Blog Post 5: Fragments
Using material from chapter 10 and the appendix, answer one of the following prompts, using at least three
specific pieces of information no one
has yet used in their blog posts and at least six specific
pieces of information total, with a page citation for each. Also use at least 300 words in your answer.
1) The first several chapters were "letters" written by Father Rodrigues that gradually faded into the main narrative of the novel. Now, in chapter 10 and the appendix, there are two different kinds of sources used to advance the story. How do the changes in writing format throughout this part of the book reflect the difficulties of using historical documents to write history? Pretending for a moment that all the accounts in this section of the novel are real historical records, what do you think happened to the protagonist, Father Rodrigues, and what evidence do you use to support that claim?
OR
2)
Assess to what extent Kichijiro, Ferriera, and Rodrigues are Christians
by the end of the book. How do these complicated characters underline
the difficulties of sharing a religion like Christianity from Europe to a
radically different culture such as Japan?
Neal Vogel
ReplyDeletePage numbers from 2016 edition
Ferreira, despite his apostasy, is not so easy to evaluate in terms of how Christian he is. In chapter 10 we learn that he not only informs the government against the Dutch missionary effort but “asserted that this was no lie but truth” (192). We are also reminded by Rodrigues that Ferreira shares Inoue’s belief that “Japan is not suited to the teaching of Christianity” (199). Both of these events show that Ferreira is not loyal to the spread of Christianity or even to other Christians since he both informs against them and was instrumental in Rodrigues’ apostasy. He is not acting in a way one might consider Christian, but it is impossible to tell from this lack of loyalty if he remains a Christian at heart. He has apostatized and acclimated to a Japanese way of life, but Rodrigues believes in and even loves God after he does the same thing (201). Without a similar window into Ferreira’s internal monologue, it is impossible to determine if he still believes in the Christian religion.
Rodrigues, as stated above, reaffirms his belief in Christianity in chapter 10 despite his apostasy and lifestyle change, saying “My faith is different from what it was; but I love you still” (201). In a way, his faith seems stronger despite all the changes. He seems to come to peace with the silence of God that plagued him throughout the novel when he hears from God “I was not silent. I suffered beside you” (203). These events suggest a strong Christian faith, but this is early in his confinement. Later in his confinement, as revealed by the Appendix, he “is to write a disavowal of his religion” and there is nothing to suggest that he refuses to do so. To write a disavowal of Christianity which will prevent conversion is much different than apostatizing to save tortured Christians from the pit, and seems firmly anti-Christian. But he keeps Kichijiro as his attendant (207) and lies to protect him (208). These actions seem irreconcilable with someone who has given up on Christianity or is legitimately committed to stopping its spread. Like Ferreira it is impossible to tell from his actions alone what he believes and we are no longer able to read his internal monologue for any further clues.
Kichijiro despite his repeated apostasy still believes in Christianity as seen by his return to Rodrigues for absolution (203) and continuing to stay with him as an attendant (207). He is certainly a cowardly Christian, but his constant return to Christianity and dedication to follow Rodrigues suggest a firm belief in the religion even if he is unable to suffer for it.
The situations of all three characters reflect the difficulty of Christianity taking hold in Japan. It is difficult to define any of them as Christian in the way we traditionally know it. This ambiguity regarding their faith is only present because of the difficulties they face in Japan. Without the resistance of the Japanese government and, in the case of Ferreira, the pain of watching twenty years of missionary work amount to nothing, none of them would have had a reason to apostatize or act against the spread of Christianity. But with missionary work halted, syncretism among the few remaining Japanese believers morphing Christianity into some kind of Eastern religion (200), and believers like Kichijiro terrorized to prevent them from spreading their faith, it is no surprise that Ferreira believes that Christianity will never take hold in Japan.
Ireland Buckley
ReplyDeleteRodrigues, Ferriera, and Kichijiro are complicated characters that grow and deepen the further into the novel. They all apostatized but their journeys getting to that position all differ as well as their faith lives after they apostatize. Rodrigues is sometimes known as Apostate Paul but he actions do not match his name. When a family was arrested and tortured because a coin with the image of Jesus was found in their house, Rodrigues pleaded again and again for their mercy because he was a witness. (180) This incident shows that Rodrigues still cares about the Christians in Japan and still wants them to be free from torture and cruelty for their beliefs. We also see when Rodrigues is praying one night; he questions God like he has done before but this time God answers. God states that he has been suffering along side with him this whole and this seems to strengthen Rodrigues faith and perseverance like never before. (190) On the other hand, even though we still see a glimpse of his faith remaining we do see his conformity to the Japanese way by confirming with the government that there were priests being sent to Japan by Dutch vessels from India. (180) This shows the difficulties Rodrigues has had to face in regards to balancing his faith but living the way the Japanese government wants him to live. Kichijiro has been a difficult character throughout this novel to comprehend. He apostatizes countless amount of times with very little hesitation but comes back time and time again to have his sins resolved. Kichijiro comes to find Rodrigues once again to confess his sins. This time is unlike the others because he says remorseful words and seems like he actually is sorry rather than just the formality of confession showing that even though he is weak and scared of proclaiming his faith, he still believes in absolution and God’s mercy. (189) At a time when the officials were interrogating Kichijiro, he stood up for Rodrigues and stated that it was not he who found the amulet-case necklace which shows he is trying to be a better person as well as behave as the Japanese want him to. (197) Kichijiro could have lied to make his interrogation easier if he stated it was Rodrigues, but his conscience guides him to a better decision comparing to those from the past in the novel. Ferriera is different among the others. In the last two chapters, we do not see any evidence of Ferreira’s remaining faith. He told the Supreme Authorities that there are many Roman Catholics among the Dutch in Holland and to be caution for some of the ships that are coming in with cargo. (181) I believe that Ferriera is the one out of the three that immersed himself the most in the foreign Japanese culture and left behind a lot of his faith after he apostatized.
