Graham Greene
The Power and the Glory (1940)
Author: Graham Greene
Genre: Suspense (Soft-Edged/Christian)
Plot Summary:
The Power and the Glory tells the story of a fallen Catholic priest on the run during an anti-Catholic revolution in southern Mexico. Churches are being destroyed and Catholics are being charged with treason and executed by police. A police lieutenant begins taking hostages from nearby villages hoping that some of the locals will lead him to the priest. The priest, a drunkard who has escaped capture for many years, is largely protected by the common people, but must be careful as to who he reveals his true identity. He narrowly avoids capture on many occasions thanks to the help of many simple, God-fearing people who are overjoyed to find a priest who will perform Mass or hear their confessions. The priest struggles with the decision to turn himself in (and avoid more hostages being killed by the pursuing police) or to continue to perform his sworn duties as best he can. SPOILER: The priest has an opportunity to escape into a neighboring state where Catholics are not being persecuted, but decides to turn back in order to hear the confession of a dying man, ultimately resulting in his capture, conviction, and execution.
Geographical Setting: Tabasco and Chiapas regions of Mexico
Time Period: late 1930s
Appeal Characteristics:
Greene's novels often deal with inner struggles, secrecy, and conflicts of faith, and The Power and the Glory is no exception. The story can read slowly at times because of the author's vivid and engaging description but the suspense and excitement of the chase make this a real page-turner. The priest cannot trust anyone and is in a constant state of anxiety, knowing his captors will be waiting in ambush any minute. The story is told in third-person, centered on the actions of the priest. Characters are very well-developed. Each secondary character's faith is examined in great detail and readers really get a clear understanding of their background, mannerisms, and feelings about the anti-religious shift in their state. The most developed characters are those of the priest and his eventual captor, the police lieutenant. They symbolize each side of the conflict with the priest representing the old Catholic ways and the lieutenant representing the "new way," arguing against religious beliefs and emphasizing the corruption of the Catholic church. After the priest is captured, they engage in a lengthy debate over the merits of religious belief and practicality as the priest awaits his trial. This is really the "meat" of the book which focuses on the priest's test of faith. The priest is a deeply conflicted man; he is a drunk and fathered a child many years before. But he has sworn duties that he must uphold. Greene presents both positive and negative views of faith in The Power and the Glory with the enduring belief of the common people being fuel that feeds and protects the priest during his escape. The anti-religious authorities and police claim to be acting in the best interest of the people (and perhaps rightfully so) but their brutality perhaps overshadows any past misdeeds of the Church. This story is absolutely not an inspirational tale but is aimed more at readers who are interested in the "test of faith" aspect of religious belief and religious persecution.
Read-alikes: Readers who enjoy Greene's more serious works like The Power and the Glory will also like the writing of Flannery O'Connor. Her stories share a similar serious Catholic sensibility and examine the dark side of faith and redemption. O'Connor uses a strong Southern regional setting to reinforce her tone as Greene often uses when setting stories in the tropics. A Good Man is Hard to Find is a good first read from O'Connor. Other authors with strong Catholic themes include J.F. Powers, Muriel Spark, and Georges Bernanos. Powers' Wheat that Springeth Green follows the story of a lackluster, apathetic priest who is revitalized by the arrival of a younger, fresh-faced, idealistic priest. Like Greene's novel, Powers examines the all-too-common "worldliness" of older priests who have lost their way. Unlike The Power and the Glory, however, Powers' novel sees the older priest redeemed. Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie swings in a different direction but the way the authors slowly reveal the nature of the protagonist is very similar. Brodie is an unconventional young teacher in 1930s Edinburgh, Scotland who is completely devoted to her students. Spark is considered a Catholic author but religious themes are not terribly strong in this novel. However, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie explores the complex themes of childhood innocence, betrayal, and trust that are omnipresent in Greene's work. In Diary of a Country Priest, Bernanos documents a faithful man's descent into failure as a French Catholic country priest struggles to comfort and guide his parishioners. The parallels to The Power and the Glory are obvious; the priest advances toward death by stomach cancer much like Greene's priest slowly gives up evading police capture and execution. The inner struggle of the priest is also a common theme between these books, as the priests both loathe themselves for neglecting their duties but still strive to correct their past mistakes. Lastly, Shusaku Endo's Silence has garnered many comparison to Greene, both in style and subject. Silence follows Portuguese Catholic missionaries in 17th century Japan who are being persecuted by feudal lords. Catholic themes are strong and the author deals directly with faith and doubt in the face of harsh suffering by the priests and converts.
Red Flags: Mild language
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