The Power and the Glory- Character Analysis in Terms of Freedom
The lieutenant:
The lieutenant is the priests main pursuer, charged and inspired to hunt him down no matter the means.
He feels it is his responsibility to rid the state of religion in the belief that the people will have greater freedom in a secular world.
On page 51, the lieutenant is resting on his bed deep in thought;
“A complete certainty in the existence of a dying, cooling world of human beings who had evolved from animals for no purpose at all. He knew”
The metaphor “dying, cooling world” has the effect of adding a overcast and dark tone to his thoughts.
This thought in particular exhibit nihilism which conveys the lieutenant’s strong conviction that life as ‘he’ knows it has no purpose and demonstrates his lack of empathy for those who have faith. He is bound by his self-imposed responsibility to protect the people from the church in the belief that a life without religion creates equality and justice. This in itself is ironic as he imposes restrictions on himself in hope of creating freedom for all.
In the same scene the lieutenants thoughts progress…
“eradicated from it everything…how it once appeared to a miserable child…he wanted to destroy everything: to be alone without any memories at all. Life began five years ago”
The structure of this passage emanates the lieutenant’s passion of the subject of his childhood through short sentences, each blunt and to the point. The obvious anger and resentment is clearly expressed through the repetition of words such as “eradicate” and ”destroy” helping the reader understand the pain of the lieutenant’s childhood. The words “life began five years ago” can be interpreted that his life gained some sort of purpose five years ago, that his life began to have a point. This, although is contradictory to the nihilistic thoughts expressed in the quote before and perhaps suggests confusion and/or disorientation of his thought and beliefs. In other words it shows how he has
The lieutenant is the priests main pursuer, charged and inspired to hunt him down no matter the means.
He feels it is his responsibility to rid the state of religion in the belief that the people will have greater freedom in a secular world.
On page 51, the lieutenant is resting on his bed deep in thought;
“A complete certainty in the existence of a dying, cooling world of human beings who had evolved from animals for no purpose at all. He knew”
The metaphor “dying, cooling world” has the effect of adding a overcast and dark tone to his thoughts.
This thought in particular exhibit nihilism which conveys the lieutenant’s strong conviction that life as ‘he’ knows it has no purpose and demonstrates his lack of empathy for those who have faith. He is bound by his self-imposed responsibility to protect the people from the church in the belief that a life without religion creates equality and justice. This in itself is ironic as he imposes restrictions on himself in hope of creating freedom for all.
In the same scene the lieutenants thoughts progress…
“eradicated from it everything…how it once appeared to a miserable child…he wanted to destroy everything: to be alone without any memories at all. Life began five years ago”
The structure of this passage emanates the lieutenant’s passion of the subject of his childhood through short sentences, each blunt and to the point. The obvious anger and resentment is clearly expressed through the repetition of words such as “eradicate” and ”destroy” helping the reader understand the pain of the lieutenant’s childhood. The words “life began five years ago” can be interpreted that his life gained some sort of purpose five years ago, that his life began to have a point. This, although is contradictory to the nihilistic thoughts expressed in the quote before and perhaps suggests confusion and/or disorientation of his thought and beliefs. In other words it shows how he has