The Power and the Glory

Context Henry Graham Greene was born on October 2, 1904 in Berkhamsted, England. He had a di ic!lt childhood, and he attem"ted s!icide on a n!mber o occasions. His thera"ist s!ggested that he look to writing as a way to deal with his tro!bled emotions. #t Balliol $ollege, O% ord, he st!died modern history, worked as the editor or a cam"!s news"a"er and li&ed a somewhat dissol!te li estyle. # ter grad!ation he went to work at The Nottingham Journal, and met his !t!re wi e, 'i&ien (ayrell)Browning. *he wo!ld be instr!mental in his con&ersion to $atholicism, which took "lace in +ebr!ary o 192,. #ltho!gh it is said that initially he only con&erted in order to win the a ection o 'i&ien, he e&ent!ally became &ery dee"ly and serio!sly interested in his ado"ted religion. # ter "!blishing The Man Within, which was a critical and commercial s!ccess, he began writing !ll time. B!t his ne%t no&els, The Name of Action and Rumour at Night met with ail!re. Stamboul Train was a commercial s!ccess and later became a ilm. Greene tried his hand at screenwriting, his most well known oray into that medi!m being the screen"lay or the Orson -elles. ilm, The Third Man, which won irst "ri/e at the $annes +ilm +esti&al in 1949. (!ring the 1900.s, he also wrote ilm re&iews, becoming one o the most highly esteemed ilm critics o his day. His tra&els in 1e%ico in 1902 and his shock at the religio!s "ersec!tion he witnessed there "ro&ided the material or The Lawless Roads 319094 and The Power and the Glor 319094. 5he latter no&el was a great critical s!ccess, winning 5he Hawthorn (en award, while earning the !ry o the 'atican. $atholic bisho"s and cardinals who read the book tho!ght it oc!sed too m!ch o its attention on the wretchedness o h!man beings and "ainted too negati&e a "ict!re o the "riesthood. 5he ad&ent o -orld -ar 66 led to his wi e e&ac!ating with his two children to $rowboro!gh and O% ord, and his taking a "osition with the 1inistry o 6n ormation and the #ir 7aid 8reca!tions *9!ad. 6n 1909 he "!blished The !onfidential Agent and he also wrote children.s stories, which were "!blished a ter the war ended. His no&el The "eart of the Matter is based on his e%"eriences in *ierra :eone d!ring the war, where he went to work or the *ecret 6ntelligence *er&ice in 1941. He ret!rned to :ondon in 1940, and worked or $o!nter 6ntelligence and le t the *er&ice in 1944. 5hro!gho!t his li e, Greene o ten &isited "laces o con lict, incl!ding 'ietnam, ;enya, 8oland, $!ba and Haiti, and mined them or material or his no&els. His no&el The #uiet American 319<<4 is abo!t #merican in&ol&ement in 6ndochina, $ur Man %n "a&ana 319<24 is based on his tra&els in $!ba, The !omedian 319,,4 deals with a re"ressi&e regime in Haiti, The "onorar !onsul 319=04 is set in 8arag!ay and The "uman 'actor 319=24 in *o!th # rica. His interest in $entral #merican "olitics led to his becoming ac9!ainted with ig!res s!ch as +idel $astro and 1an!el >oriega, and he became a critic o the ?nited *tates and o 7onald 7eagan in "artic!lar. Graham Greene died in *wit/erland in 1991.

Plot Overview #t the beginning o the no&el, the "riest is waiting or a boat that will take him o!t o the ca"ital city. He is on the r!n rom the "olice beca!se religion has been o!tlawed in his state and he is the last remaining clergyman. -hile talking to a man named 1r. 5ench, he is s!mmoned to a dying woman.s ho!se and misses his boat. He hides o!t in a barn on the estate o a "lantation owner, be riending the owner.s da!ghter. +orced to mo&e on, he heads to a &illage in which he !sed to li&e and work as "astor. 5here he meets 1aria, a woman with whom he has had a brie a air, and Brigida, his illegitimate da!ghter. He s"ends the night in the town and wakes be ore dawn to say mass or the &illagers. 5he lie!tenant@a sworn enemy o all r eligion@arri&es at the end o mass, leading a gro!" o "olicemen in search o the "riest, and the "riest goes o!t to the town s9!are to ace his enemy. >o one in the &illage t!rns him in, howe&er, and the lie!tenant does not reali/e that he has o!n d the man he is looking or. 6nstead, the lie!tenant takes a hostage, whom he says he will e%ec!te i he inds that the &illagers ha&e been lying to him abo!t the whereabo!ts o the wanted man. 5he "riest heads to the town o $armen, and on the way he meets a man known sim"ly as the mesti/o. ?nin&ited, the mesti/o accom"anies the "riest on his Ao!rney, and it &ery soon becomes clear that he is an !ntr!stworthy ig!re, and most likely interes ted in ollowing the "riest so that he can t!rn him in and collect the reward money. 5he "riest inally admits that he is, indeed, a "riest. B!t the mesti/o, who has become e&erish by the second day o their Ao!rney together, does not ha&e the strength t o ollow the "riest when he &eers o co!rse. 5he "riest knows that i he enters $armen he will s!rely be ca"t!red, and he lets the mesti/o ride on towards the town by himsel . 5he "riest then backtracks to the ca"ital city. He is in disg!ise, wearing a drill s!it, and he tries to "roc!re a bottle o wine so he can say mass. He meets a beggar who takes him to a hotel and introd!ces him to a man who says he can s!""ly him with th e wine. 5he man arri&es and sells the "riest a bottle o wine and a bottle o brandy. B!t, taking ad&antage o the "riest.s o er to share a drink with him, the man "roceeds to drink the entire bottle o wine, thwarting the "riest.s "lan. 5he "riest then lea&es the hotel b!t is ca!ght with the bottle o brandy by a state o icial. # ter a lengthy chase thro!gh the streets o the town, d!ring which the "riest !ns!ccess !lly attem"ts to take re !ge at the ho!se o 8adre Bose, he is ca!ght and taken to A ail. 6n Aail he s"eaks with the "risoners, admitting to them that he is a "riest. # "io!s woman, in Aail or ha&ing religio!s articles in her home, arg!es with the "riest. 5he ne%t day, the "riest is ordered to clean o!t the cells and, while doing so, meets the mesti/o again. B!t the mesti/o decides not to t!rn the "riest in to the a!thorities. 5he "riest has another ace)to) ace enco!nter with the lie!tenant, b!t again goes !nrecogni/ed, and is allowed to go ree. 5he "riest s"ends a night at the abandoned estate o the +ellows and then mo&es on to an abandoned &illage. He meets an 6ndian woman whose son has been shot and killed by the gringo, an #merican o!tlaw who is also on the r!n rom "olice. He accom"anie s the woman to a b!rial gro!nd and then lea&es her there. +atig!ed, and almost com"letely drained o the will to li&e, the "riest staggers on, e&ent!ally coming !"on a

man named 1r. :ehr who in orms him that he is o!t o danger, ha&ing crossed the bor der into a neighboring state where religion is not o!tlawed. # ter s"ending a ew days at the home o 1r. :ehr, the "riest "re"ares to lea&e or :as $asas. B!t be ore he can de"art, the mesti/o arri&es, in orming him that the gringo has been mortally wo!nded by the "olice and is asking or someone to come and hear his con ession. 5he "riest, aware that he is walking into a tra", inally agrees to accom"any the mesti/o back across the border. 5here he meets the gringo, who re !ses to re"ent or his sins and then dies. 5hen, as e%"ected, the lie!tenant arri&es and ta kes the "riest into c!stody. 5he two men ha&e a long con&ersation abo!t their belie s and then, when the storm ront clears, the lie!tenant takes the "riest back to the ca"ital city or his trial. On the night be ore the "riest is to be e%ec!ted, the lie!tenant goes to the home o 8adre Bose to see i he will come and hear the con ession o the ca"t!red "riest. 8adre Bose re !ses and the lie!tenant ret!rns to the "olice station with a bottle o bra ndy or the "riest. 5hat night, the "riest tries to re"ent or his sins, b!t inds he cannot. He wakes !" the ne%t morning a raid o the im"ending e%ec!tion. 5he ne%t day, 1r. 5ench watches the e%ec!tion rom the window o the Ae e.s o ice. :ater that night the boy hears abo!t what ha""ened to the "riest and reali/es that the man is a martyr and a hero. He dreams abo!t him that night, and wakes !" to the so!nd o knocking at the door. O"ening the door, he inds a man seeking shelter, and when the boy learns that the man is a "riest, he swings the door wide o"en to let him in. Character Analysis The Priest 5he "rotagonist o the story, the "riest is waging a war on two rontsC ha!nted by his sin !l "ast, he str!ggles internally with dee" 9!alms abo!t himsel , and "!rs!ed by the a!thorities, he works to e&ade ca"t!re by the "olice or as long as he can. 5he "riest is not a con&entional heroC he is at times cowardly, sel )interested, s!s"icio!s, and "leas!re)oriented. 5hat is to say he is h!man. 5he e%traordinary hardshi"s he has end!red on the r!n rom the go&ernment or eight years ha&e trans ormed him into a m!ch more resilient and mentally strong indi&id!al, altho!gh he still carries aro!nd with him strong eelings o g!ilt and worthlessness. He is sel )critical almost to a a!lt. -hat is remarkable abo!t Greene.s de"iction o this "erson is that he re !ses to s"are !s the "riest.s less)than)noble side, and yet also con&incingly shows him o&ercoming his weaknesses and "er orming acts o great heroism. 5he most im"ortant single act comes near the end o the no&el, when he decides to accom"any the mesti/o back across the border, to the state in which he is being h!nted, in order to hear the con ession o a dying man. 5he "riest does not recogni/e the real &al!e o his actions, nor does he !lly com"rehend what kind o im"act he has had on "eo"le.s li&es. He tends to hear only rom those "eo"le who ha&e been h!rt or disa""ointed by him in

some wayC 1aria, Brigida, the "io!s woman. He does not see the many "eo"le whose li&es ha&e been to!ched merely by coming into contact with him or hearing abo!t his deathD 1r. 5ench and the boy are the two most notable e%am"les. Beca!se this "ositi&e in l!ence remains hidden to him, the "riest does not ha&e a tr!e conce"tion o the &al!e o his li e, and there ore, remains an e%tremely h!mble man to the day o his death. He also eels that he can ne&er be tr!ly "enitent or his se%!al relationshi" with 1aria, since it "rod!ced Brigida, his da!ghter, whom he lo&es &ery dee"ly. The lieutenant (ri&en by an obsessi&e hatred or the $atholic $h!rch, the lie!tenant will sto" at nothing to a""rehend and e%ec!te the "riest, who, he belie&es, is the last remaining clergyman in the state. 5he lie!tenant is a "rinci"led, disci"lined man with a strong sense o A!stice. He is committed to "olitical ideals that he thinks will hel" the "oor and create e9!ality and tolerance in the state. ?n ort!nately, he o tentimes allows his oc!s on his noble goal to obsc!re 9!estions abo!t the means he is em"loying to reach that goal. 5he most striking e%am"le o this is his decision to ro!nd !" hostages and e%ec!te "eo"le i the &illagers lie to him abo!t the "riest.s whereabo!ts. #s we see, the selection "rocess is entirely arbitrary, hardly A!st, and e%tremely &iolent. 6t is easy to see why the "eo"le are as ske"tical o the state as they are o the ch!rch. B!t e&en this "erson is ca"able o change. +rom time to time thro!gho!t the no&el he shows that he is not an !nkind "erson. # ter his con&ersation with the ca"t!red "riest, he so tens considerably, trying to ind someone to hear the "riest.s con ession and bringing him a bottle o brandy to 9!iet his ears. 5he "olitical mo&ement to which he belongs has ta!ght him to look at "eo"le in generali/ed termsC that is, all "riests are bad and all those working or the lie!tenant.s ca!se are good. 5he "riest, who "ro&es himsel to be modest, intelligent and com"assionate, disr!"ts the lie!tenant.s habit!al way o looking at the $atholic clergy. By the end o the no&el, he has accom"lished his mission, b!t he eels a strange sense o em"tiness and des"ondency. -itho!t a target, his li e has no meaning or sense o "!r"ose and Greene s!ggests that lingering do!bts ill the lie!tenant.s mind tro!bling him abo!t whether he has done the right thing by killing the "riest.

The Lieutenant ) # belie&er in the law, a sta!nch o""onent o the $atholic $h!rch, and the "riest.s "!rs!er. 5he lie!tenant.s hatred o the $h!rch stems rom a tra!matic e&ent in his childhood, and it is a memory he wishes to eradicate along with all &estiges o religion. He li&es a modest, almost monastic li e, !ninterested in any kind o sens!al "leas!re and desiring only the attainment o his goals. His Eda""erE, well)ke"t a""earance stands in striking contrast to the con !sion and grime that s!rro!nd him. 5he r!thless tactics he em"loys in his "!rs!it o the "riest seem to contradict his le t) wing "olitical and social ideals. B!t his con&ersations with the "riest and a ew o his more genero!s gest!res at the no&el.s close indicate that he is a con licted "erson, ca"able o em"athy and "erha"s e&en change.

The Mestizo ) # "erson the "riest meets abo!t hal way thro!gh his Ao!rney and who contin!es to rea""ear thro!gho!t the last hal o the no&el. 5he mesti/o is rom the &ery beginning an !ntr!stworthy character who seems intent on betraying the "riest. 6m"o&erished, occasionally delirio!s and always calc!lating, the mesti/o sees in the o!tlawed "riest an o""ort!nity to make money. His yellow eyes and angs are noteworthy "hysical eat!res that s!ggest menace and e&il. :ike B!das in the story o $hrist, the mesti/o becomes an !nwitting "artici"ant, e&en catalyst, in a story abo!t one man.s "ath to glory. Coral Fellows ) $oral is a yo!ng #merican girl whom the "riest meets early on in the no&el when she disco&ers him hiding on her amily.s "ro"erty. 6nde"endent)minded and res"onsible, she anchors her amily emotionally and takes charge o the b!siness when her ha"less ather neglects it. #ltho!gh a sel )"ro essed atheist since the age o ten, $oral is dee"ly a ected by her brie enco!nter with the "riest, and she, in t!rn, remains a "resence in the "riest.s mind d!ring his Ao!rneys. The boy ) # yo!ngster growing !" in this &iolent and im"o&erished land. 5he boy listens with ske"ticism to stories abo!t B!an, a martyred boy. He meets the "riest in the beginning o the no&el and, by the end, is im"ressed that the man he enco!ntered has become a martyr or his aith. He re"resents the h!man ability to better itsel by teaching its yo!th. Brigida ) 5he "riest.s illegitimate da!ghter. Brigida meets with her ather brie ly d!ring his stay at her &illage. 1ocked beca!se o her ignominio!s "arentage, she is less than thrilled to meet her long)lost ather, and their brie e%change is a tense one. 5he "riest worries abo!t how she will are in the dangero!s, cr!el world, and ears that her heart has already become hardened by what she has been thro!gh. Maria ) Brigida.s mother and the woman with whom the "riest had a brie b!t e%tremely signi icant a air. 1aria is !nha""y to see the "riest ret!rn, altho!gh she hel"s him to esca"e ca"t!re when the "olice come to her &illage. Padre Jose ) 5he only other "riest in the no&el besides the "rotagonist. 8adre Bose o"ted to reno!nce his aith rather than lee the state or ace e%ec!tion. +orced to marry, 8adre Bose is allowed to remain in his town as a symbol o the weakness o the "riesthood. He is mocked reg!larly by the children in his neighborhood and eels a dee" and abiding sense o shame o&er the choices he has made. Mr Tench ) #n Englishman li&ing in 1e%ico and working as a dentist. 1r. 5ench is li&ing a li e o a"athy and &acancy. # "ortrait o s"irit!al deadness, estranged rom his wi e and illed with a low)le&el loathing o 1e%ico, 5ench is the irst character the reader enco!nters. The !ringo ) #n #merican o!tlaw, and the other Eh!nted manE in this no&el. 5he gringo is wanted or m!rder. #ltho!gh his re"!tation seems to ill "eo"le with a strange admiration, when we inally enco!nter him near the no&el.s end, he t!rns o!t to be little more than a common criminal. Ca"tain Fellows ) $oral.s ather. $a"tain +ellows is a benign, i ine ect!al, "lantation owner, who tries to remain cheer !l and o"timistic in the ace o di ic!lt times and an isolated e%istence. He is !nha""y when he learns that the "riest is hiding in his barn,

b!t t!rns a blind eye to his da!ghter when she insists !"on assisting him. He and 1rs. +ellows lea&e 1e%ico a ter $oral.s death. Mrs Fellows ) $oral.s mother. 1rs. +ellows is a ne!rotic, hysterical woman who con ines hersel to her bed o!t o ear o death. Mr Lehr ) # German)#merican li&ing in 1e%ico. 1r. :ehr is the irst to come !"on the "riest a ter he crosses the border. # :!theran who is mildly disa""ro&ing o $atholicism, he engages the "riest in m!ted religio!s debate, b!t is basically a kind "erson li&ing a rather easy li e. Miss Lehr ) 1r. :ehr.s sister who came to Aoin her brother in 1e%ico a ter his wi e died. 1iss :ehr is somewhat more c!rio!s and also somewhat more naF&e than her brother. The wo#an ) >ameless like her son, she tries to kee" her children in to!ch with the $atholic aith by reading them stories o saints. li&es. *he is concerned that her yo!ng son, the boy, is losing interest in religion. Juan ) # yo!ng man whom we enco!nter in this no&el only thro!gh the stories that are told abo!t him. B!an li&es his li e with "er ect "iety and generosity, and aces death with bra&ery and with "er ect com"os!re. The "ious wo#an ) # "erson the "riest meets d!ring his night in Aail. 5he "io!s woman is too "ro!d o hersel and her con&ictions to be tr!ly "io!s. *he looks down on the "riest or ha&ing sym"athy or the other "risoners in the cell. The $e%e ) 5he lie!tenant.s boss. 5he Ae e is not nearly as concerned abo!t the ca"t!re o the "riest as his cr!sading !nderling, and is content to "lay billiards and delegate a!thority.

The #estizo 5he mesti/o, who !nctions as a EB!dasE ig!re o the no&el, a""ears at signi icant "oints thro!gho!t the "riest.s Ao!rney. 5he irony is that altho!gh he means the "riest nothing b!t harm, he act!ally "ro&ides o""ort!nities or the "riest to commit heroic acts. 6t begins with the small sacri ice a ter the two irst meetC the "riest re !ses to abandon the mesti/o when he alls ill, inally "!tting him on the back o a m!le and sending him towards a town. -hen the mesti/o tracks him down on the other side o the border, the tra" he has set becomes an o""ort!nity or the "riest to t!rn away rom the li e o leis!re, and recommit himsel to his ideals and his d!ties. 5he mesti/o, always interested in getting something or nothing, asks the ca"t!red "riest to "ray or him. 5he "riest tells him that orgi&eness cannot be gi&en o!t, b!t m!st be worked or, and that he had better do some tr!e so!l)searching i he is concerned abo!t the sins he has committed. 5he mesti/o is in many ways the mirror image o the "riestC the "riest has done this so!l)searching b!t des"airs o&er ha&ing no third)"arty to hear his con ession. B!t, while the "riest attem"ts to root o!t all sel )interested moti&ations rom his mind, the mesti/o is concerned only with his own ad&antage. >e&ertheless, the "riest.s actions towards the mesti/o make the mesti/o a sym"athetic character.

The#es& Moti%s and 'y#bols The#es The (angers o% )xcessive *dealis# 5o "!t it sim"ly, an idealist is one who imagines that the world can be a m!ch better "lace than it is. -hat co!ld be dangero!s abo!t thatG 5he lie!tenant, in many ways, ill!strates the danger. Obsessed with the way things co!ld be, he remains mired in dissatis action and bitterness abo!t the way things act!ally are. #ltho!gh the wish to hel" the "oor is a noble sentiment, dreams o Estarting o&erE, erasing history, and wi"ing o!t all religio!s belie are sim"ly not reali/able. 1oreo&er, being !nable to bring abo!t the im"ossible leads the lie!tenant to eelings o r!stration and anger, an e&en more keen awareness o how im"er ect the world is, and hatred or those "eo"le whom he &iews as obstacles to the reali/ation o his dream. 1oreo&er, his con&iction that he knows what is best or the "eo"le is itsel a orm o arrogance. 5he "riest, on the other hand, comes to acce"t s! ering and death as a "art o li eD that is not to say that he does not wish to hel" alle&iate s! ering, b!t his aith in the ne%t world hel"s him to acce"t the trials and hardshi"s o this one. The (is"arity Between +e"resentation and +eality Greene is interested in showing the ga" between li e as it is remembered, recorded or retold, and li e as it is li&ed. #cts o storytelling occ!r 9!ite re9!ently thro!gho!t the no&el. 5he most ob&io!s e%am"le is the story o B!an, the yo!ng martyr. One thing that becomes a""arent by the no&el.s close is how &ery di erent B!an.s story o martyrdom is rom the "riest.s. B!an.s li e is characteri/ed rom start to inish by com"os!re, loyalty and, abo&e all, !nshakeable aith. #ltho!gh the "riest certainly is an admirable ig!re, es"ecially by the time o the no&el.s close, he still aces death a raid and !nable to re"ent. B!t Greene is not A!%ta"osing the two acco!nts o martyrdom merely to highlight the "riest.s shortcomings, b!t rather to show that real)li e di ers rom idealistic stories, in most cases. 5his theme e%tends beyond storytelling to other orms o re"resentation. +or e%am"le, the "riest takes note o how little the gringo looks like his "ict!re on the wanted "oster in the "olice o ice, and the lie!tenant ails to recogni/e the "riest beca!se the "riest does not ha&e the delicate hands that a stereoty"ical "riest wo!ld ha&e. *tories, "ict!res and other kinds o re"resentation can gi&e a misleading, e%aggerated "ict!re o a "erson, and Greene is interested in writing abo!t reality as it is tr!ly e%"erienced, e&en i he himsel is attem"ting to create that sense o !n&arnished reality thro!gh his own storytelling. The *nterrelated ,ature o% 'o-called O""osites :o&e and hate, bea!ty and s! ering, good and e&il are A!st a ew o the many "airs o seeming o""osites that Greene insists are not really o""osites at all. 6n the lie!tenant.s case, or e%am"le, his hatred o "riests originally stems rom a lo&e o and a concern or "oor "eo"le. Both eelings stem rom the same strong emotions@the desire to "rotect the innocent and the reAection o inA!stice in any orm. 5he "riest o ten

disco&ers the bea!ty o li e in the moments o greatest s! ering and hardshi". 1oreo&er, the "riest and the lie!tenant, who "lay s!ch o""osing roles thro!gho!t the no&el 3i.e. the h!nted and h!nter, the "riest)hater and the "riest4 come together at the end o the no&el and reach a kind o 9!ali ied !nderstanding o one another. The Paradox o% Christian .u#ility One o the most knotty "roblems considered in this book is how di ic!lt it is or a $hristian to be tr!ly h!mble. H!mility is a 9!ality that a $hristian is s!""osed to stri&e to reali/e in his li eD yet as soon that "erson thinks that he is s!cceeding in being h!mble, he can become "ro!d o his s!ccess. 5he "riest reali/es that he is tra""ed in this 9!agmire, and that he originally stayed in 1e%ico d!ring the "ersec!tion so that he wo!ld a""ear good be ore God and his "eo"le. Het, in the no&el, he ne&er allows himsel to remain com"lacent in the sacri ices he has made, or the $hristian eelings he has. (es"airing o&er his weakness and inability to be tr!ly h!mble, the "riest, "arado%ically, attains tr!e h!mility. Moti%s Ani#als 5here are many re erences to animals thro!gho!t this no&el. 5he most striking one, "erha"s, is the cri""led dog that the "riest disco&ers at the abandoned estate. 6n that scene the "riest battles the dog o&er a bone with a ew bites o meat on it and the im"licit 9!estion is whether anything se"arates !s rom the animals. #re h!man beings red!cible to the will to s!r&i&eG 6t is a 9!estion o great im"ortance to the "riest, who o ten is at a loss to A!sti y his desire to li&e 3es"ecially when he considers the "ain his "resence in licts !"on others4. His str!ggle with the maimed mongrel o&er a morsel o meat is a "athetic scene, one in which h!nger and the will to li&e seem to win o!t o&er h!man dignity, and the "riest recogni/es this. 5here are also many mentions o insects thro!gho!t the no&el, notably in scenes in&ol&ing the lie!tenant. Greene re ers to insects h!rling themsel&es into lam"s or being cr!shed !nder oot. 8ointless li e careening to "ointless death seems to be the im"ort o these details, and the im"licit 9!estion is whether h!man li e is similarly !tile and meaningless. .al%-things # striking thing abo!t this no&el is the "re&alence o Ehal )thingsEC the mesti/o is a Ehal ) casteED the "riest des"airs most o ten o&er the Ehal )heartedED 8adre Bose is hal )"riest, hal )h!sbandD 1r. 5ench seems hal )ali&eD there are do/ens o e%am"les thro!gho!t the no&el. 1oreo&er, we can see by this list alone that hal )things more o ten than not "lay some detrimental role in this no&el. 5he "riest and the lie!tenant are by and large, e%ce"tions@"eo"le who re !se hal )meas!res and instead tend towards e%tremes. >ear the end o the no&el, the mesti/o e%claims to the "riest, Eyo! do nothing in moderation.E #ltho!gh the e%tremities are o ten dangero!s@"artic!larly in the case o the lie!tenant.s actions@Greene seems to s!ggest that it is better to li&e li e with

intensity and "assionate commitment than it is to li&e in an indi erent or com"lacent ashion. Abandon#ent 1any things are abandoned in this no&el, and the words EabandonedE or EabandonmentE cro" !" re"eatedly. 1any o the towns"eo"le eel that the clergy has abandoned them, and the "riest, in t!rn, eels that the "eo"le ha&e abandoned him. 1r. 5ench has abandoned his amily, $a"tain +ellows and 1rs. +ellows abandon their ho!se and their dog, and the "riest tries to abandon the mesti/o on the road to $armen. 5hese are A!st a ew e%am"les. 6t is an im"ortant moti , beca!se it im"licitly raises the most im"ortant 9!estion, whether h!man beings ha&e been abandoned by God and le t to the cr!elty o nat!re and each other. *igni icantly, the greatest act o heroism in the no&el@the "riest.s decision to ret!rn to hel" the gringo@is a re !sal to abandon someone in need, and a re !sal to abandon a dangero!s and !gly world. 'y#bols Alcohol #lcohol rec!rs thro!gho!t this book as a symbol with two &ery di erent meanings. On the one hand, it re"resents weakness or Ethe whiskey "riestED a mark, to him, o his !nworthiness and the decadence o his ormer li e. 5he a!thorities. attem"ts to rid the state o alcohol are a mani estation o the im"ossible and detrimental desire to "!rge the world o all h!man weakness. On the other hand, alcohol is an integral "art o the $atholic mass, e&idenced by the "riest.s "ersistent attem"ts to "roc!re wine. #s we see thro!gho!t the book, the sacred and the "ro ane are o ten "ortrayed not as o""osites, b!t as two hal&es o the same coin. Christian 'y#bolis# #t many "oints thro!gho!t the book, di erent characters seem to stand in or ig!res rom the >ew 5estament. 8erha"s the most ob&io!s e%am"le is the mesti/o, whom the "riest e%"ressly re ers to as EB!das.E (!ring his night in the h!t with the mesti/o, the "riest has tro!ble kee"ing himsel awake, recalling the night Bes!s s"ends in the garden with the disci"les who cannot seem to kee" themsel&es awake. O co!rse, by the end o the no&el, the "riest.s death is reminiscent o $hrist.s willing sacri ice and his e%ec!tion at the hands o the a!thorities. (es"ite the similarities, one m!st "ay close attention to the di erences as well, since Greene is e%tremely care !l to em"hasi/e that his characters ha&e the ree will to decide their own "aths in li e, and are not merely "laying o!t some "redetermined scheme. Children $oral +ellows, Brigida and the boy are A!st a ew o the children who "lay key roles in this no&el. 6n a land o &iolence and "ersec!tion, where a sense o comm!nity seems to ha&e all b!t disa""eared, the 9!estion o what will become o the ne%t generation looms large. 5he lie!tenant seems to be moti&ated by a desire to hel" children a&oid

the "it alls o his own childhood by wi"ing o!t religion. He cannot com"letely eradicate the memory o religion rom the minds o the older generation, b!t "erha"s the work he and his ellow o icers ha&e done will e ecti&ely rid the ne%t generation o all religio!s sentiment. 5he "riest is cons!med with worry o&er the ate o his da!ghter, Brigida, earing that she has already been altered or the worse by the cr!elty o the world. 5h!s, children seem to symboli/e both a !t!re that is &ery m!ch hanging in the balance, and a "resent innocence that may be threatened, or e&en "ermanently damaged, by the con licted times in which they li&e. Part */ Cha"ter One 'u##ary 5he no&el o"ens with 1r. 5ench, an English dentist li&ing and working in a small 1e%ican town, heading rom his home to the ri&erside to "ick !" a canister o ether that he has ordered. 5he shi"s ha&e come in, and 5ench stands in the bla/ing 1e%ican s!n, watching the rickety boats and contin!ally orgetting why he has come to the ri&er. He meets the stranger, a mysterio!s man who is waiting or a boat to 'era $r!/. 5ench is interested in s"eaking with the man beca!se he s"eaks English and, !"on learning that the stranger has a bottle o contraband alcohol with him, becomes e&en more interested. 5ench in&ites the stranger back to his ho!se to share a drink. #t 5ench.s home, the two men talk and drink or some time. 5ench tells his g!est that he le t behind a amily in England, b!t he has gi&en !" writing letters to his wi e. 5he stranger looks like he has not been taking good care o himsel . He seems wary and somewhat an%io!s. He makes strange comments that make 5ench "a!se and wonder abo!t the man. 5he men are interr!"ted by the boy who knocks, seeking hel" or a woman, his dying mother. 7el!ctantly, as i he had no choice, the stranger agrees to accom"any the boy back to his ho!se. He is aware that doing so will mean that he will most likely miss the boat to 'era $r!/. #s he takes his lea&e o his host, the stranger tells him that he will "ray or him. # ter his g!est de"arts, 5ench disco&ers that the stranger has le t his book behind. He o"ens it and inds that it is a religio!s book abo!t a $hristian martyr, an illegal doc!ment in this state. ?ns!re o what it is, b!t dimly aware that he sho!ldn.t ha&e it in his "ossession, 5ench hides the book in a little o&en. He s!ddenly remembers that he orgot to "ick !" the canister o ether, and r!ns down to the ri&er only to ind that the shi" has le t the dock and is dri ting downri&er. On the boat, a yo!ng girl sings a sweet, melancholy song. *he eels ree and ha""y b!t she does not know why. Elsewhere, the stranger, walking along with the boy, hears the boat.s whistle and reali/es that he has, in act, missed it. He eels des"ondent at being !nable to lea&e, and angry towards the boy and his mother or kee"ing him rom his boat.

'0MMA+1 Analysis 5he stranger is a "riest, the !nnamed "rotagonist o the no&el, and Greene introd!ces him to !s in a strange wayC altho!gh he em"loys a third)"erson narrator to tell his story, he re rains rom ha&ing this narrator directly tell !s who this character is at irst. :ike 5ench, we are le t to obser&e this mysterio!s ig!re and make in erences abo!t him based on his strange manners, his awkward beha&ior, his secreti&e ways. #s a res!lt, we initially meet this character eeling "!//led by him, "erha"s e&en s!s"icio!s o him, and or good reason. 5he no&el, in many ways, is &ery m!ch abo!t the 9!estion o how "eo"le come to terms with this character, how "eo"le e&al!ate his choices and his attit!des. +or e%am"le, what do we make o the act that he agrees to act honorably and hel" the boy b!t only does so gr!dgingly once he learns that it has incon&enienced himG 1eanwhile, 1r. 5ench is a "ortrait o mental and s"irit!al n!mbness. 6t is itting, there ore, that his errand is to "ick !" a canister o anesthetic. 6ndi erent, detached, absent)minded, almost &acant, 5ench is a kind o s"irit!al thermometer or the no&el, an indicator o the general atmos"here o 9!iet!de and a"athy. 5ench also ser&es here as something o a contrast to the "riest, arg!ing that it is !seless or him to Ao!rney with the boy to &isit his dying mother. *he is going to die anyway, he reasons, so what wo!ld be the "ointG 1ired in a eeling o !tter !tility, 5ench attaches little im"ortance to action o any kind, indicated by his inability to com"lete a sim"le errand, as well as his c!rio!s re !sal to lea&e 1e%ico, a "lace he dislikes. #ltho!gh he accom"anies the boy rel!ctantly, the "riest still eels a sense o d!ty and retains a eeling that his actions are o some im"ortance and conse9!ence. -e sho!ld not, howe&er, make too m!ch o the contrast between the two menC it is also im"ortant to note that, a ter he "icks !" the religio!s book, 5ench grows Etho!ght !lE or a moment. 5ench may be ro/en, b!t he is not dead, and the ho"e that e&en the most callo!s and indi erent "eo"le are still ca"able o s"irit!al regeneration is an im"ortant idea in this no&el. 6t is a theme that will recei&e m!ch !ller treatment as the story "rogresses. #ltho!gh 5ench is not incredibly im"ortant to the "lot itsel , Greene occasionally ret!rns to him brie ly o&er the co!rse o the no&el. 6n the strange scene near the end o the irst cha"ter, the narrator s!ddenly shi ts his oc!s away rom 5ench and trains it on a girl on the bow o the shi" in a moment o oreshadowing. He says that she is ha""y, b!t that she does not "a!se to consider why she is ha""y. 5his no&el is illed with "eo"le who are either tormented with sel )do!bt, an%iety, and a hy"er sel )conscio!sness, or leading li&es o com"lacency. 5his girl its in neither category, and the brie scene with her is one o the only ones in the no&el where someone is act!ally ha""y. 6t is itting that the ig!re o ha""iness is sailing away at the start o the no&el, oreshadowing the des"erate state o a airs that "er&ades the rest o the no&el.

Part */ Cha"ter Two 'u##ary #t the "olice station, the lie!tenant obser&es his s9!ad o ragtag "olicemen with distaste. # stern man, he metes o!t "!nishment to a gro!" o "risoners who ha&e been Aailed or minor o enses and waits or the Ae e, or chie , to arri&e. 5he Ae e in orms the lie!tenant that he has s"oken with the go&ernor, who belie&es that there are still "riests at large in the state. 5he lie!tenant is ske"tical, b!t the Ae e "rod!ces a "hotogra"h o a "l!m" "riest ca&orting with women at a irst comm!nion "arty. ?"on seeing the "hotogra"h, the lie!tenant eels anger welling !" inside o him. He is o!traged at the way the "riests beha&e, or at least at the way they !sed to beha&e be ore $atholicism was o!tlawed, belie&ing that they lead li&es o ind!lgence and wealth while the "eo"le who they s!""osedly ser&ed remained in "o&erty and misery. He "ins the "hotogra"h to the wall ne%t to a "hotogra"h o Bames $al&er 3who is re erred to sim"ly as the gringo thro!gho!t the no&el4. 5he gringo may be a bank robber and a m!rderer, the lie!tenant arg!es, b!t he act!ally in licts less harm on society than a "riest does. 5he lie!tenant eels that to a""rehend and e%ec!te a "riest is a &irt!o!s deed beca!se it hel"s to heal the entire state. 5alking himsel into an angry, determined state o mind, the lie!tenant &ows that he can catch this "riest within a month. He concocts a "lan to take one hostage rom e&ery town, and kill him i no one in the town comes orward to re"ort the "riest.s whereabo!ts. # ter all, it wo!ld certainly be worth a ew dead "easants to be able to a""rehend the last "riest in the state@or so the lie!tenant arg!es. 5he lie!tenant ret!rns to his small, s"are room, and thinks with bitterness abo!t the belie s that religion "ro"agates. He thinks that there is no merci !l God, that the !ni&erse is cold and dying, and that e%istence is "!r"oseless. 1eanwhile, in another "art o town, a woman reads to her amily the story o B!an, a yo!ng boy who was m!rdered beca!se he belie&ed in God and in the $h!rch. # boy listens to the woman 3his mother4 read and soon we learn that this is the boy who called at 1r. 5ench.s ho!se or hel" or his dying mother. His mother is not dying at all, it t!rns o!t, and she and her h!sband ha&e a con&ersation abo!t the whiskey "riest, the stranger rom cha"ter one, who has taken his lea&e o them. 5hey also disc!ss 8adre Bose, a "riest who, at the state.s insistence, agreed to get married and abandon the "riesthood. 6n yet another "art o town, 8adre Bose sits on his "atio watching the stars and thinking des"airingly abo!t his own li e. 5oo a raid to ace e%ec!tion, he o"ted to gi&e in to the states. demands and lea&e the $h!rch ore&er. >ow, he thinks, he m!st li&e o!t the rest o his li e as a symbol o cowardice and "oor aith. *ome children mock him as his wi e calls him to bed. Analysis $ha"ter 5wo introd!ces !s to three key ig!resC the lie!tenant, the yo!ng boy, and 8adre Bose.

5he lie!tenant is a r!thless and "erha"s e&en hy"ocritical ig!re. He des"ises "riests or e%"loiting the "eo"le, yet he lets this eeling so o&erwhelm him that he declares himsel "re"ared to e%ec!te those &ery "eo"le in order to rid the state o "riests or good. 5he lie!tenant, howe&er, is ar rom being a sim"le character, and it wo!ld be a mistake to &iew him "!rely in negati&e terms. -hile he a&ows his o""osition to the "riest and to the "riesthood, Greene.s descri"tion o him o ten em"hasi/es the s!btle similarities that e%ist between the lie!tenant and his "rey. He li&es an a!stere, almost monastic li e in his bare room, and he "!rs!es his mission with a single)minded /eal based on "rinci"les and a concern or the "oor. 5hat his /eal o ten leads him to commit horri ic acts is !ndeniable b!t, then again, many "eo"le in the no&el wo!ld arg!e that the "roblem with the clergy is that, somewhere along the line, they too lost sight o their ideals. 5he lie!tenant.s ideals concerning order and law can be seen e&en in his dress. -hile the lie!tenant "ro esses his belie that the !ni&erse is !ndamentally chaotic, his li estyle and his metic!lo!s concern or his a""earance indicate a desire or order and str!ct!re. Greene describes the lie!tenant.s dress as Eda""erE, while the other "olicemen are dishe&eled. 6ndeed, he is set a"art rom his s!rro!ndings as wellC b!ildings are dila"idated, the landsca"e is marshy, o&ergrown and h!mid. 8erha"s, then, the ig!re who is meant to ser&e as a contrast to the lie!tenant is not the "riest, b!t the ha"less, incom"etent and n!mb 1r. 5ench. ?nlike 1r. 5ench, the lie!tenant has "assion and moti&ation. +or Greene, the o""osite o lo&e is not hate, b!t a"athy. Both lo&e and hate signi y emotional in&estment, a connection to and a concern abo!t the world, e&en i hate is an !ltimately negati&e concern. #"athy indicates a lack o commitment and an !nconcern or li e itsel . $onnections between the "riest and the lie!tenant will become clearer as the book "rogresses, b!t e&en in these early cha"ters Greene is "re"aring !s to 9!estion the stereoty"ical contrasts we may be tem"ted to draw. 5he boy and his amily, whose ho!se the "riest &isited a ter lea&ing 5ench, ser&e thro!gho!t the no&el as a way or Greene to e%"lore the e ects o the state.s religio!s intolerance on a "io!s amily. :e t with only bad e%am"les o "riests or her children, the mother str!ggles to im"art her aith to her o s"ring. #lready it is e&ident that she can no longer hold her son.s attention, as he e%"resses a lack o interest in the story o the martyred boy, B!an. $hildren are e%tremely im"ortant in this no&el, and one reason is that the !t!re o aith in the state and the res"onse to this wa&e o religio!s "ersec!tion is !ncertain. 8adre Bose re"resents a oil or the "rotagonist, the nameless "riest. -hile both begin the no&el !ll o shame abo!t themsel&es, 8adre Bose.s choice to li&e an ease !l, sedentary li e contrasts shar"ly with the ard!o!s, wandering li e chosen by the "riest.

