Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory as the Journey toward Self-Knowledge

Abstract

This paper argues that Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory can be newly interpreted as a unique, psychological journey centered on the hero-priest on the run. The priest undergoes the episodic, gradual process to come to understand humanity including himself−especially, in terms of human sinful nature, which, ironically enough, is to eventually lead the priest to martyrdom more mature, humane and realistic. Greene’s marvellous, literary strategy to convey such a vision is to use minor characters effectively, who in turn are revealed as part of the priest’s dark, anti-heroical traits. For example, the Mestizo the Judas-figure, along with Padre Jose the former priest, represents in different ways disbelief and betrayal, the potential of which the priest also detects inside himself. The lieutenant, the priest’s adversary also serves somewhat as a psychological double in their common tendency of vocational integrity, high pride, false authority, though in opposite directions. This paper is mainly about habitual piety and all those sinful weaknesses discovered in a diversity of characters as well as the priest himself. And ironically enough, such a reawakening eventually comes to lead him to painful self-knowledge and voluntary martyrdom toward the more compassionate community in Greene’s vision.