The Power And The Glory Character Analysis

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Throughout The Power and the Glory, numerous characters question the integrity and authenticity of the priest doing his job. Instead, he is known as a “whiskey priest”, and someone who failed as a priest, resulting in a child, and poor habits. He is the opposite of what a real priest should be. Some think of the priest as good and others think of him as bad. But despite the priests flaws and well known reputation for being a bad priest, his holiness is shown through his actions and confessions of faith to others. Many times in The Power and the Glory, the priest is asked if he is a martyr which he denies, because he believes that he has committed too many crimes and sins to be called one. Part of the priests thinking is that martyrs and saints …show more content…

Visiting the Yankee and hearing his confession was a huge risk for the priest safety wise, but he couldn’t not visit him (it was a very important task for the priest to complete- that he wanted to complete). Many times the Yankee proclaims to the priest to “beat it” or let him be, but the priest is on a mission and genuinely wants to help the man. The priest tries so hard to convince the Yankee to repent, so that he will not be “damned” after a living a lifetime of being labeled as a murderer, and so that he will end up in purgatory after death. The priest even mentions to the Yankee that God has given him a second chance and that “He may not give you another…” and even that remark does not convince the man (189). While the man is set and does not accompany the priest with his idea, he thanks the priest in a way for trying, and ends up dying moments later, an unsaved man. Yet, even though the priest failed in helping the Yankee repent or confess his sins and crimes before his death, after his note that he wanted a priest, he instead showed that caring for others, prioritizing faith was important. Though the priest was very flawed, so was the Yankee, but the priest risked his life to save someone else, and that showed his true holiness and care for

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