The Power and the Glory

The Power and The Glory

Pgs. 140-158

October 16, 2007

7:32 P.M.

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.....In this section of the novel, the impact that Coral Fellows had on the whiskey priest is quite obvious. Although he didn't even know her name ("Coral - so that was the child's name (146)."), she was a reliable friend; with her he was save. "He realized how much he had counted on this child. She was the only person who could help him without endangering herself (141)." Coral had been his only hope. She had become his savior, someone right in a world gone wrong. He had returned to the plantation because he hadn't eaten for two days and needed a safe, resting place. The priest thought Coral could provide all this for him. Finally, he could stop running away for a day or two and regain some of the energy lost in jail. He would be well fed, even if it was only bananas. Throughout the novel the reader has been misled to believe that Coral was just another of the characters the priest would encounter during his trip; however, in this Chapter it becomes obvious that Coral represented so much more to him than initially thought. Coral was everything that he wanted his own daughter to be; Coral showed him more respect, humanity, and compassion than Brigitta ever did. " 'My daughter, Oh my daughter.' The words seemed to contain all that he felt himself of repentance, longing and unhappy love (147)." Although the priest is guilty of all his mortal sins, Coral showed him that someone could still respect and trust him; he could once again trust someone. He deserves treatment like anybody else; his sins do not make him a complete criminal in our world. Everyone is sinful, why should be priest be singled out amongst the human race?

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.....Not only is he singled out by everybody else, but his conscience does not let him live. He constantly beats himself up as a bad influence. In everything situation and danger that he encounters during his journey, he always ends up thinking about his sins. He considers himself an evil person, that has broken the trust of the people, such a dissappointment to Christianity. He considers himself a hypocrite and that's the reason he drinks. He drinks to run away from his problems, to leave his conscience behind for an hour or two. However, his problems don't vanish, once the effect of alcohol has worn out it all comes back to him. Your conscience and thoughts are the only two things a human being cannot runaway from. They are always there, even when you aren't in a conscious state of mind. In my opinion, they are part of your soul, of your humanity. Just like a humans need oxygens to survive, they also need thoughts and a conscience. The priest is a victim of humanity and of a cruel, unfair society.