By referring specifically to three of the stories in this collection, show how childhood events can have a strong influence on adult behaviour.
             One of the most prominent themes, in Graham Greene's twenty-one stories, is that of childhood. Throughout the book we learn how dramatic events experienced during childhood can have repercussions in one's adulthood. Some of the stories manifesting this idea are; The basement Room, The Hint of an Explanation and The Innocent.
             In The Basement room the protagonist is Philip Lane, a seven-year-old boy who is happy and excited as his parents leave for a fortnight's holiday. Philip moves from his infant innocence represented by the nursery, to adult experience symbolised by the basement room where Mr. and Mrs. Baines lived. The 'Green Baize Door' separates the two worlds, and Philip is thrilled to go through the door. His enthusiasm for life soon turns to fear as he discovers the realities of the grown-up world; the hatred between Baines and his wife, Baines' desperate bid for happiness with his mistress, Emmy, and the lies that involve both him and Philip after he had discovered them together. The story ends with Baines killing his wife, watched by Philip, whose whole life changes from that moment. After this trauma Philip was too afraid to participate in adult life, and became incapable of adult love. 'Life fell on him with savagery, and you couldn't blame him if he never faced it again in sixty years'.
             Another story which illustrates how childhood experiences can have important consequences later on in life is, The Hint of an Explanation. The main protagonist is David, a Roman Catholic, who meets an agnostic on a train journey. Their conversation flows from one subject to another until it lands on the God question. David recalls an incident that happened during his childhood, to which the agnostic agrees to list
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