steel in the shape
of the Eiffel tower. The flex ran down the left shate like the rope of an ancient hotel life, and the
bulb screwed in on the top floor.” P#69
The novel is rich in its themes. From the very beginning the novel is showing hideous nature of
anxiety which is born because of deceit, lies, and deception.. Within this mesh is a story about
courage and sacrifice.. These two themes wrap around each other providing a greater intensity to
the plot. We see theme of sacrifice ( the willingness to give up your life for another and the
motives for doing so)people sometimes sacrifice their life for another. Perhaps the author put
this in the book because in today's society very few people are willing to give up their life to save
another, and if they are willing they usually would do it for the wrong reasons. For example in
the book Janvier gave up his life for another but his motive was unclear. He could have done it
for his own personal glory because he would have died a rich man what should not be important
to you. He could have also done it for his family so they didn't have to live the rest of their life

3. in a struggle to survive. He could have also done it to save Chavel life because he thought it was
the right thing to do.
Chavel is destitute and ashamed of his cowardice. He has adopted a new personage 'CHARLOT'
, so as he may not be recognized for his cowardice. He was a man of cowardice, who ran away
from facing realities. When he got released, returned his lost house with a fake identity. People
deliberately lie about their identity or other information to take advantage of another person and
to hide information from that person that they don't want them to find out about. The author
included this in the story to teach that deception is wrong in any way you look at. In the story
Chavel pretended that he was Charlot. He did so that Therese would not find out that he was
responsible for her brother's demise. In the end it back fired and caused more problems than it
solved. Many people do not tell important information of themselves to other people so it does
not cause friction between them or others. so a prominent theme in the novel is self sacrifice,
Janvier makes the ultimate sacrifice for his sister and mother. Chavel was too coward to accept
even his own death. He exposes extreme fear and shame by returning to his lost house. The loss
of janvier is almost too much for his sister and her ruin comes to rest on Chavel's consciousness
as well… In the text Greene says “… A simple track was infinitely more desirable after all than
the long obscure route on which his own feet were planted.” At returning to his home as a
stranger Chavel felt; “like a criminal who returns to the scene of his crime”P#62
Chavel’s cowardice is evident when he declared that Carosse is real Chavel. It was because that
he knew that Therese hates Chavel so he thought;” Somebody else can bear all the hate….”
A lack of moral values i.e moral rectitude has undergone a degeneration after the post war and
during cold war era. we see in the book was giving up your values to save your own live not
thinking of others in any way what so ever. People who believe in something, when faced with
problem or difficulty take the values of the people imposing the problem on them. In the novel it
is like the author included this issue because In today's world people sell out whatever they
believe in just so they can get a little ahead in life. Carosse fully depicts this notion as he came to
Therese, presenting himself as Chavel. He portrays duplicity in the gob of sincerity. He makes
Therese to believe in him. So it can be said that honest person is predictable and it is very easy

4. for a dishonest person to deceive an honest one: “It was horrifying to realize that a man as false
as that could sum up so accurately the mind of someone to true.” P#128
In today's society, especially in this global village people disregard what they value and a kind
of class consciousness is emerging overwhelmingly. Many people lie about what they believe
just to belong to a class to impress someone. Greene is criticizing the Elite. He considers
Aristocracy as a lie and deceit which an actor can easily perform. Like Carosse, who came as
Chavel and we are told that he had acted before George V. of Great Britian, King Carol of
Rumania, the Archduke Otto, the special envoy of the President of United States, Field Marshal
Georing and many others.Chavel’s life also tells us about the deceit of belonging to an Elite
class, when Chavel was rich, he was considered “a man of position”. But when he gave all his
wealth to Janvier he lost his status:”He was one of them now, a man without money or position,
and unconsciously they had accepted him, and began to judge him by their own standards, and to
condemn him.”P#63
Also we see in the novel a concept of death and time. Time is analyzed in relation with death as
Heidegger says that time determines one’s life. Heideggar is a German Philosopher who gave
the concept of time and he presented time along a line and is divided in to three parts, past,
present, and future. Plato was of the view that this world is merely a reflection. The time
(worldly time) that we know is not perfect and the time (life after) is eternal. Heidegger said
everyone has to face death, future of humans is equated with death. Time must be analyzed with
death and existence comes when a person moves these periods of life i.e past, present, future.
Past is a part of life which is unchangeable. Through present we can change the impact of our
past and perform an action of free choice and changes the way of death. By his free choice,
Chavel gave his all property to Janvier and Janvier by his choice accepted death and sacrificed
his life to give his family a comfortable life.. Chavel would be experiencing guilt, his sense of
bieng is now riddled with guilt. Chavel is like fatted to choose wrong. Because of his sense of
guilt and shame, and his loss of identity Chavel desired death.
Sense of belonging is another important theme in Greene’s novel. The sense of belonging is
attached with one’s home as home is a place where one can live according to his own style,
freely. Home is a shelter and refuge. But Chavel has given his home to Janvier on the price of

5. his life and has lost his sense of belonging. It was the sense which forced him on going back to
see his home; “He had thought that home was something one possessed, but the things one had
possessed were cursed with change, it was what one didn't possess that remained the same and
welcomed him”P#63
So we can say, this is a novel about identity, conscience, and peace. It illuminates the ways we
create self-identity, try to project identity for others, and also create their identities for ourselves.
The main character, Chavel, is defined first by his education and station, then by his willingness
to sell these things for his life. He attempts to regain his self-image in the things of his past, but
instead comes to love a young woman who loathes him for selling his possessions in exchange
for her brother's life. Thus, he lives in conscience and self-loathing, and tries to remake himself.
Without giving away the key plot twist, he does come to act nobly, selflessly, lovingly, and
thereby answers his conscience and gains peace.
.