Essay --

1/9/14 Henry Graham Greene was an influential 20th century author who was able to combine serious literary recognition with present day popularity whose collections impact the modern world today. Greene is notorious for religious studies and involved in making changes to the literary world, enabling readers to further explore theological concerns. Leaving an imprint on literature, many study his works and still celebrate his legacy all over the world. Rebelling against his own beliefs and suffering with bipolar disorder , many aspects of Greene’s life remain unrecognized which encourages many to study his impact on the present day. Native to Berkhamsted, England, Greene was born October 2, 1904 to parents Charles and Marion Raymond Greene, who were first cousins. Greene grew up in the St. John’s House, a boarding school where his father was the housemaster. Accustomed to a large family, Greene spent his childhood summers with his uncle at the Harston House, another boarding school, where he learned to read. As a boarder at the St. John’s House, Greene was bullied and spent years in depression with several attempts of suicide. At the age of 16, Greene was sent for psychotherapy in London, later returning to his former home to continue as a day student. Beginning his first year at Oxford University, Greene became a member of the Communist party. Although leaving this party quickly, Greene wrote profiles on Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro to relay his studies (Coleman 529). A rough period in his life encouraged Greene to seek religious outlets that influenced his works as did his political affiliations. In 1926, greene converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism. The reasoning for this transformation was to seek cure to the sufferin... ...ligion and social ideologies. Recently, a documentary further exploring Greene’s early life and career was released drawing attention to his change to writing. Greene’s novels, poems, and plays are still being produced into films and performed in theaters across the globe. Each year, Graham Greene is recognized at the Graham Greene International Festival held in Berkhamsted on his birthday, October 2, to further promote his studies and gather fans to discuss. Modest about his literature and a confusing character to understand, Greene left the impression among many that his career was merely a sign from his youth to express what he knew, and what he could explore and discuss with others: â€Å"My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.†