In both Dom Casmurro and in Pedro Paramo, the theme of conflicts plays a prominent role. In Dom Casmurro, religion serves as a conflict against love in the first part of the novel. This conflict is significant because it allows the reader to recognize the cunning wit that Capitu has and the unwillingness and weak nature of Bento in being unable to act against his mother’s wishes. This religious and love conflict is ironic because God is often thought to help his followers in reaching their goals, however in this case, he serves as a direct impediment towards Bento’s goals of marrying Capitu. Similar conflicts may be found in Pedro Paramo, where the moral principles of the Catholic religion are in conflict with the need to survive. This is demonstrated by Father Renteria by his betrayal of “those who love [him] and who have put their faith in [him] and come to [him] to intercede on their behalf with God” (Rulfo, 30). In fact, Renteria himself is “burdened with sins” and is emotionally unable to receive any more confessions and to give reconciliation to sinners (Rulfo, 71). Therefore, these two novels highlight the importance of theme in the novels as a plot line and as an indicator of personality.
As well, the idea of the Church’s inability to intercede in manners of ethical violation is explored in the three novels. Firstly, in Marquez’s novel, the inability of Father Carmen Amador to stop the murder of Santiago, despite his knowledge of the intended murder and status as a morally-esteemed member of society, directly reflects a criticism of the Church and its inabilities. This inability is also represented in Pedro Paramo in Father Renteria’s inabilities to absolve people of their sin and host Gregorian masses for the dead, thus causing many of the inhabitants to wander as spirits throughout Comala (Rulfo, 31). It is possibly this inability and his submission to the temptation of the power of Pedro Paramo, which led Renteria to enlist in the Mexican Revolution. Therefore, all three novels may been seen as quite critical of the Church’s abilities and hence, questions the suitability of the amount of power given to the Church.
In all three novels, the idea of divine justice is not maintained throughout and instead sections of chaos and pandemonium are prominent. Santiago’s death in Chronicles of a Death Foretold does not contain the idea of divine justice. This is because Santiago was never properly charged and tried for his accusation and instead was murdered based on one-sided evidence. In the novel, the death of a possibly innocent man indicates the absence of a moral and divine character and paints Santiago Nasar as “a stigma of the crucified Christ”, a scapegoat for the sins and ignorance of the society (Marquez, 75). In Pedro Paramo, the town of Comala seems to be a place that was long deserted by God and placed in the hands of Satan to play with. Incidents, like that of Maria Dyada’s who couldn’t pay for a funeral for her sister, indicate the absence of justice (Rulfo, 31). Furthermore, the priest in Contla said that the situation in Comala is “God’s will”, and thus nothing can be done against it (Rulfo, 71). However, Comala is a city of death and dying, if this really is God’s will, is God just, what did all of the inhabitants of Comala do to deserve such reprimands? In Dom Casmurro, Bentinho describes his life as an opera with Satan at the helms of the composition area and thus suggests that the chaos of Satan is reflected in his life and his journeys. This is correct because of the reflections to his conflict of the seminary and then later his conflict of adultery with Capitu. Therefore, divine justice is largely ignored in the three novels.
As one may see, the role of Catholicism is large, yet hidden in the three Latin American novels discussed. Though the novels represent slightly different geological areas, and time periods, the novels are united by the theme of Catholicism with inverted principles that defy the fundamental beliefs of the Church.
