an essay response to The Power and the Glory
A literary technique that many authors use in order to get their point across is comparing their novel to another historical event in time. Readers have an easier time comprehending the author's message when they are able to compare it to a well-known story. In the novel, The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene uses the Passion, from the New Testament, as an extended metaphor, parallel to the main character and other events that happen around him. He uses Christ, the disciples and many other figures from the Passion as a comparison to show that even though man is flawed and Christ is not, we are still capable of having convictions and making decisions.
When a man commits to a life of priesthood, he holds many responsibilities, such as staying pure. He is not able to get married, have children or be involved in any relationship that extends that of friendship. In the whisky priest's situation, he has defied many of these restrictions, one being having a brief relationship with a woman named Maria. As a result, Maria becomes pregnant and has a daughter named Brigitta. Years later, the priest finds out the news and is unable to control his emotions; he is both terrified and surprised. Naturally, as a father, the priest has love for Brigitta, yet he knows how offending it is for him to have a child. To comfort himself, he drinks brandy and reflects upon all of the mistakes he has made over the years. The whisky priest has made many wrong decisions in his life, Maria and Brigitta representing just a portion of his sin and pain. Originally, people looked upon priests as role models, advisers and heroes, but in this novel, the priest is the polar opposite: he is hated. The priest lives and breathes in a land of unbelievers -- continuously going against the people's visions and expectations of a priest.
As a parallel to the Passion, the priest, without a doubt, represents Christ. Surrounded by a communist population, he is the one of the only Christian figures around and is prominent because he is a believer. Jesus never sinned but in order to take on the sins of others, was tried, mocked and crucified for having faith in his message. The priest is also ridiculed for performing mass and occasionally participating in confession, which shows that he has a passion for his convictions. In 2 Corinthians, it reads that "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Although he has admitted to many wrong doings, Greene places the priest in a country of unbelievers in order to have him stand out as a Christ figure. The Whisky Priest is risking his life for what he strongly believes in, God and Christianity, and does not let anyone stop him or stand in his way.
Although this book makes multiple parallel connections to the story of the Passion, it is still an ironic novel which means that there is one concrete difference between the priest and Christ: the Whisky priest was a sinful man and Christ was faultless, perfect and flawless. This puts a spin on their relationship. The Whisky Priest was responsible for failing many expectations of a priest, although, when you look at some of the other characters, you realize that all the priest wanted was to live for his convictions.
Because this book is ironic, Greene has chosen a flawed man to represent a flawless God. He uses a distressed priest as an example of someone who, despite their mistakes, can live with faith, principles and convictions. "He couldn’t say to himself that he wished his sin had never existed, because the sin seemed to him now so unimportant and he loved the fruit of it. (128) The priest was able to own his sin. The Passion is a renewing event -- led up to by grotesque and brutal events -- but in the end, the most significant gift was made available: everlasting life. This novel is also a story of pain and mistakes, but the priest was able to die with dignity; by dying he actually saved himself. Both Christ and the Whiskey Priest died for what they believed in and that is the importance of convictions. When you believe strongly in something, you are willing to sacrifice your life for it.
Between the lines of many novels, there is a message that relates to some monumental event in history. For The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene uses the story of the Passion, from the Bible's New Testament, as a parallel metaphor. This event is one that is known to all Christians around the world and because of this faith, people are able to read this novel and understand Greene's message. He uses Christ, the disciples and many other figures from the Passion as a representation, to show that even though man may be flawed, we are still capable of having convictions and making decisions.
