The novel was made into a film in 1953, directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Trevor Howard and Maria Schell, and a TV film version was produced in 1983, featuring Jack Hedley as Scobie.
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The Question and Answer section for The Heart of the Matter is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
Scobie is a police officer. He is capable but somewhat short-sighted and lacks self-awareness. He longs for peace and a simple life. He feels a strong sense of pity and responsibility for the ugly and downtrodden; he tries to secure his wife's...
Pemberton hung humself.
Important themes presented in the text include futility, responsibility, surveillance, self-awareness, religion, and isolation.
