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The Informer · Theme

Fate and Inevitability

How The Informer develops Fate and Inevitability.

The characters seem trapped by their circumstances and past actions, with Gypo's doomed flight and the Organization's relentless pursuit suggesting an inescapable fate, reinforced by the bleak, deterministic atmosphere of the slums.

Where it surfaces

  • II

    McPhillip's accidental self-inflicted gunshot underscores the inescapable consequences of his situation.

  • XIII

    The drawing of lots symbolizes the role of chance in determining life-and-death outcomes, underscoring a sense of inescapable destiny.

  • XIV

    Gypo's calm acceptance of his impending death and his reliance on a premeditated plan reflect a fatalistic view of his circumstances.

  • XV

    Gallagher's meditation on death as a 'second stage of birth' and his sense of waiting for an unknown outcome reflect a fatalistic outlook.

  • XVI

    Gypo's aimless running and the recurring motif of sleep and nightmares suggest an inescapable fate closing in on him.