# Purity and Corruption in The Green Hat

> Theme guide for The Green Hat by Michael Arlen.

Gerald March's obsessive quest for 'purity' and his hatred of his sister reflect a broader theme of the struggle between idealistic purity and the corrupting influence of desire, lust, and societal hypocrisy.

## Where it surfaces

- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/iv): Iris declares she would die for purity in theory, yet feels corrupted by her own actions and desires, describing a 'pagan body' and a 'Chislehurst mind.'
- [II: The Cavalier of Low Creatures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/ii-the-cavalier-of-low-creatures): Central theme: Gerald's obsession with purity contrasts with his dipsomania and tortured desires; the narrator discusses the modern inability to air 'secret silly things' about lust.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/i): Gerald's obsession with purity contrasts with his secret desires and the 'vile rubbish-heaps of desire' he struggles with.
- [III: For Purity!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/iii-for-purity): Boy Fenwick's ideal of purity clashes with Iris's reality, leading to his suicide; the chapter explores the tension between moral ideals and human imperfection.
- [IV: Aphrodite](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/iv-aphrodite): The chapter explores Iris's traumatic association with purity through Boy Fenwick's idealistic cruelty, her statement 'It would be nice to die for purity,' and her subsequent disillusionment.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/i): The narrator critiques the ideal of purity, linking it to Iris's sacrifice and Boy Fenwick's harsh idealism.
- [VI: The Red Lights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/vi-the-red-lights): Venice is portrayed as 'incorruptible, golden Venice,' a symbol of purity and loyalty, while Iris is associated with scandal and tragedy. The narrator's loyalty to Venice underscores the theme of corruption threatening innocence.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/i): The contrast between the convent setting and Iris's septic illness, along with the narrator's intrusive thoughts about her condition, highlights the tension between innocence and moral decay.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/iv): Napier contrasts the purity of love with the 'dirt' and 'nastiness' surrounding it, reflecting on the corruption of their secret affair.
- [VIII: Piqûre du cœur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/viii-piq-re-du-c-ur): The nursing home's religious atmosphere and Sister Virginie's pure, serene presence contrast with Iris's emotional and physical suffering, as well as the narrator's cynical thoughts about the institution.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/i): The contrast between the stern, rock-like nun and the gentle, pure Sister Virginie highlights themes of spiritual purity versus institutional corruption.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/ii): Iris's illness and fear of death contrast with the white doll and roses, symbolizing lost innocence and the corruption of the body.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/iii): Iris's illness and her playful yet guilty demeanor highlight a tension between innocence (her childish glee) and corruption (her secretive, shamefaced look).
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/ii): Iris is portrayed as both ethereal and earthy, with a skin that glows like a jewel from being 'coiled in love,' blending innocence with sensuality.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/ii): Iris contrasts her 'body that burns for love' with the ideal of purity, and reflects on the corruption of her marriage to Hector Storm.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/themes/purity_and_corruption
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/themes