Shusaku Endo's "Silence"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and analyzes Shasaku Endo's novel "Silence", which described the persecution of Japanese Christians during the 17th century. The reviewer contends that sacrifice and unconditional love clashed with the persistence of the Japanese trait of a conditional, and sometimes inflexible, view of life, an outlook which may have contributed to the persecution. The protagonist, Father Rodrigues, and his dilemmas are described, as well as his ultimate choices. The reviewer sees Endo's characterization of Father Rodrigues as universal, in that his character represents every individual who has been compelled by circumstances to question his faith.

From the Paper:

"The protagonist of the novel, Father Rodrigues, characterizes the individual whose being Christian makes him subject to criticism and persecution in Japan. In fact, Endo's characterization of Father Rodrigues is universal, in that his character represents every individual who was compelled, by circumstances, to question his faith in the god he believes in. Father Rodrigues is the representative of every believing individual who seeks truth in life through religion."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, G. (2000). With Christ in Prison: Jesuits in Jail from St. Ignatius to the Present. NY: Fordham UP.
• Gessel, V. (1999). "The Road to the River: The Fiction of Endo Shusaku." In Oe and Beyond: Fiction in Contemporary Japan. S. Snyder and G. Philip (Eds.). Honolulu: Univ. of Hawaii Press.
• Snyder, S. and G. Philip. (1999). Oe and Beyond: Fiction in Contemporary Japan. Honolulu: Univ. of Hawaii Press.

More papers on Shusaku Endo's "Silence":

• Analytical Essay # 4407 : "Themes in Shusaku Endo's "Silence"
• Essay # 74268 : "Silence and Religion"
• Analytical Essay # 68571 : "Religious Persecution in Literature"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: