Spicer Character Analysis in Brighton Rock

The oldest member of Pinkie’s gang, Spicer wants to be done with the mob. He’d opposed Hale’s murder from the beginning and dreams of retiring to Nottingham and opening a pub there. He understands, though, that his dreams will never come true; he knows too much for Pinkie to let him go, and, indeed, Pinkie kills him by throwing him down the stairs of Frank’s boardinghouse.

Spicer Character Timeline in Brighton Rock

The timeline below shows where the character Spicer appears in Brighton Rock. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...is a muscular man whose blank face betrays a simple brutality. The Boy asks after Spicer’s whereabouts. Cubitt tells him he’s in the bathroom washing up but that he’ll join them... (full context)

...she was nothing but a prostitute. He saw Hale give her money. Pinkie then orders Spicer to go back to the café, Snow’s, where he placed Hale’s last card, but Spicer... (full context)

...interrogates the waitress a bit, trying to discern if she got a good look at Spicer. She tells him she always looks closely at the customers because she wants to make... (full context)

Pinkie and Spicer are together on the pier. Pinkie warns Spicer against going back to the scene of... (full context)

...been paying their protection subscriptions. Dallow is anxious to cut them. Pinkie defers sarcastically to Spicer, whom Pinkie says has become a philosopher. Spicer is against further bloodshed, and he says... (full context)

...Pinkie feels a rush of almost affection for Dallow. They arrive back at Frank’s, where Spicer informs them that Rose has called for Pinkie. Apparently, someone came to question Rose while... (full context)

...she washed herself the last time she saw Hale. Nearby and unbeknownst to Ida is Spicer, waiting for an enemy to show up. Ida tells Phil her horse has to win.... (full context)

Spicer is out walking, trying to calm his frayed nerves, but everywhere he goes and everything... (full context)

Spicer asks Crab why he’s back in Brighton and if he had his looks changed out... (full context)

Spicer stands in Pinkie’s empty apartment and thinks of Nottingham where he hopes someday to open... (full context)

Spicer puts off answering the phone, thinking he can’t handle more bad news, but no one... (full context)

Spicer walks quickly down to the pier, telling himself over and over that he will not... (full context)

...bus, Pinkie wonders why he bothered to bring Rose out. She obviously still remembers seeing Spicer. They return to Brighton and walk up the pier. Music plays: silly, saccharine love songs.... (full context)

...inside the kiosk and tells the photographer he would like to buy the picture of Spicer. The photographer refuses. He tells Pinkie he needs “a slip,” presumably something the photographer gives... (full context)

Pinkie returns to his room in the boarding house to find Spicer passed out on the bed. The room smells like whiskey and an insect drifts around... (full context)

Pinkie tells Spicer he needs to disappear, meaning get out of town. Spicer is worried Pinkie intends to... (full context)

Pinkie looks down at Spicer, musing about the fact that, for the second time in a few weeks, he was... (full context)

...for Mr. Colleoni. Then he suggests in a coded manner that Mr. Colleoni’s men kill Spicer. He says he’ll wish him good luck and pat him on the back. Pinkie is... (full context)

In the car are Pinkie and Spicer. Pinkie is again preoccupied with thoughts of sex and family life, the prison he hopes... (full context)

Pinkie and Spicer park the car and join the crowd heading for the horse park. Pinkie feels an... (full context)

Spicer takes his money to Jim Tate, betting on a horse named Memento Mori. He asks... (full context)

...and Black Boy comes in first. Memento Mori is second, and General Burgoyne is third. Spicer is ecstatic that his horse placed. Pinkie doesn’t like the fact that Fred’s horse won.... (full context)

Pinkie pats Spicer on the back and wishes him luck. Soon, a crowd of men descends upon Spicer... (full context)

...to him might be waiting for him, but Pinkie says no, that they have poor Spicer so they should be satisfied. He tells Rose that Spicer’s dead. Then they hear a... (full context)

...The phone is ringing. Cubitt answers and tells the person on the other line that Spicer isn’t there. Pinkie asks who wanted Spicer, and Cubitt says it was a woman, probably... (full context)

Pinkie says they’re better off without Spicer, who was a coward. Then he asks Cubitt to call Mr. Prewitt, a lawyer and... (full context)

...much more desirable than Rose. Dallow peaks his head in and asks what happened to Spicer. Pinkie tells him Colleoni’s men killed him on the course. Dallow says Spicer’s alive and... (full context)

Pinkie goes to Spicer’s room to investigate. Standing in the doorway, he thinks of a Latin saying he used... (full context)

...top of the stairs at Frank’s boardinghouse, looking down at the spread-eagled dead body of Spicer at the bottom. Prewitt is there, too, wondering how it happened. Pinkie says it was... (full context)

Pinkie and Cubitt are on their way home from the inquest called to look into Spicer’s death. As with Hale, the inquest found no signs of foul play. Pinkie should be... (full context)

The Queen of Hearts is in a converted Tudor barn. Spicer’s girlfriend, Sylvie, is drinking alone at the bar. Cubitt suggests they go over to her... (full context)

...good enough. He wants to take her to the cars. She refuses at first, since Spicer only died the day before. But soon she’s leading him to someone else’s Lancia. She... (full context)

...room. She has a newspaper with her. On the front page is a photograph of Spicer looking terrified. She asks Pinkie what really happened to Spicer. Pinkie says he fell down... (full context)

...talks, he thinks of how Dallow knows far too much about him, much more than Spicer. He begins to hate Dallow for that. Dallow says he remembers seeing Rose on the... (full context)

...wedding. Growing more furious, Pinkie tells Cubitt he’ll fix him the same way he fixed Spicer. Cubitt is confused. He thought Spicer died because of the faulty stair rail. Cubitt asks... (full context)

...low tide. Cubitt thinks he hears the lilt of a violin. It reminds him of Spicer and of his mother, who died 20 years before and who, during a séance, told... (full context)

The sea moves in and out relentlessly. Its motion reminds Pinkie of killing Spicer and the whole chain of events that began with Kite’s death and shows no sign... (full context)

...starts to tell Pinkie he could get him into real trouble. He mentions Hale and Spicer. He tells Pinkie there’s someone who would pay him a lot more money for a... (full context)

Pinkie says he’s not worried; as long as Ida doesn’t find out about Spicer, he’s fine. Rose recoils the slightest bit at this, saying she thought Pinkie was guiltless... (full context)

...the radio off angrily. Pinkie asks Prewitt if anyone has come around asking questions about Spicer. Prewitt looks even sicker. He tells Pinkie he’s lucky; he will probably hang for his... (full context)

...just let the matter drop. Ida muses about how they’ve been unlucky with witnesses—including Rose, Spicer, Prewitt, and Cubitt. The latter took a train out of town that morning. Ida isn’t... (full context)