Summary
Anticipating “affecting scenes”, our protagonist wanders away from the group. He discovers that the grass, “hard as diamonds”, makes progress slow and painful. He is followed by The Big Ghost and one of the solid people. It turns out that, on earth, the ghost was the boss of the bright, solid man, who is named Len. Len had murdered a common acquaintance, a man called Jack. The Big Ghost is horrified Len has been allowed into this land. Len explains that his victim is there too and that he will see him soon.
The Big Ghost then asks Len if he’s ashamed of himself, to which Len replies “Not as you mean. I do not look at myself. I have given up myself” and explains that this began following the murder. The Big Ghost asks Len why “a bloody murderer” is here, while he had been living in the Grey Town. Len says that, although he’ll come to understand, it’ll be difficult to comprehend for the time being, so best to not bother about it.
But the Big Ghost says “I gone straight all my life. I don’t say I was a religious man and I don’t say I had no faults, far from it. But I done my best all my life, see? I done my best by everyone, that’s the sort of chap I was. I never asked for anything that wasn’t mine by rights” Len explains that the situation is far better than he thinks, saying “I haven’t got my rights, or I should not be here. You will not get yours either. You’ll get something far better. Never fear.” The Big Ghost says he’s “not asking for anybody’s bleeding charity”, but Len exhorts him to do just that: “Ask for the Bleeding Charity. Everything is here for the asking and nothing can be bought.”
At this point, we begin to see that the Big Ghost is not going to accept a Heaven where someone like Len is also welcome. Len attempts to correct this attitude without much success. He points out that the Big Ghost was neither a decent man, nor did he even “do his best”. The Big Ghost was hard on his employees, as well as on his wife and children. Len goes on to explain that murdering Jack wasn’t actually the worst thing he did: “I murdered you in my heart, deliberately, for years. I used to lie awake at nights thinking what I’d do to you if ever I got the chance”. He explains that, because of this, he has been sent to the Big Ghost to ask for his forgiveness and to serve him for as long as he would like.
The Big Ghost angrily tells Len to stay out of his “private affairs”, even though Len says that “There are no private affairs”. It is at this point the Big Ghost declares that he’s not going to go to the mountain at all: “Tell them I’m not coming, see? I’d rather be damned than go along with you”
Questions
Q1. What do we learn about the relationship between the Big Ghost and the solid person who meets him? Who is Jack?
Q2. Why is the Big Ghost surprised to see Len?
Q3. Why does Len say he isn’t ashamed? What virtue is he displaying?
Q4. On what basis does the Big Ghost think he should be granted admission? According to Len, would he get in on that basis?
Q5. What does Len say is the worst thing he’s ever done? Why is it worse than killing Jack?
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The First Reading and the Gospel this week recall events of epic proportion.
