In the novel The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene the priest who is being hunted by the government is portrayed as the opposite of what a priest is supposed to be. Many call him a "whiskey priest," because of how much and how often he drinks alcohol. Normal priests live by the rule that they are not allowed to drink an excess amount, because if people see them drinking they could believe that it is okay and lead these people off course. Priests are people who are meant to guide people away from sin, not straight towards it. Another ironic aspect of the priest's life would be that he has a daughter, a family. When men decide to become priests, they essentially give up being able to have a family or get married. The whiskey priest goes against all rules and has this daughter, who doesn't even seem to like him. Graham Greene uses him as an ironic symbol of how sometimes the people in life we believe are good and pure are the complete opposite.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Ironic Opposites
In the novel The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene the priest who is being hunted by the government is portrayed as the opposite of what a priest is supposed to be. Many call him a "whiskey priest," because of how much and how often he drinks alcohol. Normal priests live by the rule that they are not allowed to drink an excess amount, because if people see them drinking they could believe that it is okay and lead these people off course. Priests are people who are meant to guide people away from sin, not straight towards it. Another ironic aspect of the priest's life would be that he has a daughter, a family. When men decide to become priests, they essentially give up being able to have a family or get married. The whiskey priest goes against all rules and has this daughter, who doesn't even seem to like him. Graham Greene uses him as an ironic symbol of how sometimes the people in life we believe are good and pure are the complete opposite.
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