A Study of the ironocal ways of life seen through the two central characters, the priest and the lieutenant of police in green's the power and the glory

Melisa, Cicillia (2002) A Study of the ironocal ways of life seen through the two central characters, the priest and the lieutenant of police in green's the power and the glory. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

The two leading characters of The Power and the Glory, the priest and the lieutenant are built upon the contrast to each other. It is because in describing the deficiencies of one man, Graham Greene also creates the virtues of the other. Yet, this thesis is a study on the two major characters? way of life to show that the differences of their ways of life are ironical for each suggests what the other should be. In doing the analysis the writer will do a literary approach by applying theory of characterization and irony. Thereupon, the writer finds out that as the final representative of God in a province cleared of priests, the priest does not show a good Christian character. He does his priest duty without deep feeling. He is also a drunken `whiskey? priest and a fornicator who has fathered a child. On the other hand, the lieutenant is endowed by moral characters for he is without sympathy to the weaknesses of `flesh?. He devotes his life to the governor he served and he also feels the responsibility to the poor and helpless people around him. Finally, in spite of the fact that he is an atheist, he needs God to fill the feeling of emptiness in his heart. Hence, the ways of life of the two central characters are ironical because their ways of life are reversed to what they are expected and the ways they lead their life suggest one to another.

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