Shusaku Endo Silence Summary

Silence was published in 1966 by a Japanese Catholic author, Shusaku Endo. The setting takes place in the 17th Century, in Japan. Priest are banned and the government becomes more strict on Christianity, which then pushes people into hiding. Father Ferreira’s two former students, in Rome, are in denial to believe that the missionary could betray his faith. This is where we get introduced to two former European Catholic Priest, Father Rodrigues and Father Garrpe, they want to travel to Japan to see it all for themselves to try and make sense of it. Once landed in Macau, they have no other option but to find a ship to take them to Japan. Before arriving to Japan they are thrown news from Father Valignano. Valignano informs the priests that its taking too much of a risk to send them to Japan and the church is no longer sending missionary’s. They then have had their
Kichijiro introduces the priest to a host of Japanese Christians who are beyond grateful to have actual priests in their presence. Within this time Father Garrpe becomes very encouraging towards the Christians, he stands tall against authorities and refuses to renounce his faith. It doesn’t take long till the Japanese Government catches onto what is going on and as a punishment they then decide to execute multiple villagers. In order to evade the authorities, Garrpe and Rodrigues have no other option than to take on separate paths. Within Rodrigues’s journey he then comes across Kichijiro once again. We come to learn that Kichijiro is both pathetic and cowardly. Rodrigues being too trusting with the emigrant doesn’t lead to a good outcome. The Father is sought to believe that he will be led to more Christians but is actually set in a trap to be turned in to the authorities. He then spends several months being held in a jail cell, within his days of incarceration he finds out that Ferreira is