The Power and the Glory Essay

If no one in this world ever suffered, there would be no compassion. Suffering and pain give our actions so much more meaning. Take Martin Luther King, for example. If he hadn't died for his cause, he wouldn't of been so popular. Rosa Parks went to jail for standing up for what she believed. Both real people, who suffered for their beliefs, but eventually became heroes. In the novel The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene illustrates the importance of pain and suffering with his main character, the "whiskey priest".

Throughout the novel, the priest goes through so much just to do what he believes is the right thing. When he went back to hear the Gringos confession, he knew it was a trap. He knew he would get caught and brutally killed. But going to hear the confession was the right thing to do, so he went and suffered for his decision. All the suffering the priest went through gave alot more meaning to his actions. The priest had a love for his religion, a love for his people. "But I do know this -- that if there's ever a single man in this state damned, I'll be damned too...I wouldn't want it to be any different. I just want justice, that's all." (p 200) The priest really does care about his people, which is exactly why he goes through so much for them.

The priest knows the importance of suffering, but on the other hand the lieutenant does not. "Suffering is wrong." (p 176) He doesn't understand that without suffering there would be no hope. Hope for better things to come, hope for the future, the lieutenant just doesn't get it. If no one suffered or had pain, nobody would care about each other. "If you see somebody in pain, people like you reason and reason. You say -- pain's a good thing, perhaps he'll be better for it one day." (p 199) The thing is, pain does make you stronger. The lieutenant just doesn't get that.

Pain and suffering is vital to our existance. Without it, there would be no love, no hope, no compassion. All things that we absolutely need to live life fully. The priest is a very heroic character in the novel, when things got difficult, he never gave up hope. If only more people in the world were like him in this way, too often do we give up hope when we go through hard times. If only more people could see the bright side in pain and suffering, that things will get better. If only.

Chapter 4 Response

In chapter four, Graham Greene describes the priest in two very different, yet very alike situations. When he finds the wounded dog in the abandoned house, a very animalistic side of him is exposed. On the other hand, when he is with the mother and the dead child, a more compassionate, caring side is shown. Both sides are vital in any person; without an animalistic side covering the basic needs like eating and sleeping, survival would be impossible while the more compassionate and loving side is very important too.

When the priest finds the starving dog, he covers his own basic needs before the dog's. Survival in mind, he takes the bone for himself and eats the scraps sticking to it. "Hope is an instinct only the reasoning human mind can kill." p 141 Even though the dog was slowing dying it didn't give up hope. The indian woman didn't give up hope either, even when the little boy died. The sugar cube placed by his head was a small symbol of hope for a miracle, although the priest ate it to try to satisfy his animalistic needs again. His caring side was exposed in the second situation; worry for the indian woman made him turn around to check if she was still by the dead baby. The priest's actions in both situations help us see a few different sides of human nature that are needed for survival.