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
The lieutenant enters the hut, asking the whisky priest if he has finished. The lieutenant expects the priest will be surprised to see him and is shocked (and impressed) that he is not. The whisky priest thanks the lieutenant for allowing him time with the “gringo” criminal before entering the hut. The lieutenant responds by saying he is not a barbarian. He also warns the priest that the hut is surrounded, so there is no use attempting to escape. The priest promises him that he is done with trying to escape.
The lieutenant’s claim that he is not a barbarian radically differs from what the whisky priest and the reader might expect of him. Because he has carried out several executions to catch the whisky priest, one might expect him to be completely lacking in principle. However, he sincerely does not wish to be barbaric; like the whisky priest, he is trying to do what he believes is right.
Themes
The whisky priest asks if the lieutenant plans to shoot him on the spot. The lieutenant once again says that he is not a barbarian and instead plans to try the priest for treason before executing him. Then, the priest tells the lieutenant that they have met twice before; once when the lieutenant let him go, the other when the lieutenant came to Maria’s village. The lieutenant recalls the meeting and asks the priest if he really has a child. The priest confirms that he does and refers to himself as a “bad priest.”
Here, the lieutenant and the whisky priest challenge the assumptions they have about each other. For his part, the lieutenant learns that the whisky priest is a flawed person who is willing to admit to his flaws. Meanwhile, the lieutenant demonstrates that, while his methods may be extreme, he is operating within the bounds of the prevailing political system.
Themes
Then, the whisky priest performs a card trick for the lieutenant, which he says he used to do for the guilds (shows meant to raise money for the church). The lieutenant scoffs at the priest and tells him he remembers the guilds well; to him, they were nothing more than ways to extract money from the poor to increase the church’s riches. The whisky priest agrees with the lieutenant’s assessment, though not fully. He also tells the lieutenant that he sensed the lieutenant was a good man when they first met in prison.
Here, the lieutenant reveals one of the reasons why he despises the Catholic Church; that is, he sees the Church as a fundamentally exploitative institutions rather than a spiritual or moral one. The whisky priest’s partial agreement is an admission that, while God may always be just and righteous, institutions run by human beings are prone to flaws.
Themes
When the weather clears, the whisky priest and the lieutenant exit the hut they are sitting in. Outside, the mestizo waits for the priest and tries to act as though he did not betray him. Then, he asks for the priest’s blessing. Instead, the priest offers to pray on the mestizo’s behalf, exhausted from dealing with him. Ultimately, the priest does not have the energy to hate the mestizo. However, he is happy the mestizo will not be present when he dies.
Unlike the lieutenant, who is a flawed but principled man, the mestizo is utterly shameless. After lying to and exploiting the whisky priest, he still asks for more. In essence, he wants the whisky priest to forgive him without actually confessing to his crime. The ability to confess is an important moral tool in Catholicism and the novel. As such, the mestizo’s inability to do so suggests a deep moral failure on his part.
Themes
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The whisky priest rides with the lieutenant and his men back to the capital. On the way, the lieutenant engages the priest in philosophical debates about class, religion, and the afterlife. The whisky priest expresses his views honestly, as does the lieutenant, though they vehemently disagree with each other on every point. While the lieutenant does not share a worldview with the priest, he gradually comes to respect him. Although he cannot set the priest free, the lieutenant offers him a favor before his death. The priest asks if he can confess his sins to Padre José before he is killed. To his surprise, the lieutenant agrees to his request.
Here, the whisky priest and the lieutenant continue to better understand each other. Despite being political enemies throughout the novel, they find they have much in common when it comes to temperament. The lieutenant quickly realizes that this man he has been chasing is not the religious boogeyman he expected. Instead, the priest is a complicated and flawed man like himself, who simply chose a different path in life because of his individual experiences.
Themes
Eventually, the lieutenant and the whisky priest reach their destination. Luis sees them arrive and excitedly calls out to the lieutenant, wondering whether he has finally captured the priest. The lieutenant attempts to nod and smile at Luis in response but cannot bring himself to do it. While he disagrees with the priest’s worldview, he also realizes that his own beliefs have left him in a state of despair and feeling as though he has done the wrong thing.
Here, the lieutenant realizes the folly in adhering to a reactionary political ideology. Because he had been reacting to the negative experiences of his youth rather than building up a moral and spiritual foundation of his own, he has led himself and others astray. Now that he has achieved his one goal, he realizes that there is a fundamental emptiness to it.
Themes
