Willa Cather's Death Comes For The Archbishop

852 Words2 Pages

In Death Comes for the Archbishop, Willa Cather does not portray Bishop Latour and father Vaillant as hero, saints, or martyrs, but as two priests who do not live glorious lives and yet leave behind a glorious legacy through their missionary work and spreading of Catholicism in the Southwest. Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant did not live and die in vain, but rather created a legacy. At the end of the priests’ lives, they look back on their journey of life and feel a sense of happiness even in death because they did everything they wanted to do in life and they made their lives a work of art. In the eyes of the people they helped, they are heroes and they exemplify how everyone can be a hero. Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant are brave, …show more content…

Wherever they went, Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant were in danger but they did not fear. A great example of this is when they were in the puebla and Magdalena warns the priests that her husband plan to kill them and that they must leave before Buckskin kills them. Instead of fearing for their lives and running away, the two priests helped Magdalena escape her abusive relationship and did so without worry of what could happen to them if they helped her. Another example of their bravery is when they are stranded and are about to die of dehydration. Bishop Latour kneels in front of a crucified tree and prays that God will help him. To reward Bishop Latour’s bravery as well as his faith in God, Bishop Latour was led by animals to water as well as a …show more content…

An example of this is when Bishop Latour removes Father Bathazar from his seat of power to protect the Indians who had lived under his tyranny and were treated like his slaves. Another example of Bishop Latour’s and Father Vaillant’s bravery in fighting for the helpless is through their investigation and halting of human sacrifice. The Paquos Indians are ignorant and turn to superstition rather than reason which leads to the sacrifice of human beings in order to appease their gods. Bishop Latour introduce the idea of a loving God who became man so human beings can live an abundant

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