Part */ Cha"ter Three 'u##ary $a"tain +ellows is an #merican li&ing in 1e%ico with 1rs. +ellows, his wi e, and his yo!ng da!ghter, r!nning the E$entral #merican Banana $om"any.E He ret!rns home one day and his wi e in orms him that his da!ghter, $oral +ellows is s"eaking with a "olice o icer abo!t a "riest who is at large in the area. 5he "olice o icer is the lie!tenant rom $ha"ter 5wo, who is beginning his search or the "riest. # ter a short, tense con&ersation with $a"tain +ellows, the lie!tenant de"arts. $oral then in orms her ather that she re !sed to allow the lie!tenant to search the "remises, beca!se the "riest is hiding in the barn. *hocked, $a"tain +ellows asks his da!ghter to bring him to the "riest.s hiding "lace. He tells the "riest that he is not welcome, and the "riest, with characteristic de erence to others. wishes, says he will de"art. He asks or some brandy, b!t $a"tain +ellows re !ses to break the law any !rther than he already has. 5hat night, 1r. and 1rs. +ellows lie together in bed, illed with an%iety and trying to ignore the so!nd o $oral.s ootste"s as she heads to the barn to bring ood to the stranger. $!rio!s, genero!s, and sensiti&e, $oral listens care !lly to the "riest.s descri"tion o his tro!bles. -ith innocent logic, she asks the "riest why, i he is so miserable as a !giti&e, he doesn.t A!st t!rn himsel in. He e%"lains that it is his d!ty to remain ree as long as he can, and that he cannot reno!nce his aith beca!se it is o!t o his E"ower.E 5he girl listens witho!t A!dging, then teaches the "riest how to !se the 1orse $ode so that he can signal her i he e&er ret!rns. 5he "riest then makes his way to a small &illage where he inds a small h!t to slee" in or the night. (es"erately tired and wanting only to slee", he is beset by &illagers asking him to hear their con essions. # ter some time, he gr!dgingly agrees to orgo slee" and "er orm his "riestly d!ties or the "eo"le. He begins to wee" o!t o r!stration and sheer e%ha!stion, and an old man goes o!tside and anno!nces to the &illagers that the "riest is waiting inside or them, wee"ing or their sins. Analysis #s #mericans li&ing abroad, $a"tain and 1rs. +ellows remain isolated, estranged rom the co!ntry in which they are residing and the "eo"le among whom they li&e. 5heir detached ine ect!ality is "erha"s best symboli/ed by 1rs. +ellows. illness, which lea&es her bedridden, !ll o ne!rotic an%iety and the ear o death. :acking any sense o meaning, both are li&ing li&es o denial. $a"tain +ellows re !ses to think abo!t anything negati&e, care !lly maintaining a aIade o cheer !l ignorance. >eeding reass!rance, he asks his wi e, E6t.s not s!ch a bad li e, 5ri%yG 6s it nowG >ot a bad li eGE His wi e, on the other hand, sees nothing b!t death and disease crowding aro!nd her and, in res"onse, she retreats !rther into her bed and behind her mos9!ito netting, in a !tile attem"t to hide and "rotect hersel rom the dangers that are a "art o li e. 6n a darkly comic line abo!t 1rs. +ellows, Greene em"hasi/es A!st how war"ed her ears

ha&e made herC Ethe word .li e. was tabooC it reminded yo! o death.E #long with 1r. 5ench, $a"tain and 1rs. +ellows are not necessarily bad, b!t sim"ly "eo"le li&ing deadened e%istences. ?nlike her "arents, $oral is !ll o com"assion or others and enli&ened with the desire to become in&ol&ed, to engage with the world aro!nd her. # "ro essed nonbelie&er who lost her aith at the age o ten, $oral instincti&ely "ractices the $hristian &irt!es o charity, tolerance and com"assion, !rther em"hasi/ing Greene.s "oint that tr!e $hristianity e%ists in !ne%"ected "laces, within "eo"le who may not e&en reali/e how holy they are. By contrast, or the "riest, holiness and &irt!e are 9!alities that re9!ire e ort, sacri ice and will"ower. $oral +ellows becomes a to!chstone o sorts or the "riest, a ig!re to whom his tho!ghts ret!rn at intermittent "oints thro!gho!t the no&el. 5he enco!nter with the &illagers shows that religion is still &ery m!ch a "art o the li&es o the "eo"le. Howe&er, instead o being a Aoyo!s e&ent, the "riest.s arri&al in the town stirs an%iety and haste. 5he old man wants him to "er orm the necessary rit!als as 9!ickly as "ossible be ore the soldiers arri&e. 5he "riest, on the other hand, ar rom being ha""y to be able to "er orm his d!ties among willing and s!""liant belie&ers, is too o&erwhelmed by atig!e to be anything b!t irritated. Greene re !ses to romantici/e religio!s "ractices, showing how im"er ect "eo"le are always in&ol&ed in any h!man endea&or, e&en those considered to be the most sacred. 5his is not an arg!ment or ske"ticismD on the contrary, Greene is trying to "oint o!t that, in order to belie&e, one m!st be able to see and acce"t things as they are. 5he shortsighted 1rs. +ellows cannot acce"t that death is a "art o li e and so does not really li&eD in the same way, those in this no&el who do not see that the wicked is "art o the sacred lack tr!e wisdom. $om"lete "!rity e%ists only in myths and stories, as e&idenced by the old man.s telling his ellow &illagers that the "riest is inside wee"ing or their sins, when, in act, he is crying only or himsel . Part */ Cha"ter Four 'u##ary 1r. 5ench sits at his worktable, writing a letter to his wi e *yl&ia, with whom he has not had any contact or many years. He inds it hard to begin, his tho!ghts dri t, and he thinks abo!t the stranger who &isited his ho!se. *omeone knocks at the door and he abandons the letter or the time being. 8adre Bose walking in a gra&eyard, meets a gro!" o "eo"le who are b!rying a little girl. 5hey ask him i he wo!ld say a "rayer or her, b!t 8adre Bose, aware o the danger he is in, re !ses. :i&ing !nder the constant s!r&eillance o the local a!thorities, he knows that he cannot tr!st "eo"le to kee" secrets, and "er orming s!ch a ceremony among so many "eo"le wo!ld be dangero!s indeed. 5he "eo"le begin to cry and "lea or him to hel" them b!t, eeling disgraced and !seless, 8adre Bose contin!es to re !se their re9!est.

# woman again reads her children the story o B!an, the yo!ng martyr. 5he boy, in a it o anger, declares that he doesn.t belie&e any o it. His mother angrily sends him o!t o the room. He tells his ather what has trans"ired, and his ather, rather than becoming angry at his son.s !nr!liness, sim"ly sighs. >ot a man o m!ch aith, the boy.s ather tells him that he laments the "assing o the $h!rch, since it "ro&ided a sense o comm!nity. -hile teaching $oral +ellows a history lesson, 1rs. +ellows com"lains o atig!e and "!ts her book down. $oral takes the o""ort!nity to ask her mother whether she belie&e in God. Her mother asks $oral to tell her with whom she has been talking to abo!t s!ch things. $oral then goes o!t to check on a banana shi"ment and, reali/ing her ather has not taken care o b!siness and is nowhere to be o!nd, gets to work. 5hen, she begins to eel ill. 5he lie!tenant inds the Ae e "laying billiards and asks him i he has s"oken with the go&ernor. 5he Ae e says that the go&ernor has a!thori/ed the lie!tenant to !se any means necessary to a""rehend the o!tlawed "riest, on the condition that he catch him be ore the rainy season begins. 5he lie!tenant tells the Ae e that he will im"lement his idea to take hostages rom the &illages, and that he will start at the "riest.s hometown and "arish, $once"cion. 5he lie!tenant takes his lea&e o the Ae e and heads towards the "olice station alone. #long the way, a boy throws a rock at him and, when asked what he is doing, the child answers that he was "laying a game, "retending that the rock was a bomb and the lie!tenant was a gringo 3a oreigner4. 8leased with this res"onse, the lie!tenant !nthreateningly shows the yo!ng boy his g!n, and walks away wishing that he co!ld eliminate e&erything rom the child.s li e that kee"s him in ignorance. He is !rther charged with a sense o "!r"ose to ind and e%ec!te the "riest. Analysis 5his cha"ter, ranging thro!gh i&e di erent scenes, obser&es the towns"eo"le res"onding to the "resence 3or absence4 o "riests in their li&es. 1r. 5ench is mo&ed@ altho!gh he doesn.t know why@to write to his estranged wi e a ter so many years o silence. #ltho!gh Greene does not come right o!t and say it, one in erence to be drawn is that 1r. 5ench.s brie enco!nter with the "riest has somehow awakened in him a desire to set things right with his amily. 5hat he ails to write the letter here "erha"s indicates that this desire has not yet taken root in him, that it is only the aint beginnings o what will !ndo!btedly be a long "rocess o change his li e. 5he "resence o 8adre Bose, meanwhile, awakens ho"e in the !neral goers, b!t his re !sal to get in&ol&ed or take a risk makes the ceremony more tra!matic than it wo!ld ha&e been witho!t him. 6t is hard to know 9!ite what to make o this sceneC on the one hand, 8adre Bose does no one a ser&ice by being so cowardly, and his rightened, mo!sy character stands in direct o""osition to the stories o bra&e martyrs 3s!ch as the one abo!t the boy, B!an, a story to which the no&el contin!ally ret!rns4. #t the same time, howe&er, his chance enco!nter with the amily at the !neral awakens in them emotions that are "erha"s better and more h!man than the n!mbness they had been e%"eriencing be ore his arri&al.

5he ne%t two scenes in&ol&e "arents instr!cting@or trying to instr!ct@children, and in both cases, the "arents "ro&e ine ect!al or !nins"iring. 1rs. +ellows becomes characteristically ner&o!s when $oral 9!estions her directly abo!t God, and 1r. +ellows is nowhere to be o!nd. #gain, the brie , chance enco!nter with the "riest has stirred im"ortant 9!estions in someone. 5he mother reading to her children abo!t the martyr B!an is clearly a m!ch more admirable ig!re than 1rs. +ellows, and yet she also seems to be ailing to engage her son. His ather, not a &ery religio!s man, makes an im"ortant "oint abo!t the ch!rch.s role as a key com"onent in the abric o the comm!nityC whether yo! belie&e in what it "reaches or not, he seems to arg!e, it was an organi/ation that bro!ght "eo"le together. 1any "eo"le are isolated in this no&el, e&en "eo"le who are li&ing in a large town, in the midst o many others. $amaraderie, ellowshi", a sense o social togetherness remain largely absent rom this no&el, and the ather, here, seems to arg!e or the ch!rch as a "ossible so!rce o comm!nity eeling. 5he lie!tenant.s con&ersation with the yo!ng boy shows him, once again, to ha&e good intentions, moti&ated by the desire to rid the world o corr!"tion and deceit. 5he lie!tenant yearns or "!rity, he wishes, Eto begin the world again with them, in a desert.E Greene.s "oint, howe&er, is that "!rity is not a condition o this world, sim"ly not something a&ailable to lawed h!man beings. #s is the case so o ten, and as Greene em"hasi/es in this cha"ter es"ecially, the lie!tenant.s obsessi&e "!rs!it o his im"ossible end can lead him to resort to horri ic and sel )de eating means. 6m"!rity is a "art o li e, Greene s!ggests, and to attem"t to rid the world o it entirely is, there ore, to become a killer. Part **/ Cha"ter One 'u##ary On a m!le, the "riest lees rom the "olice, who are ra"idly closing in on him. #ltho!gh he did not intend to head in the direction o his hometown, the "olice are mo&ing in s!ch a way that he is headed in that direction. -hen he reaches the town, the "riest irst enco!nters a woman named 1aria who seems less than thrilled to see him again. 5he "riest, who had been eeling somewhat lighthearted, is saddened by the chilly rece"tion gi&en to him by the &illagers, !ntil he learns the reason or itC they ha&e heard that the "olice are taking hostages rom &illages in which he is re"orted to ha&e stayed. 1aria leads him to a h!t where he is to rest or the night and, a ter the "riest asks a ter her, calls in a yo!ng girl named Brigida. 5he "riest is o&erwhelmed with eeling, es"ecially with a eeling o res"onsibility beca!se, we soon disco&er, 1aria is a woman with whom he has had a brie , b!t signi icant a air, and Brigida is his illegitimate da!ghter. >ot m!ch is said between ather and da!ghter, b!t he eels an o&erwhelming need to "rotect her. 5he "riest awakes be ore dawn to say mass or the &illagers and is abo!t hal way thro!gh the ser&ice when a re"ort comes in that the "olice are a""roaching the town. He contin!es with the ceremony as the a!thorities close in, and by the time he is

inished, they ha&e the town s!rro!nded. 6n the center o the &illage, the lie!tenant calls e&eryone rom their ho!ses, and the "riest, who is aware that he now aces recognition and ca"t!re b!t who sees no way o!t, obeys. One by one, the lie!tenant calls !" the towns olk and asks them to introd!ce themsel&es to him. -hen the "riest a""roaches, the lie!tenant asks him 9!estions, and then asks to see his hands. $allo!sed and hard rom his weeks o e&ading the "olice, the "riest.s hands are no longer the so t and delicate hands o a clergyman, and the lie!tenant "asses him by. 5he lie!tenant then anno!nces that he will take hostages i no one comes orward to gi&e him in ormation and the "riest waits, with eyes cast downward, or someone to t!rn him in. >o one ste"s orward, howe&er, and the lie!tenant selects a hostage. 5he "riest then ste"s orward and o ers to go in the man.s "lace, b!t the lie!tenant re !ses him and the "olice detail mo&es o!t o town. 5he "riest says a rather strained goodbye to 1aria, who eels ashamed o him, and goes to the town r!bbish hea" to look or his tra&eling case, which 1aria has thrown away. 5here he meets his da!ghter Brigida again. *he tells him that the other children mock her beca!se o him, and he is again o&erwhelmed with the eeling that he wishes to "rotect her rom the decay, the "ain, and the cr!elty o the world. He sees, howe&er, that it is too late, that she has grown !" in a c!lt!re o &iolence and intolerance and that there is nothing he can do to change that. He tells her how dee"ly he cares or her and takes his lea&e o her and the town. 5he "riest mo&es so!th and a ter si% ho!rs o tra&el he reaches the town o :a $andelaria. He talks to the mesti/o, and asks him how ar it is to $armen. He lea&es the man and tra&els o!t o the town, ording a ri&er on his m!le. >ot long a ter he has reached the other side he hears someone calling or him@it is the mesti/o, who catches !" with him, claiming that he too wants to go to $armen. 5he mesti/o is a shi ty and seemingly !ntr!stworthy ellow who immediately begins baiting the "riest, trying to get him to admit his tr!e identity. *!s"icio!s o each other, the two men get along !neasily and s"ar &erbally. 5hey sto" at a h!t to slee", and the mesti/o contin!es to tell the "riest that he knows who he is. 5he "riest reali/es that he is in the "resence o B!das, the betrayer, and tries to remain awake, on g!ard against the machinations o his wily sidekick. He slee"s some, dreaming abo!t his li e as an ind!lgent "arish "riest, and then wakes and meditates on his !nworthiness, and the !ncertainty o his !t!re. He ste"s o!tside the h!t, o&er the mesti/o who is lying on the loor in a e&erish condition, wee"ing o&er the state o his so!l. # ter inding the m!le in the dark, the "riest attem"ts to ride o in silence, b!t the mesti/o comes o!t o the h!t and ollows him, begging the "riest not to abandon him. $ontin!ing his Ao!rney, the "riest begins to re"ent o&er the way he has treated the mesti/o. (es"icable as the man might be, the "riest thinks, he is still a child o God, and there ore the "riest has as m!ch a d!ty to him as he does to anyone else. He switches "laces with the ailing man, letting the mesti/o ride the m!le while he walks beside it. # ter some time the mesti/o asks him directly whether he is a "riest and the "riest, !nwilling to e&ade and deny any longer, tells him the tr!th. -hen they a""roach $armen he sends the mesti/o and the m!le down one road while he takes another.

