Rushdie's The Courter
Essay by 24 • June 20, 2011 • 2,380 Words (10 Pages) • 1,959 Views
KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS
SETTING
The novel The Power and the Glory deals with religious persecution in Mexico after the Mexican
Revolution of 1910. There were clashes between the state and the church and under the presidency of
Plutarco Elias Calles (1924-28), anti-clerical measures were adopted and organized religion was banned.
Calles believed that the Catholic Church was responsible forвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦.
CHARACTERS
Major Characters
The Whisky Priest - the protagonist of the book who is supposedly the last surviving priest in a province
where churches have been closed down. He is trying toвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦..
The Lieutenant - the antagonist of the Whisky Priest. He is an ambitious young man who wishes to see
his country free from poverty, superstition, and ignorance. Since he believesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦..
Maria - the woman with whom the Whisky Priest вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦.
Brigitta - the illegitimate daughter ofвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦..
Padre JosÐ"© - a weak Priest who, in order to save his life, gives up hisвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦.
The Chief of Police - a character who is more interested in вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦.
The Mestizo - a half-Spanish and half-Indian man who вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦
James Calvin (The Gunman or The Gringo) - a bank robber and murderer who is pursued by theвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦
Minor Characters
Mr. Tench - an English dentist who is stranded in Mexico.
Captain Charles Fellows - a foreigner and a trader who operates the Central American Banana Company
and who is resented by the Mexicans.
Mrs. Trix Fellows - Captain Fellows’ wifeвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦
CONFLICT
Protagonist: The Whisky Priest, as a symbol of the Church, is theвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦.
Antagonist: The Lieutenant, as the symbol of the вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦..
Conflict: The conflict in The Power and the Glory is between the Government (the Power) and the
Church (the Glory). The Government wishes to вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦.
Climax: The Whisky Priest’s meeting with the Lieutenant at the police station after spending a night in
prison is the climax of the plot. This takes place in вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦..
Outcome: The story of the Whisky Priest ends in a tragedy when вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦.
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene - MonkeyNotes by PinkMonkey.com
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PLOT
The plot of The Power and the Glory is a simple one. It is the story of a priest who tries to practice his
faith while seeking safety in the anti-religious age in Mexico. He journeys from Carmen through various
villages and back to Carmen again, with the Lieutenant constantly in pursuit of him. Imprisonment and
release take him away from Carmen a second time. Again, he moves from village to village performing
his priestly duties until he isвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦
THEME
The Church is eternal and triumphant, and no repressive regime can destroy it.
MOOD
The mood of the novel is gloomy. The picture of the world as presented through Mexico is chaotic, and
sin is ever present. Vultures, snakes, hyenas, beetles, turkeys, and sharks are all unpleasant creatures
contributing to the mood. The physical features of the land are вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦Ð²Ð‚¦
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
GRAHAM GREENE
Graham Greene, one of six children, was born on October 2, 1904, in Berhamsted, Hertfordshire, England.
He attended Berhamsted public school, where his father was the headmaster. He also went to Balliol
College at Oxford in 1922. His life at school and at home was so unhappy that heвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦..
LITERARY/HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Graham Greene had a long literary career. He started writing before World War II and continued writing
until his death in 1991. He gained popularity in the thirties, largely because вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚¦..
CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES
PART I
CHAPTER 1
Summary
The chapter opens with Tench, the dentist, who is looking for his ether cylinder, which is supposed to
have come by ship. The first description of the scene is ominous. Vultures are looking down from a
rooftop on a scorching Mexican waterfront; they are in search of carrion. Tench throws a stone and hits
them. One vulture flies over the plaza, over the bust of an ex-president, and toward the river and the sea.
Tench is an Englishman settled in Mexico. He is seen walking towards the quay, sweating
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