As humans we are always aiming for something in particular and when we do not achieve what we set out to do feelings of failure are felt or expressed in various ways as Greene illustrates in the stories "Special Duties", "The Hint of an Explanation".

Keeping up with the religious theme Greene deals with failure on a spiritual level in the story “A Hint of an Explanation”. First we note that due to David’s innocence he fails to see that Blacker is simply trying to use him, by allowing him to play on electric train set. He doesn’t realise Blacker’s true plan “to revenge himself on everything he hated- my father, the Catholics, the God whom persisted in crediting- by corrupting me.” The boy also fails the church as he abuses his position as altar boy to get the host for Blacker. Yet this failure is not self- inflicted but because Blacker had corned him in doing so and because he was afraid of the consequences if he didn’t do as Blacker said “I think it was fear- fear of the terrible thing called bleeding- as much as covetousness that drove me to carry out my instructions.” Ultimately we see a transition of failure from David to Blacker when David decides to do the right thing by not giving him the host “I couldn’t separate the Host from the paper, so I swallowed both.” And so good triumphs over evil. In this story we note that failure has no negative consequences, but rather a quite positive one for it was these failures that lead David into a future life of service to God.

How ever the theme of failure in “A Chance for Mr. Lever” is not connoted on such a positive tone. Through out the story we note that Mr. Lever is determined to succeed at all cost. He is extremely determined due to the fact that he needs the money since he has just lost his job, through no real fault of his own, and needs the money to be able to support his wife whom he loves dearly “He couldn’t bear the idea that he might not any longer be able to support Emily.” Even though he feels he is failing throughout he still tries to keep hope alive “I’ve got a premonition this trip’s going to turn out well.”   By forging Davidson’s signature on the contract of the crusher Mr. Lever thinks he has finally succeeded. Just as he does this he is bitten by a mosquito, the mosquitos that he claimed all through out the story not to have seen “give Mr. Lever three days of happiness.” In the end we see that Mr. Lever fails when he thinks he is successful. He fails to expect the unexpected and this lack of insight is what costs him his life. In the previous two stories mentioned we don’t feel badly for any of the characters. However when Green describes him as being a man who really loves his wife “He took out his wife’s photograph and stood it on the chop-box.” and that he even feels badly when he sees a dead black man squashed to fit into a ditch “Mr. Lever would have liked very much to say a prayer.” we do feel an element of pathos for Mr. Lever. He doesn’t deserve to fail.