5he mesti/o, angered that he will not get his reward money, sho!ts in "rotest, b!t he is too weak rom the e&er to do anything abo!t it. 5he "riest, !nable to go to $armen and a raid to go to any other town or ear that by doing so he will "!t its residents at risk, meditates !"on what he will do ne%t. Analysis $ha"ter One o 8art 66 is the longest cha"ter in the book, and it introd!ces the rest o the no&el.s signi icant characters. Brigida will be a contin!al "resence in the "riest.s tho!ghts, and the mesti/o will a""ear again at cr!cial "oints in his Ao!rney. 5his is also o!r irst e%tended enco!nter with the "riest.s broodings abo!t himsel @abo!t his !nworthiness, his con !sed sense o "!r"ose, his inability to orgi&e himsel . #n incredibly im"ortant theme that arises in this cha"ter is the interaction o re"resentation and real li e. 6n his hometown, the "riest reali/es that he, like 8adre Bose, bears the b!rden o re"resenting the "riesthood itsel to "eo"le who will ha&e no other enco!nter with clergymen in their li&es. 1aria says to him, EJs!""ose yo! die. Ho!.ll be a martyr, won.t yo!G -hat kind o martyr do yo! think yo!.ll makeG 6t.s eno!gh to make "eo"le mock..E O!r "rotagonist is no longer A!st EaE "riest, he is EtheE "riest in this area and his actions and e%am"le ha&e ar more signi icance as a res!lt. He himsel becomes ac!tely aware o his own signi icance in this cha"ter, both beca!se he learns that the lie!tenant has beg!n to take hostages based on his mo&ements and beca!se 1aria introd!ces the term Emartyr.E 5he theme o re"resentation in reality thickens with the "riest.s enco!nter with the lie!tenant. 5he "riest.s hands, which sho!ld gi&e him away, ha&e become as weather) beaten and callo!sed as any other "erson.s. 5his is a &ery ob&io!s indication that the stereoty"ical notion o what a "riest sho!ld be does not always hold tr!e. 5he "riest has been trans ormed thro!gh the "ersec!tion he has !ndergone. +ittingly, another one o the no&el.s most im"ortant themes is the idea that ad&ersity and s! ering are necessary to a "erson.s moral and s"irit!al de&elo"ment. 5he contrast between the "riest and the lie!tenant dee"ens in this cha"ter. 5he "riest is !ns!re o what he is to do ne%t. ?nlike the lie!tenant, who mo&es with !ncom"romising &igor across the landsca"e, the "riest has tro!ble deciding

Part **/ Cha"ter Two 'u##ary 6n the ca"ital city, the "riest sits on a bench watching the "eo"le "ass. # beggar a""roaches him and asks or money. 5he "riest tells him that he has &ery little money, and that he wants to s"end what money he has on alcohol. O co!rse, he is looking or a bottle o wine so that he can say mass, b!t to the beggar he "retends that he is sim"ly a dr!nk looking or boo/e. #s they talk, the "riest sees the mesti/o walk by in the town s9!are. 5he beggar agrees to show the "riest to a "lace where he can get

alcohol. He takes the "riest to a hotel down by the ri&er, where they wait in a large, s"are bedroom or the beggar.s contact, the Go&ernor.s co!sin, to arri&e. 5he beggar s!ggests that a ter he b!ys the alcohol, the "riest sho!ld, o!t o co!rtesy, o er his host a drink. *oon the Go&ernor.s co!sin arri&es and, a ter a somewhat tense con&ersation, agrees to sell the "riest a bottle o brandy and a bottle o wine. 5he "riest o ers the go&ernor.s co!sin a drink o brandy, b!t the other man wants wine, and drinks a glass. 5he three men start talking, and the Go&ernor.s co!sin contin!es to make toasts and drink glass a ter glass o the wine. Hel"less, the "riest watches des"ondently as the wine that he has es"ecially "roc!red or mass disa""ears down the go&ernor.s co!sin.s g!llet. 5he Ae e arri&es and begins to drink the wine as well. 5he men are s!r"rised when they notice that the "riest is 9!ietly crying. B!t they attrib!te his emotionality to his being dr!nk and ha&ing the so!l o a "oet. 5he Ae e talks abo!t the manh!nt his o icers are on, telling his drinking com"anions that they are searching or a "riest, and that they ha&e a man in c!stody who says he s"ent some time with the o!tlaw and can recogni/e him. 5he men contin!e to talk and, c!rio!sly, o ten !se 9!asi) religio!s terminology in their s"eech, s!ch as EmysteryE, Eso!lE and Eso!rce o li e.E # ter more drinking and talking, the wine is gone, and the "riest takes his lea&e o the men, deAected, with the bottle o brandy in his coat "ocket. -hen he lea&es the hotel, the "riest notices that it is raining, and he 9!ickly d!cks into a cantina to a&oid getting wet. 6nside, he accidentally b!m"s into a man who is "laying billiards. -hen he collides with the man, the brandy bottle clinks in his "ocket. # gro!" o men begin to take an interest in the "riest with his hidden contraband li9!or, and begin to tease him. 5he "riest s!ddenly dashes o!t the door, and he is "!rs!ed by a gro!" o men. 5hey chase him thro!gh the city streets, and the "riest r!ns to the ho!se o 8adre Bose, ho"ing the ormer "riest will take "ity on him and hide him in his ho!se. B!t 8adre Bose, !nwilling to take on the res"onsibility, re !ses to admit the h!nted "riest. *oon the gro!" o men, which incl!des "olicemen, catches him. 5he "olice don.t recogni/e him as the amo!s wanted "riest. 6nstead, they ask him to "ay a ine or the alcohol and when he can.t, they take him to Aail. Analysis 5he narrati&e &oice has shi ted slightly rom the "re&io!s cha"terC where cha"ter one oc!sed on the "riest.s tho!ghts, his assessment o himsel and his sit!ation, cha"ter two is more action)based. +or the irst hal o the cha"ter, we get almost no descri"tions o what the "riest is thinking at allC the narrati&e is almost e%cl!si&ely oc!sed on dialog!e, "lot and e%ternal descri"tion. 6t is only a ter the "riest lea&es the hotel that we ret!rn to a "ers"ecti&e that lets !s see EinsideE his mind. On one le&el, ob&io!sly, Greene re rains rom gi&ing !s too m!ch o the "riest.s tho!ghts d!ring the drinking scene. He does not want to interr!"t a tension) illed scene, where action and dialog!e are o "aramo!nt im"ortance, with too many side)glim"ses into the world o tho!ght. Greene is a master o s!s"ense, and this is one o the most edgy scenes in the entire no&el. On a thematic le&el, in the beginning o the cha"ter the "riest inds

himsel , or the irst time in awhile, animated by a sense o immediate "!r"oseC he needs to ind a way to "roc!re wine or mass. 5his "art o the cha"ter is narrated with "artic!lar em"hasis on the action o the "lot beca!se the "riest himsel is acting and not sim"ly reacting. He has made a bold mo&e into the heart o the state and is dri&en by a &ery real goal. 5he act that e&en this relati&ely modest "lan alls thro!gh only em"hasi/es that the "riest.s destiny is not in his control, that anything he !ndertakes m!st be carried o!t within a matri% o orces that are not s!bAect to his control@in this case, the orces o a!thority and eti9!ette. 5he narration ret!rns to the "riests tho!ghts a ter he lea&es the hotel. >ow com"letely broke, his mission r!strated, the "riest t!rns inward, !ns!re o what to do ne%t. 5he end o the cha"ter shows him once again orced to react to the actions o others) r!nning, hiding, lying, trying to e&ade detection and ca"t!re or as long as he can. #s e&idenced by his enco!nter with 8adre Bose, the "riest can co!nt on no hel" rom anyone, not e&en a ellow member o the clergy, and his "owers o "ers!asion do him no good. 5he only "erson in town to whom he co!ld look as a riend or ally has denied him, and he can do little else besides wait. +inally, ca"t!red and "owerless, thinking, re"enting, worrying, "raying are all that is le t to him. 5he whole cha"ter is a story o ra"id !nra&eling. #s in the "re&io!s cha"ter, the a!thorities searching or him ironically cannot recogni/e him as the "riest e&en tho!gh they arrest him on another charge. Part **/ Cha"ter Three 'u##ary 6n the dark Aail cell, the "riest st!mbles aro!nd, con !sed amid the "rone bodies o the other "risoners. 'oices ask him or cigarettes, money, or something to eat, and he hears the so!nd o two "eo"le making lo&e somewhere in the darkness. He inally inds a "lace to sit in the crowded cell. #lmost immediately, the con&ersation t!rns to "riests. One o the "risoners blames "riests or all o his "roblems. +eeling that there is no !se in trying to hide his identity any longer, the "riest s"eaks !" and anno!nces that he, in act, is a "riest. 6n res"onse to criticism rom one o his cellmates, the "riest admits that he is a bad "riest, a whisky "riest. He admits his ear o death, denies that he is worthy to be considered a martyr, and con esses that he has an illegitimate child. # "risoner tells him that he need not be a raid o being t!rned in by any o them beca!se they are not interested in taking the state.s Eblood money.E 5he "riest eels an o&erwhelming a ection or these "eo"le, and a sense o com"anionshi" he sorely lacked d!ring his time on the r!n. # "io!s woman, who is in Aail or kee"ing religio!s articles in her ho!se, s"eaks to the "riest. # sel )righteo!s "erson, she is o!traged at the other "risoners, and at ha&ing to be in the same cell with them. 5he "riest tries to e%"lain that, to a saint, e&en the most !gly scene o s! ering still contains bea!ty, b!t the woman is o ended that a "riest co!ld sym"athi/e with "eo"le whom she considers !tterly re"!gnant. E5he sooner yo! are dead the better,E she concl!des, and then, with idiotic bl!ster, im"lies that when she gets o!t o "rison she will in orm

the higher ch!rch a!thorities o the "riest.s beha&ior. B!t the "riest is not really all that scared o the bisho"s anymore. 5he ne%t morning, the "riest awakens, s!re that the "olice will soon identi y him. 5hey call all o the "risoners o!tside, b!t "!ll the "riest aside, telling him that his Aob is to em"ty the b!ckets o h!man waste rom the Aail cells. Entering one, he notices that its occ!"ant is none other than the mesti/o, who is staying in a Aail cell as a g!est o the "olice. 5he "riest attem"ts to ignore him, b!t the mesti/o "ersists in trying to get his attention. # ter the "riest inally re"lies to him, the mesti/o recogni/es to whom he is s"eaking. B!t the mesti/o does not immediately t!rn the "riest in, reasoning that he won.t recei&e the reward money i the "riest is already in "olice c!stody and besides, he is com ortable li&ing tem"orarily in the Aail cell. 5he "riest contin!es cleaning the cells, and when he is inished, he is bro!ght be ore the lie!tenant. #ltho!gh the two men ha&e been ace to ace once be ore, the lie!tenant does not recogni/e the "riest. He asks the "riest where he is headed, to which the "riest re"lies, EGod knows.E 5he lie!tenant re"lies that God doesn.t know anything, and asks him how he will li&e witho!t any money or any"lace to go. 5he "riest says, &ag!ely, that he will ind some sort o work and the lie!tenant, taking "ity on a man who seems too old to be m!ch o a worker, gi&es him i&e "esos and sends him on his way. 5he "riest tells the lie!tenant that he is a good man, and then lea&es. Analysis 6n a cell !ll o m!rderers and thie&es, it is ironic that it is the "io!s woman who t!rns o!t to be the least admirable ig!re. #ct!ally, this is a classic $hristian story, reminiscent o many stories in the >ew 5estament. #ltho!gh it is not an e%act "arallel by any means, this scene resonates thematically with the gos"el story in which $hrist inter&enes between a mob o sel )righteo!s "eo"le and a woman whom they are abo!t to stone to death or ad!ltery. Bes!s, alarmed at this &iolent dis"lay o sel ) righteo!sness, tells the crowd that only those who are witho!t sin are allowed to condemn her. #s both the $hristian story and this scene in the no&el seem to indicate, hy"ocritical con idence and "ride in one.s own moral rectit!de are in many ways worse than sins o the lesh. #s we saw with the lie!tenant, this woman.s o!trage at the sins o others "re&ents her rom seeing the hy"ocrisy o her own attit!de. 6n many ways, moreo&er, the "io!s woman is the least admirable character in the no&el, worse e&en than the mesti/o and the lie!tenant. #ltho!gh at irst glance, this may seem ridic!lo!s, gi&en the act that the lie!tenant is, or all intents and "!r"oses, a m!rderer and the mesti/o is a conni&ing betrayer, Greene asks !s to think beyond o!r c!stomary sense o good and e&il. 6ndeed, being able to think "ast o!r c!stomary, ingrained ideas is the o&erall theme o this cha"ter. 5he lie!tenant is s!re that he knows e%actly what kind o "erson he is searching or, and he lets the "riest sli" rom his ingers. He is once again ace)to) ace with his target, and he once again ails to recogni/e him as the man he has been searching or. 6n these scenes, Greene seems intent on highlighting the lie!tenant.s blindness. 5he lie!tenant.s attit!de towards "riests is to hate them all indiscriminately

