Patriot Games | Themes & Symbolism

Patriot Games Significant Topics

Violence is present throughout Patriot Games, and the cruel violence of terrorism suffuses the lives of the principal characters with fear and anger. In spite of their high-sounding ideal of establishing a Marxist Utopia in Ireland, the terrorists' indiscriminate use of violence serves to underscore their moral repulsiveness; for Clancy they are merely animals who would murder children to achieve their political ends.

Hatred is another theme in the novel.

The terrorists are motivated by a hatred of the English. Any cruelty, any torture, any infliction of pain is justified by their view of the English as evil oppressors.

But hatred is not the sole property of the Irish terrorists. Ryan hates them for their cowardly attacks, especially for their attempt to murder his wife and child. But his hatred differs from theirs; throughout the second half of the novel he strives to understand...
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