The Lieutenant whom is a well groomed, ‘dapper fellow’ is a stark contrast to the Whiskey Priest, but there is an obvious paradoxical resemblance between these two characters. He has a scar on his jaw, which is symbolic of the scar of his psyche. The lieutenant has been scarred, both literally and symbolically in his childhood. His crooked nose and the mark on his face reveal the harsh reality he has endured. As a result, he wants to purge the Government from all things that caused pain, especially organized religion. He blames the Church for Mexico being poverty-stricken, but the poverty was always there. The Priest’s scar is that of his love for his illegitimate daughter, this Mortal Sin will stay with him like a scar forever.
The Lieutenant hates the Catholic Church and everything it stands for.
‘A natural hatred as between dog and dog stirred in the lieutenant’s
bowels.'
While, the Priest as a sinner, recognises all that is wrong and bad in the Church, but has a stronger faith, now as the poorer, hunted person. Both hold stay-fast beliefs that they are going to save the country, state and people. Neither of them have distractions in their lives; The Whiskey Priest with his Attaché case and the Lieutenant with his Colt 45.
The resemblance’s of the Lieutenant and the Priest are paralleled in they both desire happiness for mankind, both are kind men and they have a similar integrity in their dedication to their duty. They both live the same type of life, celibate and alone. It is ironic that at the end of the book the Lieutenant looks differently at his own life. He even shows warmth and compassion toward the Whiskey Priest, by breaking the law he holds so dearly, to try to get a priest (Padre Jose- a married priest!) to hear the his last confession.
‘This priest – he has been working for years secretly – for YOUR Church.
We’ve caught him… … … …He seems to think it will do him good’
When the Priest is executed the Lieutenant has a great sense of emptiness, his work is done. He feels trapped in his own ‘success’.
“A long passage in which he could find no door “.
Their own childhoods are depicted the same way; both witnessed poverty as children and both had strict upbringing. The Lieutenant and the Priest have contact with children; the children in the book are symbols of the future that is hanging in the balance, and represent an innocence’s that may well be threatened, or worse, permanently damaged, by the conflict they live in.
‘There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets
the future in.’
There are several children in the novel, the most important being Coral, Brigitta and Luis.
Different characters through out the novel seem to stand in for figures from the New Testament. During his night in the hut with the Mestizo, (his ‘Judas’ – the half-caste) the priest has trouble staying awake – he recalls the night Jesus spends in the garden with his sleepy disciples.
‘His corruption was less evident to his senses than his death. One bullet,
he thought,’
The Priest’s own death is reminiscent of Christ’s willing sacrifice and his execution at the hands of the authorities.
There are a number of half-things in this novel: the “half-caste”, “half-hearted” people, Padre Jose “Half Priest-half husband” all juxtapose the fact that the Whiskey Priest and Lieutenant refuse half-measures and instead tend towards extremes.
Greene explores so many aspects and paradoxes of Christianity. He looks at the great beauty that can be found in sin, and how love and hate can be so similar.
‘Nobody ever said the fallen angels were the ugly ones. Oh no, they were
just as quick and light and….’
He conveys this in allegories and through a number of dreams that are significant; in prison the priests eyes are finally open to the truth of religion. He experiences companionship, and a strange peace. When he falls asleep he begins to dream of being pursued; banging on the doctors door, he can’t remember the password.
“Even if I can’t think of the right word, haven’t you a heart…the
child is dying.”
The child has the face of a middle-aged, complacent (pious) woman and he can’t find the right words to save her soul. I think this dream is symbolic of his knocking of heavens door, and not having the right password for Heaven since he is a sinner and filled with guilt, with no hope of absolution. The priest’s stay in jail is symbolic of Christ’s descent into hell after his Crucifixion. The priest feels forsaken by humanity.
In prison his realization that he was in fact a bad priest when he was good in the eyes of the Church, is now a more compassionate and loving priest as this sinner.
‘The priest giggled,………”Martyrs are holy men. It is wrong to
think that just because one dies… … no. I tell you I am in a state of
mortal sin. I have done things I couldn’t talk to you about.’
Priests are seen to be superhuman – but he is just a simple man, afraid of meeting God. He has committed a Mortal Sin and his soul has been deprived of sanctifying grace, which is the supernatural life of the soul. - His religion tells him he will go to hell for all eternity! – This is his fear. He is extremely humble, and is unaware of his importance and because of his love for his daughter he feels unable to humbly beg for the forgiveness of God in saying a sincere act of contrition to save his soul. I think you should also remember the Priest bearing the weight of the old man head on his shoulder in the cell, just as Christ bore the sins of the world for us.
The priest throughout the novel endangers his life for the sake of the people; his sense of duty and responsibility overshadows his weaknesses. I loved this book, even now when I think of it, other images and meaning come to mind; to many for a review. The Whiskey Priest is a Martyr, and yet he died not knowing it.
‘Suddenly the dead priest winked at him – an unmistakable flicker of
the eyelid, just like that.’
Amanda Hanna Foundation Studies
Tutor: M Adair
