Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Power and the Glory, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Complexity of Religious Figures
Ideology and Reactionary Ideas
The Nature of Sin
Government vs. Religion
Duty, Sacrifice, and Persecution
Summary
Analysis
Still on the run from the police, the whisky priest heads to a town he knows well. When he arrives, he speaks with a woman named Maria, with whom he fathered a child, Brigitta. Neither Maria nor the rest of the townsfolk are happy to see the whisky priest, though he does not know why. Soon, he learns that the police have taken a hostage from Concepción, the home of the whisky priest’s parish, and executed him. The whisky priest has to force the name of the man out of the villagers. Eventually, they reveal the man’s name: Pedro Montez.
The villagers' cold reception toward the whisky priest reflects the pervasive fear and animosity toward him, fueled by the consequences of harboring him. Furthermore, the news of Pedro Montez's execution is a grim reminder of the brutal reality of life under Canabal’s regime and the human cost of resistance. Although the whisky priest has always known that he is putting the lives of others in danger, this is the first time someone has died as a direct result of his actions.
Themes
The whisky priest cries out in anger and grief. He knew Pedro Montez well. In response, he hears a young girl cackling at his pain. He promises everyone that he will leave the village soon, so no one is put in danger like Pedro. Then, Maria takes the priest to her home and tells him he can stay the night. She also gives him some brandy that she stored away for him. The whisky priest appreciates Maria's hospitality but is too in his head to fully appreciate it. He hates that his presence is costing others their lives. He also does not see the point of acting as a priest if people are too frightened to ask him to perform his priestly duties.
The young girl cackling at the whisky priest’s pain is reminiscent of the children’s voices mocking Padre José. In both cases, there is a distinct lack of respect for the priesthood from the younger generation, which spells trouble for the future of religion in the region. Like Padre José, the whisky priest begins to question whether it is possible for him to have a positive impact. Additionally, the brandy Maria gives the whisky priest represents her acceptance of him despite his flaws.
Themes
The whisky priest asks Maria about Brigitta. Maria tells him that he already saw her; she was the girl that laughed at him. The whisky priest is surprised and ashamed that he did not recognize his own daughter. A moment later, Brigitta comes into the house and stares down the priest. She asks Maria if the whisky priest is a “gringo.” Maria and the priest explain that he is actually Brigitta’s father.
This scene lays bare more of whisky priest’s sins. Not only is he a father, but he is an absent father who cannot recognize his own daughter. Greene implies that his absence has led to Brigitta’s cruelty and her lack of spiritual guidance.
Themes
Brigitta does not take kindly to the whisky priest, nor does she have much respect for religion in general. Meanwhile, the priest feels a fierce desire to protect his daughter and is ashamed that he cannot do more for her. After failing to get anything resembling affection from Brigitta, the whisky priest lays down to rest. He thinks about his relationship with Maria. Maria loves the priest and is proud to have given birth to his child. Meanwhile, he thinks of their relationship as his greatest sin. While he has feelings for Maria, both she and Brigitta remind him of his greatest failures.
Here, the narration reveals the whisky priest’s inner conflict. The whisky priest wants to do what is right, but his past sins prevent him from distinguishing right from wrong. Because he fathered a child, he now feels obligated to help Brigitta and Maria. However, doing so would mean continuing to perpetuate his greatest sin and result in his leaving the priesthood. Meanwhile, staying in the priesthood would mean abandoning Maria and Brigitta all over again.
Themes
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Early the next morning, the whisky priest holds a small Mass in the town, even though he knows the police force could arrive at any moment. He talks about the greatness of Heaven, where children do not die and there is no suffering. In the middle of his sermon, one of the townsfolk interrupts to say that the police are only a mile away and will arrive in the town shortly. The whisky priest quickly finishes his sermon and then, with the help of Maria, ensures that all signs of religious worship are hidden where the police will not find them.
