Who is The Tall Ghost from The Great Divorce and what is their importance?

Many of the characters choose to be left out of the holy bright procession because they cannot shed their earthly pain and vices. The Tall Ghost represents cynicism. On Earth he believed that everyone had ulterior motives, that nobody was genuine. When the Bright People encourage the ghosts to come with them to the mountains, saying that their feet will harden up, the Tall Ghost accuses them of spreading propaganda.