and, as a res!lt, he is !nable to think o them as anything other than stereoty"es. 5his "riest, howe&er, thanks to his long months on the r!n, no longer resembles or beha&es like a stereoty"ical "riest. 5he lie!tenant.s single)minded hatred makes him !nable to adA!st his e%"ectations and, once again, he misses his "rey. #nd, once again, his intense oc!s on achie&ing his goal has made him blind to what sho!ld be most im"ortant. :astly, thro!gh the scene in the Aail cell, Greene asks !s to re)e%amine o!r con&entional notions abo!t where goodness can be o!nd. 5he "riest, as harried, !ncom ortable and seemingly doomed as he is, elatedly eels a sense o solidarity with his ellow "risoners. 5he Aail cell is a meta"hor o sorts or h!man society as a whole. 1oreo&er, the Aail cell indicates that s! ering m!st reach a certain "eak be ore "ositi&e change seems "ossible. Only when the state tightens its gri" most irmly on the "eo"le can they ind a certain strength in brotherhood and common s! ering that allows them to resist the state.s coercion. Part **/ Cha"ter Four 'u##ary Ha&ing le t the ca"ital city, the "riest ret!rns to the +ellows. home to seek hel" rom $oral +ellows, b!t he disco&ers that she and her "arents ha&e abandoned the ho!se. He searches the ho!se and the barn or ood, b!t inds nothing. His sit!ation grows more des"erateC he has no ood, money and no "lace to take shelter, and he knows that the rainy season is a""roaching. 5he only creat!re he inds on the +ellows. "remises is an old, cri""led dog. :ike the ho!se, the dog has been abandoned. He searches the ho!se b!t inds little o interestC em"ty medicine bottles, old homework "a"ers and te%tbooks. B!t when he ret!rns to the kitchen, he inds the dog lying on the loor with a bone beneath its "aws. +amished, he !ses a "iece o wire to strike at the dying dog while he "!lls the bone away rom her. 8romising himsel that he will sa&e some o the meat to gi&e back to the dog, he ends !" eating the whole thing and tossing the eaten)clean bone back to her. :ea&ing the +ellows. homestead, and eeling as i he is in a state o limbo, the "riest inds shelter in a h!t in a &illage. *trangely, the &illage has also been abandoned. Only one woman remains, and the "riest s"ots her l!rking o!tside his h!t. -hen he ste"s o!tside, she disa""ears into the orestD b!t in a short while, a ter he goes back inside, she ret!rns and the "riest reasons that something &al!able m!st be in the h!t in which he is s9!atting. He begins to search the dark h!t with his hands, and e&ent!ally disco&ers a child hidden !nderneath the mai/e. 5he child is wet with blood, riddled with b!llet holes, and A!st moments rom death. 5he woman a""roaches. #n 6ndian, she s"eaks little *"anish, b!t she comm!nicates to the "riest that this &iolence is the work o the gringo, the o!tlaw E#mericano.E *he !nderstands when he tells her that he is a "riest, and, a ter the child dies, she begs him to go with her to a ch!rch to b!ry her son. (o!bt !l that they can ind one, the "riest ne&ertheless agrees to accom"any the woman.

5he two tra&el or miles. On the second day, they come !"on a wide "latea! that is, to the "riest.s ama/ement, co&ered with $hristian crosses. 5he woman brings her child to the tallest cross, to!ches the child to it, and lays her child at its oot. *he begins to "ray, and ignores the "riest.s entreaties to de"art with him be ore an a""roaching storm reaches the "latea!. ?nable to con&ince her to de"art, he lea&es her there, and soon begins to chastise himsel or abandoning her. He is worried that the gringo, who may still be in the area, may come !"on her, and he there ore eels res"onsible or the woman.s sa ety and the gringo.s so!l, reasoning that one sho!ldn.t tem"t a ellow h!man being to commit sin. 5he "riest is beginning to come !ngl!ed at this "ointC he is con !sed, dri ting in and o!t o eelings o g!ilt, "aranoia, and "er&aded with a ree) loating ache that at times seems to be coming rom witho!t, and at other times seems to be coming rom within. He ret!rns to the "latea!, b!t the woman has le t. G!iltily, he eats the s!gar c!be she has le t by the mo!th o her dead child so that i , by some miracle, he awakens rom death he will ha&e some s!stenance to go on li&ing. 5he "riest lea&es the "latea! and thinking that !tility and abandonment lay behind him, tr!dges orward. H!ngry, e%ha!sted, "sychologically wasted, he can eel the li e ebbing rom him. # ter some time, a man with a g!n a""roaches him. -hen asked to identi y himsel , the "riest, no longer concerned abo!t getting ca"t!red by the "olice, gi&es his real name. He st!mbles away and alls against a whitewashed b!ilding on the edge o the orest. B!t the man with the g!n t!rns o!t not to be a "olice o icer at allD instead, he seems ha""y when he learns that the man he is s"eaking with is a "riest, and he tells him that the whitewashed b!ilding is the town ch!rch. 5he "riest has crossed the border into a state where religion is not o!tlawedD he is sa e rom the a!thorities. Analysis 6n this cha"ter, the "riest is in limbo, a word that is as a""ro"riate a descri"tion o his s"irit!al condition as it is o his "hysical s!rro!ndings. 5he cha"ter itsel is more abo!t the e&ocation o a certain brooding, silent, orsaken atmos"here than anything else. B!st as limbo is a state hal way between hea&en and hell, the world the "riest st!mbles into is a world o hal )thingsC the mongrel and the child are hal )dead, the h!t he inds only hal shelters him rom the rain, and it is raining abo!t hal o the time, he can only hal comm!nicate with the woman. +ighting with a dog o&er a scra" o meat, he eels only hal )h!man, and by the time he lea&es the woman, he is only hal )ali&e. 1ore im"ortantly, "erha"s, it is also like limbo in that it is a world o abandonmentC the abandoned ho!se and the abandoned &illage are two &ery ob&io!s and noteworthy e%am"les. 5he old dog has been abandoned by the amily, the "riest inds the child abandoned 3albeit tem"orarily4 in the mai/e, the woman has been abandoned by her amily and her ellow &illagers and he, in t!rn, abandons her on the "latea!. -hen he ret!rns, he inds only the child.s cor"se abandoned at the oot o the cross. 1oreo&er, he abandons the dog and the dead child to the orce o h!nger when he steals the meat o the bone and the s!gar c!be, res"ecti&ely. 6t is also clear that he has abandoned all ho"e o esca"e or s!r&i&al when he reely con esses to the man with the

ri le that he is a "riest. #ll o these details in their consistency and s!btly make or a cha"ter remarkable or its creation o a sense o ading li e and desolation. 6 the "riest were in limbo, then crossing the border into a sa e ha&en wo!ld seem to indicate a mo&ement o!t o limbo and into "aradise. -e will ha&e to wait !ntil the ne%t cha"ter to ind o!t i this is the case, b!t we already know eno!gh abo!t Greene to s!s"ect that he is !nlikely to let his "rotagonist ind any kind o tr!e "aradise on earth. 5he e"isode with the m!rdered boy is signi icant beca!se it allows !s to ha&e a glim"se o the real s! ering and sorrow the gringo has ca!sed. 5he lie!tenant romantici/es the gringo in the early "art o the no&el. 5he g!nslinger, the cowboy, the o!tlaw@he is a ty"e we are all amiliar with, the s!bAect o many mo&ies and no&els. Greene here shows !s the bloody and hate !l conse9!ences o s!ch a "erson.s lawlessness. Once again, Greene "ro&okes the reader to think beyond con&entional ty"es and to con ront the !gly reality beneath. B!t Greene himsel walks something o a ine line. #s we ha&e disc!ssed earlier in relation to the "io!s woman, he seems to arg!e that sins s!ch as "ride and com"lacency are in some ways worse than sins o "assion. #nd while this still may be Greene.s "oint, he has to be care !l not to minimi/e or tri&iali/e the real s! ering in licted by egregio!s, &iolent, e%treme actions. *howing the bloody in ant and the s! ering mother hel"s to 9!ali y his "oint somewhat, that negati&ely moti&ated "assions may indeed be A!st as re"rehensible@i not more so@ than a"athy and com"lacency. Part ***/ Cha"ter One 'u##ary 5he "riest sits on a &eranda with 1r. :ehr and his sister, 1iss :ehr, two German) #merican 8rotestants li&ing in 1e%ico. -ell)rested and com ortable, the "riest has been staying with the :ehr.s or a ew days, reco&ering his strength. 5he :ehr.s disa""ro&e o $atholicism, belie&ing it to be too l!%!rio!s and mired in EinessentialsE, s!ch as rit!als and ceremonies. 5aking a bath in the ri&er, the "riest chastises himsel or la"sing back into Eidleness,E a sense o g!ilt he eels ac!tely when he com"ares the ease o his li e at the :ehr.s ho!se with the misery and hardshi" o the "risoners, the mesti/o, and Brigida. :ater that day the "riest walks into the town where he meets &illagers who are o&erAoyed to ha&e him with them. He thinks abo!t how di erent this welcome is rom the chilly rece"tions he has become !sed to recei&ing. 5here has not been a "riest in town or three years, and the towns"eo"le are eager to ha&e someone to ba"ti/e their babies and hear their con essions. # woman bargains with the "riest o&er what he will charge or the ba"tisms, agreeing on one "eso i ty "er child. He can eel the old ways and his ormer habits ret!rning to him. # ter drinking a glass o brandy with a local barkee" the "riest thinks that it is a""alling that he can so easily go back to his old ways and he wonders whether God, who can orgi&e cowardice and "assion, can also orgi&e the "io!s h!man.s bad habits. B!t he contin!es drinking. 6n an act o

s"ontaneo!s generosity, he tells someone to in orm the "eo"le that he will charge only one "eso or the ba"tisms. :ater, listening to the con essions o the towns"eo"le, the "riest is str!ck at how r!n)o )the)mill their sins are, and eels !nable to be "artic!larly enco!raging or interested in them. He makes a ew attem"ts to "ro&oke "eo"le o!t o their sense o com"lacency, b!t to no a&ail. 5he res!lt is only !rther eelings o ail!re and !nworthiness on his "art. 5he ne%t day the "riest "re"ares to ride o to a larger city, :as $asas. +irst he says mass, and eels "artic!larly contem"tible doing so. E&en tho!gh he has esca"ed danger, he has not esca"ed the sin and the shame he carries with him. -hen he goes to where his m!les are waiting, he inds a amiliar ig!re waiting or him as well. 6t is the mesti/o, who has ollowed him into the state to tell him that the gringo has been badly wo!nded in a shooto!t with "olice and is asking or someone to come to hear his con ession be ore he dies. 5he gringo, o co!rse, is on the other side o the border, and or the "riest to go see him wo!ld be to "!t himsel in harm.s way once again. 5he "riest knows he is walking into a tra", b!t, a ter some time debating with the mesti/o, decides that he will ret!rn to absol&e the dying man. 6t is his d!ty, he reasons, and besides, he does not belie&e that he can really ind "eace in :as $asas or anywhere in this state. He will "!t his neck in the mesti/o.s noose. On his way o!t o town, the "riest donates the money he has recei&ed rom the ba"tisms to the schoolteacher, telling the mesti/o that he is well aware that, where he is going, he won.t need money. Analysis 6nitially, we may eel s!r"rised at how dee" the "riest.s sense o shame is when, rom the &ery beginning, the "riest eels g!ilty or the com"lacency that sets in at the :ehr.s ho!se. 1aybe we eel he is A!dging himsel a little too harshly. # ter all, he has been thro!gh a trying ordeal, and has been resting or only a ew short days. 8l!s, while li e in this town is certainly a lot easier than it was in all the other towns he has been in, it is ar rom l!%!rio!s. (oes he really need to eel g!ilty o&er taking a bathG #ltho!gh it is hard to know e%actly how harshly Greene means or !s to A!dge the "eo"le in this town, it seems that he is less interested in skewering "eo"le like the :ehr.s than in showing A!st how m!ch the "riest has changed as a res!lt o his months o hardshi". #ltho!gh he is still ar rom "er ect@di""ing into his old habits@this "riest has become a tr!ly e%traordinary man, and the constant lamentations he makes o&er his own !nworthiness are meant to show the mark o tr!e h!mility. -hen the mesti/o a""roaches, the choice be ore him is clearC "hysical sal&ation &ers!s s"irit!al sal&ation. 6t takes him some time to decide to t!rn his m!le aro!nd, b!t, in the end, the "riest knows what he m!st doC E5he oddest thing o all was that he elt 9!ite cheer !lC he had ne&er really belie&ed in this "eace.E 5hro!gho!t the cha"ter, the iss!e o money rec!rs again and again. 5he "riest.s changing attit!de towards money becomes a barometer o sorts, indicating his changing attit!de toward the world itsel . He needs money to li&e, so when he initially sticks irm at one "eso i ty, it is !nderstandable, i not "artic!larly admirable. -hen he s!ddenly decided to dro" his rate to one "eso, we can see that it is animated by a tr!e

sense o decency and concern or what is air. B!t it is still a hal )meas!re, since it indicates that the "riest contin!es to make "lans or making a home or himsel in this world, charging money or "er orming what it is his d!ty to "er orm. 6t is only when he gi&es all the money away that he has gi&en himsel o&er entirely to his aith. # ter all, Bes!s teaches in the >ew 5estament that to be sa&ed one m!st be "re"ared to gi&e !" all o one.s earthly "ossessions and gi&e them to the "oor. Once again, abandonment is the key term. 5he "riest, in abandoning the money, abandons the world, and, in t!rn, abandons himsel to God. 5he iss!e o money and the $atholic $h!rch is ob&io!sly an im"ortant one or this book and, in this cha"ter, Greene has his "rotagonist nearly r!n the gam!t o "riestly attit!des towards worldly wealthC rom com"lacency, to 9!ali ied generosity, to saintliness. 6n doing so, he also r!ns the gam!t rom the real to the ideal, showing what $hristians are called to do, while re raining rom too harshly condemning what most o them do instead. Part ***/ Cha"ters Two2Three 'u##ary On the Ao!rney back, the mesti/o contin!es to arg!e that he is not leading the "riest into a tra", while the "riest gently indicates that he is not going to be ooled by the mesti/o.s trans"arent lies. >earing a cl!ster o h!ts where the gringo is s!""osed to be, the "riest dismisses the m!le dri&er, to the consternation o the mesti/o. 5he "riest is not angry with his treachero!s com"anion. 6nstead, the "riest laments the act that the mesti/o is b!rdening himsel with s!ch a grie&o!s sin by in&ol&ing himsel in his m!rder. 5he "riest illed with ner&o!s im"atience, and with the com"laining mesti/o in tow, h!rries towards the h!t. He has a drink o brandy to lend him co!rage. -hen they reach the h!t, the gringo is, indeed, inside, and in bad sha"e. He is not the menacing o!tlaw ig!re o the wanted "osters. 6nstead, the dying man looks like an ordinary tram". -hen the "riest draws near, the gringo twice tells him to Ebeat it.E 5he "riest "ersists, trying to get the gringo to h!rry !" and con ess his sins be ore it is too late. 5he gringo, meanwhile, con&inced that he is damned, is not interested in con essing his sins and only e%horts the "riest to get o!t o the h!t as soon as he can, be ore the a!thorities arri&e. He o ers the "riest his g!n, which the "riest re !ses. 5he "riest contin!es to !rge the gringo to re"ent and con ess, b!t to no a&ail. +inally the gringo dies. # &oice comes rom the doorway asking i he has inished. 6t is the lie!tenant, who has now tra""ed the "riest. 5he "riest aces his enemy with resignation. He thanks the lie!tenant or allowing him time to s"eak with the dying man. 5he lie!tenant re"lies, E6 am not a barbarian.E Beca!se it is raining too hard to set o!t or the ca"ital city where the "riest will be tried, the lie!tenant "!lls !" a crate and lights a candle and the two men begin to talk inside the h!t. 5he lie!tenant &ag!ely recogni/es the "riest, who tells the lie!tenant abo!t their two "re&io!s meetings, at the &illage and in the "olice station. 5he lie!tenant tells the "riest that he des"ises the ch!rch beca!se it e%"loits the "oor and, to his s!r"rise, the "riest agrees with him. 5he "riest says that there is m!ch he