Here, the whisky priest risks a brief Mass, which feels as though it is just as much for himself as it is the townsfolk. Given recent events, the whisky priest wants to reestablish religion as the most important aspect of his life. Meanwhile, the townsfolk are just as concerned about the rapidly approaching police force as they are about the Mass. Although the whisky priest and Maria hide all signs of the Mass, his presence still puts the town in danger.
Themes
The whisky priest considers running from the police but instead goes with Maria to her home. Soon, the police have surrounded the village, making it impossible for the priest to escape. The lieutenant calls everyone out of their homes and has his men search the huts carefully. In the meantime, he questions the villagers, asking if anyone has seen a priest. The whisky priest claims he is married to Maria and, like everyone else, says that he has not seen a priest lately.
Because the lieutenant does not know what the whisky priest looks like, he does not recognize him upon examining the members of the village. Of course, everyone in the village, including the children, knows who the lieutenant is looking for, but they all lie on the whisky priest’s behalf, putting their lives in danger.
Themes
The lieutenant warns everyone that he plans to do the same thing to one of them that he did to Pedro Montez in Concepción. He knows they have already heard about Pedro, which the fearful look in their eyes confirms. The lieutenant entreats the villagers to tell him everything they know. He promises that he does not want to hurt them—quite the opposite, in fact—but he will if he is forced to.
Although he acts as an antagonist, everything the lieutenant says in this section is genuine. He does not desire to hurt people; his only goal is to rid the region of Catholicism. However, because he is driven by an extreme ideology, he will stop at nothing to make sure his goal is carried out.
Themes
Meanwhile, the whisky priest stays silent. He contemplates giving himself up because he does not want another to suffer in his place. When no one comes forward with information, the lieutenant selects a young man named Miguel as his hostage. As Miguel’s mother screams, the whisky priest asks that the lieutenant take him instead. The lieutenant tells the priest that he has no need for hostages who desire to be hostages. Then, he and his men leave with Miguel.
The whisky priest is in a difficult position, as his refusal to give himself up is not merely a selfish decision. As one of the few remaining representatives of the Catholic church, he has a duty to keep the church alive and perform sacraments in its name. Giving himself up would be akin to denouncing the church. However, there is also a selfish part of him that does not want to die.
Themes
After the police leave, the whisky priest realizes it is time for him to go. He says goodbye to Maria, who grows angry with him and calls him a “bad priest.” She reveals that she threw out his attaché case, which contained wine, because she did not want him roaming around with it and endangering the lives of other people. After a bittersweet goodbye, the whisky priest goes to the town’s trash pile to locate his case. There, he sees Brigitta, who is also angry with him.
The whisky priest’s relationship with Maria sours after she gets a firsthand look at the consequences of his presence. While the whisky priest knows it is his job to serve the broader community, he wants Maria and Brigitta to love him, and it is difficult for him to know that they do not. As is the case with the broader community, the whisky priest wants to give more of himself, but finds his presence is more of a burden than a boon.
Themes
Brigitta tells the whisky priest that other children tease her because he is her father. The priest is deeply ashamed for the pain he has caused in Brigitta’s life and decries the cruelty of the world in general. He worries that Brigitta’s upbringing has bred a permanent cynicism in her. The priest tells Brigitta that he loves her and would sacrifice anything for her before departing.
Again, children are important figures in the novel because they represent the future of the region. So far, nearly every child in the novel is jaded and somewhat cruel, with the notable exception of Coral. The whisky priest’s promise that he would sacrifice anything for Brigitta is notable because it goes against his religious principles, which demand that he treat all of “God’s children” the same.
Themes
The whisky priest goes in the direction of the lieutenant and his men, assuming they will not backtrack and catch him. He eventually arrives in La Candelaria, by the Grijalva River. Near the river, he asks a mestizo (a person with indigenous and European heritage) where he can rent a canoe so that he can cross the river to Carmen. The mestizo warns him that he will not be able to find a boat, so the priest is forced to cross the river on his mule, which is a struggle.
