The Power and the Glory Summary

The priest is on the run from the police because religion is outlawed, and he is the last remaining clergyman.

The priest was summoned to a dying woman's house, preventing him from getting on his planned escape boat.

The priest sought refuge in a barn on a plantation to evade capture.

The priest visited a previous pastoral community, reuniting with Maria and his illegitimate daughter, Brigida.

The police lieutenant, an enemy of religion, searched the village for the priest, but failed to capture him, due to the villagers' help.

A mysterious man, 'the mestizo', joins the priest on his journey, raising suspicion.

The priest disguises himself in order to maneuver through the capital in disguise.

The priest seeks wine for the mass. This fails as his supplier drinks the wine instead.

The priest is apprehended by a state official after being caught with brandy.

Ultimately, the priest heads back to the capital city, further complicating his situation.

The priest's escape from the law and his encounters with various characters in a violent and impoverished land, ultimately resulting in his execution.

The lieutenant, a law enforcement officer, aggressively pursues the priest because of his strong opposition to the Catholic Church and a traumatic childhood experience.

A dishonest character driven by opportunism and a desire to exploit the priest with the intention of making money by leading the lieutenant to the priest.

A resilient and independent young woman who encounters the priest.

A youth witnessing the violent events and the priest's journey; eventually viewing the priest as a martyr.

An individual who provides temporary refuge and safety to the priest, helping him cross the border.

A violent outlaw wounded by authorities and who confesses his sins to the priest.

A priest who initially refuses to help the captured priest by hearing his confession as a way to oppose the church.

The priest grapples with his past actions and the guilt they cause him.

The priest's ending symbolizes a sacrificial act for his faith.

The lieutenant's obsession with an ideal world leads to dissatisfaction and bitterness, demonstrating that excessive idealism can be detrimental.

The priest accepts suffering and death as part of life, finding solace in faith, unlike the lieutenant who struggles with the imperfect world.

Greene explores the difference between stories and real life, showing how idealized narratives often fail to reflect true experiences.

Juan's death is portrayed as a model of faith and composure, contrasting with the priest's fear and inability to repent.

The lieutenant fails to recognize the priest because he doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a clergyman.

Brigida, the priest's illegitimate daughter, is cynical and distrustful due to her past experiences.

Padre Jose, who renounced his faith, feels deep shame and is mocked for his decision.

Tench, the Englishman, lives a life of spiritual emptiness, reflecting disconnection and indifference.

The woman in jail claims to be pious but shows arrogance and lack of compassion, highlighting the difference between true piety and self-righteousness.

Greene argues that seemingly opposite concepts like love and hate, or beauty and suffering, are actually interconnected and stem from similar underlying emotions.

The lieutenant's hatred for priests arises from his compassion for the poor, whom he sees as victims of the church's influence.

The paradox of Christian humility is that striving for humility can lead to pride in one's own success.

The priest constantly wrestles with his own imperfections and his inability to achieve true Christian humility.

The priest is referred to as 'the whiskey priest' or simply 'the priest,' reflecting his lack of defined identity and isolation from others.

The name 'whiskey priest' suggests a weakness and a deviation from idealized religious figures, highlighting the priest's internal conflict.

The priest's lack of a clear identity and purpose, symbolized by his namelessness, allows him to evolve and become a better person.

The name 'The Priest' emphasizes the priest's symbolic role as a representative of the entire priesthood, particularly in his context as the last remaining priest.

Names allow people to identify and connect with each other. They can be used to express affection and create social bonds.

Through his journey and constant struggles, the priest undergoes a profound transformation, eventually achieving a sense of purpose and moral clarity.

The priest is on the run because the state has banned religion and he is the last remaining clergyman.

The priest is summoned to a dying woman's house and misses the boat that would have taken him out of the capital city.

To evade capture, the priest hides in a barn on the estate of a plantation owner.

The priest travels to a village where he used to be a pastor, encountering his former lover, Maria, and their daughter, Brigida.

The mysterious mestizo joins the priest on his journey, aiming to turn him in for the reward money.

In the capital city, the priest attempts to remain undetected by wearing a drill suit and trying to obtain wine for mass.

The priest's plan to use wine for his secret mass is thwarted by a man who drinks the entire bottle.

The priest, despite the dangers, returns to the capital city, further endangering his situation.

The protagonist of the novel, a priest who is on the run from the police because religion is outlawed. He struggles with guilt, humiliation, and the meaning of his existence.

A staunch opponent of the Catholic Church, the lieutenant relentlessly pursues the priest. His hatred stems from a traumatic childhood experience and his desire to eradicate all vestiges of religion.

An untrustworthy character who appears throughout the novel. Initially, he seems intent on betraying the priest, seeing an opportunity for profit. His true motivations remain unclear.

A young boy who witnesses the violence and the priest's journey. He initially is skeptical but later comes to see the priest as a martyr for his faith.

A violent outlaw who is mortally wounded by the police. The priest is called to hear his confession but the gringo refuses to repent.

The priest wrestles with his past actions and their consequences, particularly his illegitimate daughter and his decadent past life as a parish priest.

Greene argues that seemingly opposite concepts like love and hate, or beauty and suffering, are actually interconnected and stem from similar underlying emotions.

The paradox of Christian humility is that striving for humility can lead to pride in one's own success.

The name 'whiskey priest' suggests a weakness and a deviation from idealized religious figures, highlighting the priest's internal conflict.

The priest is referred to as 'the whiskey priest' or simply 'the priest,' reflecting his lack of defined identity and isolation from others.

Names allow people to identify and connect with each other. They can be used to express affection and create social bonds.

The priest's lack of a clear identity and purpose, symbolized by his namelessness, allows him to evolve and become a better person.

The name 'The Priest' emphasizes the priest's symbolic role as a representative of the entire priesthood, particularly in his context as the last remaining priest.

Through his journey and constant struggles, the priest undergoes a profound transformation, eventually achieving a sense of purpose and moral clarity.

The lieutenant, a law enforcement officer, aggressively pursues the priest because of his strong opposition to the Catholic Church and a traumatic childhood experience.

The lieutenant's hatred for priests arises from his compassion for the poor, whom he sees as victims of the church's influence.

The danger of believing the world can be perfect and becoming fixated on what could be, leading to dissatisfaction and anger.

The difference between how things are portrayed in stories and how they actually happen in real life.