and the lie!tenant agree !"onC both seem to belie&e that the world is a corr!"t "lace, and that it.s di ic!lt to be tr!ly ha""y !nless yo! are some kind o saint. 5he lie!tenant kee"s looking to "ick an arg!ment, b!t, to his r!stration, the "riest always admits that, indeed, he is a lawed, weak "erson. He tells him why he decided to remain in the state a ter all the other "riests had led, attrib!ting it not to co!rage b!t to &anity. He says that he was, !n ort!nately, "ride !l, and that he wanted to stay to show that he was a good man. # man enters the h!t to in orm the lie!tenant that the storm has "assed, and the men "re"are to embark on the tri". 5he "riest says goodbye to the mesti/o, re !sing to bless the !nre"entant man, b!t saying that he will "ray or the mesti/o.s so!l. Analysis 5his cha"ter highlights signi icant di erences between the "riest and the lie!tenant. #ltho!gh the "riest is allowed to &isit with the dying man, the gringo re !ses to re"ent and once again, as they ha&e so many times be ore in this no&el, the "riest.s e orts ail. #t the same time, howe&er, the lietenant s!cceeds in tra""ing his "rey, the "riest. B!t the sit!ation raises an e%tremely signi icant "oint. 5hat is, the "riest ails based on one de inition o ail!re, which is to all short o attaining one.s goal. B!t, in a dee"er sense, the "riest has s!cceeded, and s!cceeded brilliantly. #ltho!gh he may not ha&e been able to "er orm the d!ty he came to "er orm, he was oc!sed on doing the right thing at all times. #ltho!gh in their con&ersation, the "riest and the lie!tenant ind that they in act ha&e m!ch in common, one incredibly im"ortant di erence is highlighted hereC thro!gho!t the no&el, the lie!tenant single) mindedly "!rs!es his goal, while the "riest has di ic!lty e&en deciding what his goals sho!ld be. -hile the "riest has been obsessed with his own !nworthiness, he has, by and large, ended !" making the right choices. 6n contrast, the lie!tenant has been incredibly con ident in his righteo!sness and has committed some rather horri ic acts. Here, by the end, it is clear that the "riest has learned something that the lie!tenant hasn.tC one m!st act always with good intentions, e&en i one knows that those actions are doomed to ail!re. 5he act that the world is im"er ect and almost im"ossible to change is not a reason to gi&e !". 7ather, the world.s inherent im"er ection is a reason to adA!st one.s mindset, to t!rn one.s attention to whether one is a good "erson, not whether one.s actions are necessarily the most e ecti&e ones. 5his is what he means when he tells the lie!tenantC E5hat.s another di erence between !s. 6t.s no good yo!r working or yo!r end !nless yo!.re a good man yo!rsel . #nd there won.t always be good men in yo!r "arty.E 1oreo&er, the lie!tenant.s words gi&e credence to the "riest.s criticism. -hen he in orms the "riest that he will be taken back to the ca"ital city to be tried, he says, E6 am not a barbarian. Ho! will be triedJ"ro"erly.E O co!rse, e&eryone knows that there will not be a E"ro"erE trial. 5he lie!tenant.s own sense o honor "rom"ts him to tell the "riest that he will not be treated !n airly, b!t the "a!se in his s"eech, indicated by an elli"se in the te%t, hints that he recogni/es the allacio!s nat!re o what he is saying.

5he lie!tenant himsel may be a good man, b!t the mo&ement he belongs to is one that will not make good on his "romises o airness and A!stice. Part ***/ Cha"ter Four 'u##ary # ter dark, the lie!tenant tra&els to 8adre Bose.s ho!se to ask him to come to the "olice station. 8adre Bose.s irst reaction is ear. He ass!mes that the "olice o icer is there to arrest him or some "ercei&ed in raction. His wi e wakes !" and begins to arg!e or her h!sband.s innocence. 5he lie!tenant in orms them that he is wanted at the station to hear the con ession o the "riest who is to be e%ec!ted the ne%t day. #ltho!gh 8adre Bose eels "ity or the condemned "riest, his wi e orbids him to go, belie&ing the lie!tenant is trying to trick them. *he arg!es that the "riest is a dr!nkard, and not worth the tro!ble. 8adre Bose makes a eeble attem"t to arg!e with his wi e abo!t his d!ty, b!t she merely mocks him, and he tells the lie!tenant that he cannot go with him. 5he lie!tenant ret!rns to the "olice station and in orms the "riest o the bad news. 5he "riest eels !tterly abandoned. *howing remarkable and "erha"s !ne%"ected com"assion, the lie!tenant gi&es the "riest a bottle o brandy, ho"ing that it will hel" to ease his ears. 7et!rning to his desk, the lie!tenant eels de"ressed, as i his li e has now lost its "!r"ose. 5he "riest, taking swigs o brandy on the loor o his cell, tries to make a solitary con ession. He inds he cannot re"ent, howe&er, and "rays to God to sa&e his da!ghter. Once again, he chastises himsel or his "artiality to the girl, belie&ing that he o!ght to eel that kind o intense lo&e or e&ery "erson on earth. He tries to "ray or others, b!t his tho!ghts ret!rn to his da!ghter. He thinks himsel an !tter ail!re. 7e lecting on the eight years he has s"ent r!nning rom the law, he cringes at the tho!ght o how little he accom"lished. He begins to think abo!t the "ain that is in store or him, and wonders i it isn.t too late or him to reno!nce his "riesthood like 8adre Bose. He has a dream in which he inds himsel eating at a large table in a cathedral, waiting or the best dish to be ser&ed and "aying no heed to the ceremony that is taking "lace in ront o him. -hen he awakes, it is morning and the eeling o ho"e that was instilled in him by his dream disa""ears when he sees the "rison yard. O&erwhelmed by a eeling o disa""ointment, he no longer worries abo!t the state o his so!l. He can only eel regret o&er his missed o""ort!nities in li e, and the act that he is going to meet God Eem"ty)handed.E Analysis 5he identities o the characters in the no&el begin to shi t in this cha"ter. 5he law !l lie!tenant himsel breaks the law twice in this cha"ter, trying to sneak 8adre Bose into the Aail cell to hear the "riest.s con ession, and then deli&ering the condemned man a bottle o contraband brandy. $om"assion or a h!man being and a ormer enemy has led him to &iolate the laws he has sworn to !"hold. 8adre Bose may ha&e reno!nced the "riesthood, b!t in this cha"ter it is the lie!tenant.s decision to betray his own order

that is most signi icant. His actions testi y to the e ect the "riest has had on him, and indicate that e&en this /ealo!s lie!tenant, who was ormerly so !ll o hatred, is ca"able o change and s"irit!al regeneration. 5he ha"less 8adre Bose is ca!ght between two incom"atible identities in this cha"terC the "riest in him knows it is d!ty to go to the "olice station, b!t his m!ch more orce !l wi e inally brings her h!sband to heel, sco ing at the notion that he is still a "riest. #ltho!gh he ob&io!sly doesn.t admire 8adre Bose.s s"inelessness, Greene de"icts him as more o a broken, "athetic "erson than as an indi erent or cold)hearted one. 5he "riest.s 9!alms o&er his im"ending e%ec!tion are e%tremely signi icant, showing that Greene re !ses to t!rn his "rotagonist into a sim"le hero. 5he "riest dis"layed remarkable co!rage in ret!rning to the gringo !lly aware o what he was acing. Here, howe&er, Greene again de"icts the "riest.s wa&ering tho!ghts, his sel )do!bt and his ear, "re erring a lawed, noble hero to an ideali/ed model o "er ect co!rage. 5he "riest contin!es to berate himsel or lo&ing his da!ghter so m!ch, a res"onse that makes him a m!ch more sym"athetic and h!man character. #ltho!gh the "riest.s waking tho!ghts are sel )critical and mired, as e&er, in his "ast sin !lness, his dream seems to re"resent his breaking beyond the con&entions o his old li e. He awaits the inal dish, which "res!mably symboli/es the reward he will recei&e in hea&en. His ignoring the mass in ront o him co!ld s!ggest that he is mo&ing beyond the ch!rch, beyond the ceremonies and rit!als to a more direct comm!nion with God. ?"on seeing the "rison yard again a ter he awakes, his ear ret!rns and we see that he has not yet broken ree o the cares and an%ieties and im"er ections o this world. B!t, he is no longer concerned with the state o his so!l, howe&er. #ll he can do is regret the mistakes and missed o""ort!nities o his li e, and wish he co!ld go to God a more Es!ccess !lE h!man being. 5his is, o co!rse, tr!e h!mility, and we sense that he is going to God with 9!ite a lot. Here es"ecially, with the inter"olation o the dream, we are aware o the discre"ancy between the "riest.s sel )conce"tion and Greene.s attit!de towards him. 5his ga" has grown wider as the book has "rogressed and the "riest has contin!ed to berate himsel while acting nobly and sel lessly. He may not consider himsel a hero, b!t he has made the most o the o""ort!nities or heroism that Greene a ords him. Part *3 'u##ary 1rs. +ellows lays sick in bed with a handkerchie o&er her ace and $a"tain +ellows tends to her needs. >otably absent rom the scene is $oral +ellows, who has died, and her "arents both go to great "ains not to mention her. 1rs. +ellows is eager to mo&e back home, b!t her h!sband, s!ddenly de iant, says he re !ses to lea&e. # ter his wi e begins to cry, he relents. 5hey begin to talk abo!t the "riest who &isited them all those months ago.

1r. 5ench, the dentist, treats his "atient, the Ae e, whose teeth are in a &ery bad state o decay. #s he works, 5ench s"eaks abo!t his wi e, rom whom he has !ne%"ectedly recei&ed a letter. *he writes that she has o!nd religion, and has orgi&en him. :ooking o!t the window, 5ench sees a iring s9!ad "re"aring to e%ec!te a man in the co!rtyard. 6t is, o co!rse, the "riest. 5ench watches as they swi tly shoot the man. He seems to try to yell something o!t be ore he dies, b!t it comes o!t garbled and 5ench thinks he said something like Ee%c!se.E *oon the man is a hea" against the wall and the o icers drag his cor"se away. 5ench, o&erwhelmed by a eeling o loneliness a ter witnessing the e%ec!tion, &ows that he will lea&e 1e%ico or good. # woman inishes the story o B!an the yo!ng martyr, who aces death with com"lete co!rage, sho!ting, EHail $hrist the ;ingKE as the s9!ad in the story raises their ri les. 5he boy asks whether the man the "olice shot today is a martyr o the $h!rch like B!an, and his mother tells him that he is indeed a great hero. 5he boy becomes des"ondent thinking that since the "olice ha&e killed the last "riest, there are no more heroes le t in the realm. :ooking o!t the window, he sees the lie!tenant "ass, and s"its at him. 5hat night, the boy has a dream abo!t the "riest. He dreams that the man is laid o!t sti ly, as at a !neral. -hile the boy is watching him, the "riest winks at him. -aking !", he hears a knock at the door and goes to answer it. He meets a stranger who tells him that he is a "riest on the r!n rom the a!thorities, and the boy o"ens the door or him. Analysis On some le&el, this cha"ter is meant to re)establish a sense o "ers"ecti&e, to em"hasi/e that the story is no longer abo!t one man.s str!ggle with himsel and with his enemies, b!t abo!t his im"act on those aro!nd him. +ittingly, there ore, ha&ing ollowed the "riest or so long, his inal day is re"orted to !s only indirectly, as it is registered in the minds o others. -e watch the e%ec!tion o the "riest rom 1r. 5ench.s "ers"ecti&e. 5he "riest.s li e is o&er, b!t the str!ggle against the state, and against the orces o "ersec!tion, goes on. He does not die with heroic lo!rish and de iance, and the no&el.s distant "ers"ecti&e on the scene only em"hasi/es this act. -e see him only as a &ery small ig!re, dying 9!ickly in a hea" against the wall. On some le&el, there ore, Greene seems to be arg!ing that the kind o &aliant inal gest!re we associate with heroes is not what is im"ortant, and not what tr!ly de ines a hero. One ob&io!s 9!estion is why does Greene ha&e the "riest.s last word be Ee%c!seE, or, at least, something that so!nds like Ee%c!se.E #ltho!gh it is im"ossible to say or certain what the "riest was trying to con&ey, the word is ne&ertheless !ll o "ossible meanings. +irst, it is signi icant beca!se e%c!ses are one thing the "riest ne&er allowed himsel to make. Or is Ee%c!seE a &erbG 6s the "riest asking or God to e%c!se him and his !nworthy so!lG Or is he, in a inal act o orgi&eness, asking or God to e%c!se those who ha&e "ersec!ted and e%ec!ted him. 6ts &ery ambig!ity "ro&okes !s to t!rn o&er "ossible meanings and, there ore, think more abo!t the "riest and his story.