By heading in the direction of the lieutenant and his men, the whisky priest ensures he will not put anyone is danger because it is unlikely that the police will search the same area twice. Notably, Carmen is the town where the whisky priest was born. Returning there means putting more people he knows and cares about in danger.
Themes
After crossing the river to a nearby forest, the whisky priest falls asleep while riding his mule. He dreams about a young girl practicing her Catechism. Pedro Montez walks up behind her with a gunshot wound in his head. He makes a gesture to the whisky priest that indicates the young girl is in trouble. Before the whisky priest can do anything, he wakes up.
The priest’s dream symbolizes the larger danger Catholicism faces in Mexico. Not only are older people like Pedro Montez dying in Catholicism’s name, but danger will soon impact the young and innocent as well. None of the young people in the novel are anywhere near as pious as the young girl in the priest’s dream because of the religious persecution they face.
Themes
The mestizo rides up behind the whisky priest and asks if they can travel together. The priest accepts his offer but quickly grows suspicious that the man has an ulterior motive. They travel together for the rest of the day, until the mestizo gets tired and asks if they can stop for the evening. The whisky priest wants to continue on to Carmen, but the mestizo convinces him to stay in a nearby hut.
The whisky priest knows there is a bounty on his head, and he suspects the mestizo wants to turn him in to the authorities. However, if he reveals his suspicions, he knows he could make matters even worse for himself, so he does as the mestizo says for the time being.
Themes
In the evening, the mestizo repeatedly calls the whisky priest “father,” even though the priest has not revealed his credentials. He claims that he does not know what the mestizo is talking about and asks him to stop calling him that. The mestizo tells the whisky priest that he could simply ask for Confession, and the priest would have to grant his wish. However, he never formally makes the request. Instead, the priest offers the mestizo a nighttime prayer, saying that one need not be a priest to pray. Still, he feels he is in the presence of Judas. As such, he stays awake for as long as he can. Meanwhile, the mestizo falls ill; crossing the river took its toll on him.
The mestizo calls the whisky priest “father” in order to confirm his suspicious about the whisky priest’s identity. Because the whisky priest decided to follow the path of the lieutenant and his men, the mestizo likely spoke to the lieutenant and learned that he was looking for a priest. The whisky priest likens the mestizo to Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Christ to the Romans, despite claiming to be one of his disciples.
Themes
The next morning, the whisky priest looks over and finds the mestizo still asleep. The priest gets up and starts to creep out of the hut. However, before he can get far, the mestizo wakes up and pulls the priest back towards him by the ankle. He implores the priest to stay and listen to him confess. In response, the priest claims he was only stepping outside to urinate.
The priest hopes that leaving before the mestizo wakes up will give him enough time to put some distance between himself and this potential Judas. However, the mestizo, who perhaps knows how much the whisky priest is worth, is careful not to let him escape his grasp.
Themes
When the whisky priest goes outside, he finds that the mestizo has hidden his mule’s saddle, so he cannot make an easy escape. A moment later, the mestizo walks outside and tells the priest that they must leave together. However, the priest quickly realizes that the mestizo is in no shape to travel due to his illness. As such, the priest walks and puts the mestizo on his mule.
Here, the whisky priest demonstrates the extent of his empathy. Even though he is almost positive that the mestizo means to harm him, he still decides to risk his life to help him. Although the priest is a flawed man, he does his best to be selfless and act according to his religious principles.
Themes
Eventually, the whisky priest and the mestizo reach the outskirts of Carmen. Not wanting to put the townsfolk of Carmen at risk, the whisky priest sends the mule and the mestizo into town and then walks in a different direction. However, the mestizo thinks the whisky priest is abandoning him. As such, he grows angry and yells to the priest that he knows who he is and will not forget what he looks like.
Rather than be grateful to the whisky priest, the mestizo can only think selfishly. He is angry not only because he feels abandoned, but also because he knows he will not be able to collect the bounty on the whisky priest’s head. The mestizo poses a unique problem because he is the only antagonist who knows for certain what the whisky priest looks like.
Themes
