"The Power and the Glory"

Paper Summary:

"The Power and the Glory" depicts a period in history when the Mexican government sought to distance itself from and even eliminate altogether the influence of the Catholic Church in Mexico. This paper discusses Greene's standing with the Catholic Church from being known as the "Catholic novelist" to his depiction of his main character in the story - a fallen, alcoholic priest, the father of a child .

From the Paper:

"Graham Greene's novel The Power and the Glory (1940) is one of his works that the author himself identified as a Catholic story, and it is clearly concerned with issues of Catholicism in both theory and practice. The novel is set in Mexico in the 1930s at a time when the Church was in conflict with the political powers in Mexico. Greene gives his story an allegorical structure, with the two opposing forces represented by the Whiskey Priest and the Lieutenant of Police, neither of whom is ever named beyond this identification with their jobs and roles in life. The metaphorical framework for the novel evokes images of death, leading ultimately to the death of the priest but also suggesting the death of a corrupt religious order."

More papers on "The Power and the Glory":

• Book Review # 71176 : "The Power and the Glory"
• Analytical Essay # 37085 : "'The Power And The Glory'."
• Book Review # 44386 : "The Power and the Glory": A Literary Review"
• Book Review # 68964 : "Personal History in "The Power and the Glory"

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