6t is striking that at the end o the no&el we ind all the e%"atriates leeing the state, and that their light coincides with the e%ec!tion o the last remaining "riest, b!t com"ared with the others, only 1r. 5ench seems to ha&e made a signi icant im"ro&ement in his o!tlook. His light seems to re"resent a irst, tentati&e ste" towards gi&ing his li e some sense o direction, and Greene makes it clear that his brie enco!nter with the "riest had some kind o lasting im"act !"on him. 1r. 5ench, a""alled by the sight o the "riest.s e%ec!tion and ob&io!sly stirred in some way by his wi e.s letter, decides that he will lea&e 1e%ico or good. 6n the "re&io!s cha"ter, the "riest des"aired abo!t ha&ing to ret!rn to God Eem"ty)handedE, b!t it is e&ident rom this scene that he made more o an im"act on "eo"le than he reali/ed. 5he "riest.s "ositi&e in l!ence becomes e&en more ob&io!s in the book.s inal e"isode. 5he "riest.s e%ec!tion has made the "riest a martyr in the yo!ng boy.s eyes and, to his mind, the state has taken away the last hero in the land. 5he "riest and the lie!tenant !nknowingly &ied thro!gho!t this no&el or the boy.s so!l, and the boy now makes it clear that he has chosen to em!late the "riest not the lie!tenant when he s"its at the lie!tenant in disg!st. 5he s"irit o de iance, !eled by the "riest.s sacri ice, li&es on. 5he boy.s dream o the dead "riest lickering his eyelids is a kind o mini)res!rrection scene. 6ndeed, the dream itsel is an indication that the "riest.s e%am"le and his in l!ence ha&e transcended his death. #nd in the book.s inal scene, a man known sim"ly as Ethe strangerE knocks at the boy.s door. 5he book has come !ll circleC another !nnamed "riest has emerged rom the shadows to de y the state by remaining among the "eo"le. 5he lie!tenant, by attem"ting to stam" o!t religion, has only hel"ed it to take root more irmly in the land. 4ey Facts
F0LL T*TL) A0T.O+

L The Power and the Glor

L Graham Greene L >o&el

T1P) OF 5O+4 !),+)

L 7ealist no&elD no&el o s"irit!al de&elo"mentD saint.s li e L English L 1902M9, 1e%ico and :ondon L 1909

LA,!0A!)

T*M) A,( PLAC) 5+*TT),

(AT) OF F*+'T P0BL*CAT*O, P0BL*'.)+ ,A++ATO+

L 5he 'iking 8ress L #nonymo!s

L 5he narrator s"eaks in the third "erson and re"orts the characters. tho!ghts and sel )analysis b!t only rarely o ers his own o"inions. He "rimarily gi&es !s an acco!nt o the "riest.s actions and tho!ghts.
PO*,T OF 3*)5

L 5he narrator is earnest and altho!gh he !s!ally withholds his e%"licit o"inion abo!t the "riest, the arrangement o the "lot im"lies a sense o res"ect and admiration or him.
TO,) T),')

L 8ast tense L 1e%ico d!ring the 1900.s L $hia"as, 1e%ico

')TT*,! 6T*M)7

')TT*,! 6PLAC)7 P+OTA!O,*'T

L 5he last "riest in the state, on the r!n rom the a!thorities

L 5he "riest is trying to e&ade ca"t!re by the "olice and str!ggling internally with his own sense o sin !lness and !nworthiness.
MAJO+ CO,FL*CT

L 5he "riest mo&es rom &illage to &illage trying to esca"e rom the lie!tenant and his men. #n !ntr!stworthy man, known as the mesti/o, learns his tr!e identity and begins working with the "olice to ca"t!re him. # ter a ew &ery close calls with the "olice incl!ding being arrested or sm!ggling, the "riest inally esca"es danger and makes his way across the border and o!t o the reach o the a!thorities.
+*'*,! ACT*O,

L 5he "riest, knowing he is walking into a tra" set by the mesti/o, decides to ret!rn to the state to hear the con ession o a dying man and is ca"t!red by the lie!tenant.
CL*MA8

L 5he "riest and the lie!tenant inally ace one another and disc!ss their di erencesD the "riest is bro!ght back to the ca"ital city where he is e%ec!tedD
FALL*,! ACT*O,

L 5he dangers o e%cessi&e idealismD the dis"arity between re"resentation and realityD the interrelated nat!re o so)called o""ositesD the "arado% o $hristian h!mility
T.)M)' MOT*F'

L #nimalsD hal )thingsD abandonment L #lcoholD $hristian symbolismD children

'1MBOL'

L #lmost immediately !"on meeting him, the "riest calls the mesti/o EB!dasE, antici"ating the role he will in act "lay in the "riest.s storyD the girl singing on the boat at the concl!sion o the irst cha"ter does not know why she is so ha""y, oreshadowing the !neasy nat!re o ha""iness and the act that most o the characters in the no&el will be riddled with tro!bles.
FO+)'.A(O5*,!

Important Quotations Explained

1- That was another mystery: it sometimes seemed to him that venial sinsimpatience, an unimportant lie, pride, a neglected opportunitycut off from grace more completely than the worst sins of all. Then, in his innocence, he had felt no love for anyone: now in his corruption he had learnt

This quotation, from Chapter Three of Part II, is striking because of the way it sets up familiar contrasts only to rethink and rework them. 'Venial' sins, what we

normally think of as very minor wrongs, are here suggested to be the very worst kinds of failing. Greene suggests that venial sins can pass unnoticed in people's day-to-day lives, and can add upif unrepented for and unacknowledgedcausing a kind of slow deadening of one's spirit. Greene then indicates that even though venial sins are worse, the people who commit them are actually more "innocent", presumably because they are unaware of how far they have really drifted from goodness. Interestingly it is actually in his "corruption" that the priest learns how to feel love. Greene's attitudes towards matters such as sin, innocence and grace are extremely important and also extremely complicated.

2) NHeat stood in the room like an enemy. But he believed against the evidence of his senses in the cold empty ether spaces. A radio was playing somewhere: music from Mexico City, or perhaps even from London or New York filtered into this obscure neglected state. It seemed to him like a weakness: this was his own land, and he would have walled it in with steel if he could, until he had eradicated from it everything which reminded him of how it had once appeared to a miserable child. He wanted to destroy everything: to be alone without any memories at all.

This is a compelling portrait of the lieutenant from the second chapter of Part I, emphasizing his belief in emptiness. Interestingly, the narrator says that he believed "against the evidence of his senses", implying that the lieutenant, on some level, has to have faith, even if it is faith in purposelessness. Belief in nothing, like any belief, requires one to accept something that cannot necessarily be proven. Furthermore, it is significant that his enemies in this scene are warmth and music things that sustain life and lend it beauty. As seen by the end of the quotation, where the key words are "steel", "eradicated," and "destroy," the lieutenant's wishes and beliefs, although springing from noble sentiments, are filled with violence and the denial of life.

3- One mustn't have human affectionsor rather one must love every soul as if it were
one's own child. The passion to protect must extend itself over a worldbut he felt it tethered and aching like a hobbling animal to the tree trunk. He turned his mule south.

This quote, from Chapter One of Part II, very nicely illustrates the fine line that exists between the desire for spiritual perfection and the possibility that the attainment of that perfection is inhuman. The priest feels guilt about how much love he has for his daughter, wishing that he had the selflessness to love all members of the human race without partiality. Even if he doesn't recognize it, however, we realize that the priest's love for his daughterwhile perhaps not the all-embracing love he seeksis one of the most admirable, praiseworthy and human responses he has to almost anything in the novel. This is an implicit question throughout the novel and one that Greene himself perhaps doesn't have the answer to: to what extent are humans obliged to break free from ordinary, habitual responses and

seek something loftier, and when is it better to accept one's fallible human nature as it is? The quote is also interesting for the "hobbling animal" metaphor it employs. The metaphor evinces despair over the local, limited nature of his love by comparing it to a creature that cannot move at all, but the priest then "turned his mule south." That is, he moves much more slowly across the landscape than he imagines he should, but he is still moving. Greene subtly shows us the slight, but important, discrepancy between the priest's self-conception and what he really does.

4- "He dreamed that the priest whom they had shot that morning was back in the house
dressed in the clothes his father had lent him and laid out stiffly for burial. The boy sat beside the bed and his mother read out of a very long book all about how the priest had acted in front of the bishop the part of Julius Caesar: there was a fish basket at her feet, and the fish were bleeding, wrapped in her handkerchief. He was very bored and very tired and somebody was hammering nails into a coffin in the passage. Suddenly the dead priest winked at himan unmistakable flicker of the eyelid, just like that.

In the novel's final chapter, Greene depicts the reactions of various people to the priest's execution. Fittingly, he ends with the young boy. Extremely significant here is the way Greene weaves imagery of Jesus Christ into the boy's dream. "Julius Caesar" of course, besides being another victim of betrayal and murder, has the same initials "J.C." Notice also the mention of baskets of fish, feet and bleeding, references to both the wedding feast of Cana, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and the crucifixion. The "resurrection" here is much less dramatic, but still significant: the priest flickers his eyelids, implying that he has returned to life after his execution. In fact, the priest has attained a kind of resurrection primarily because his image and his example remain in the boy's mind after the priest dies

<) (The lieutenant said in a tone of fury: "Well, you're going to be a martyryou've got that satisfaction." "Oh, no. Martyrs are not like me. They don't think all the timeif I had drunk more brandy I shouldn't be so afraid."

In this interchange between the lieutenant and the priest in Chapter Three of Part III, the priest's retort voices an idea that has been implicit throughout the novel that thinking and true holiness are somehow opposed to each other. As a kind of snare, thought is something we have seen in many places in this book. While most stories of saints and martyrs are stories of action, defiance, heroism, and conviction, the priest's story is one of introspection, self-doubt, self-abuse, anxiety, and uncertainty. Considered from a different perspective, however, the priest's thoughts do not prevent him from doing goodin fact, in many ways, it is his tendency toward second- thoughts that lead him to make the right decisions. Although his relentless introspection may keep him from being a purely spontaneous agent of goodness, thought ultimately helps him to overcome many of

his selfish instincts, including the instinct for self-preservation. His self-sacrificing actions combined with his constant soul-searching ultimately make him seem a martyr to everyone but himself.

O!estionsC 1. (isc!ss the signi icance o naming with s"eci ic re erence to the namelessness o the "riest. # name is what hel"s to de ine a "erson or gi&e a "erson a sense o identity. 6t is telling, there ore, that the "rotagonist o the no&el is re erred to as Ethe whiskey "riestE or sim"ly as Ethe "riest.E E-hiskey "riestE seems to de ine him in terms o weakness, something he tends to do himsel thro!gho!t the no&el. E5he "riestE rein orces the idea that, as the last remaining "riest in the state, he in many ways re"resents the "riesthood itsel . +!rthermore, a name has a social !nctionC it allows other "eo"le to re er to yo! or to call yo!. 6t can be said with a ection. 5he "riest.s lack o a name indicates how c!t o rom other "eo"le he is. :astly, or the maAority o the no&el, the "riest is !ns!re o who he is, where he belongs or what he o!ght to do with himsel , and this !ncertainty is re lected in his lack o a name. -hile it at irst seems that his lack o irm de inition is a negati&e as"ect o his character, it is what allows him to change so m!ch and become the estimable, e&en saintly, "erson he is by the no&el.s close

2. #ltho!gh this is a story abo!t a s"irit!al Ao!rney, Greene.s "rotagonist doesn.t mo&e rom a beginning "lace to an ending "lace, b!t seems instead to contin!ally circle back and re&isit "laces he has already seen. -hy do yo! think Greene chose to str!ct!re his no&el in this wayG

On one le&el, the &isiting and re&isiting str!ct!re lends a sense o entra"ment to the no&el. 5he state in which the no&el is set is a kind o snare and by ha&ing the "riest circle aro!nd within it, rather than mo&e on a straight "ath thro!gh it, hel"s to lend the work a sense o con inement. 5he str!ct!re also "ertains to the "riest.s inner condition, which, or the maAority o the no&el, seems more akin to wandering and con !sion than to orward)looking, goal) oriented moment!m. 5he "riest is ca!ght within his own tho!ghts, constantly re&isiting mistakes rom the "ast and EdwellingE in "laces he has already been. B!t on some le&el, the instances o circling)back mark "rogress o a di erent kind. -hen the "riest ret!rns to the ca"ital city the narrator says, E5his was the town to which it had been his ambition to be "romoted.E He is a di erent man now, and words like EambitionE and E"romotionE mean little to him anymore.

0) 6s this no&el an allegoryG -hy or why not. #llegory, a genre in which the inner condition o characters is re"resented by or re lected in their e%ternal en&ironment, is o ten em"loyed in literat!re o s"irit!al de&elo"ment. B!nyan.s Pilgrim)s Progress and *"enser.s The 'aerie #ueene are "erha"s the two most signi icant allegorical works in English literat!re, and they both are abo!t the 9!est or s"irit!al "er ection. Greene.s work is allegorical in the sense that the e%ternal en&ironment seems at times to mirror the inner condition o the characters. 5his is es"ecially noticeable in $ha"ter +o!r o 8art 66, where the e%ha!sted "riest seems to st!mble into an e%ha!sted world, and the loneliness and des"ondency he eels within him are mirrored in the abandoned ho!se and &illage he comes !"on. #llegorical ig!res are also o ten Ety"esED that is, the hero o Pilgrim)s Progress is called, sim"ly, $hristian beca!se he is meant to re"resent a ty"ical $hristian. 5he "riest, the last one in his land, also inds himsel to be a re"resentati&e o his kind. B!t Greene 9!estions whether he is a ty"ical "riest or a ty"ical saint. Greene endows him with eno!gh indi&id!ality to make it hard to &iew him sim"ly as a ty"e. #llegory is an abstract kind o literat!re that is interested mainly in conce"ts, and not in the inner li e o characters. Greene is too interested in re"resenting the harsh te%t!re o reality, and s!btle shadings o h!man emotion to in&est his work too hea&ily in the world o symbols and ideas. *o, while there are certainly allegorical eat!res and what yo! might e&en call an Eallegorical atmos"hereE abo!t the book, it is "robably not acc!rate to call this work an allegory.