Kichijiro, Rodrigues, and Ferreira are difficult to figure out and to label as Christians or non-Christians. I would go to say that I believe Rodrigues and Kichijiro are both Christians and have Christ in their heart, despite apostatizing. On the other hand, Rodrigues is harder to label, and I do not believe him to be a Christian. Rodrigues said he would never apostize from the beginning of this book, however his circumstances led him differently. If a person has Christ in their heart, that person is a Christian and no one can tell them differently. Rodrigues has Christ in his heart. First of all, throughout chapter 10, he is very saddened; his whole demeanor is different (200-202). If he wasn’t Christian, the idea of apostizing would not be so bad. He also continues to SEE Christ and has the spirit of Christ in his heart (202). Christians are different. They are set apart. The thumbs-up from God is the only opinion that truly matters. Rodrigues tells Inoue, “it does not matter what you think” (200). At this point, he only cares that God knows he is a Christian. Furthermore, although Rodrigues is not a priest anymore, he allowed Kichijiro to repent (once again). He says that while he may have been betraying other priests, he was not betraying the Lord (203). He is still living for the Lord. Kichijiro is slightly more questionable, but I believe he is still a Christian. Kichijiro keeps going back to his true roots; a Christian. We can see this in his acts of apostizing and confessing over and over again, and confessing one more time in chapter 10 (202). His confession is the last action of his in this book, so I will say he is a Christian. In the appendix, Endo says they found an amulet-case in which Christians pay respect with. Maybe this was the one thing he kept to remind himself of who he is. Finally, I do not believe Ferreira is a Christian. We have no evidence that he regrets apostizing. He even started working for the Japanese Government (187). Once he apostatized, he never turned back.
ReplyDeleteThis shows the relentless and difficult culture of Japan. The Japanese culture is too strong to change and mold into something that they are uncomfortable with. The circumstances changed who these three characters were as people. Kichijiro and Rodrigues fell due to their circumstances, but they do not want to be in these positions, and would do anything to change it. Overall, Kijchijiro was just more scared and cowardly than Rodrigues, but their fates turned out the same.
The situations of all three characters reflect the difficulty of Christianity taking hold in Japan. It is difficult to define any of them as Christian in the way we traditionally know it. This uncertainty regarding their faith is only present because of the difficulties they face in Japan. Rodrigues, reaffirms his belief in Christianity in chapter 10 despite his apostasy and lifestyle change, saying “My faith is different from what it was; but I love you still” (201). In a way, his faith seems stronger despite all the changes. He seems to come to peace with the silence of God that overwhelmed him throughout the novel when he hears from God “I was not silent. I suffered beside you” (203). These events suggest a strong Christian faith, but this is early in his confinement. Later in his confinement, as revealed by the Appendix, he “is to write a disavowal of his religion” and there is nothing to suggest that he refuses to do so. To write a disavowal of Christianity which will prevent conversion is dissimilar than apostatizing to save tortured Christians from the pit, and seems resolutely anti-Christian. Kichijiro despite his repeated apostasy still believes in Christianity as seen by his return to Rodrigues for forgiveness (203) and continuing to stay with him as an attendant (207). He is certainly a weak Christian, but his constant return to Christianity and dedication to follow Rodrigues suggest a firm belief in the religion even if he is unable to suffer for it. Ferreira, despite his apostasy, is not so easy to gage in terms of how Christian he is. In chapter 10 we learn that he not only informs the government against the Dutch missionary effort but “asserted that this was no lie but truth” (192). We are also reminded by Rodrigues that Ferreira shares Inoue’s belief that “Japan is not suited to the teaching of Christianity” (199). Both of these events show that Ferreira is not loyal to the spread of Christianity or even to other Christians since he both informs against them and was instrumental in Rodrigues’ apostasy. He is not acting in a way one might consider Christian, but it is impossible to tell from this lack of loyalty if he remains a Christian at heart. He has apostatized and adapted to a Japanese way of life, but Rodrigues believes in and even loves God after he does the same thing (201). Without a comparable window into Ferreira’s inner monologue, it is impossible to determine if he still believes in the Christian religion.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe change of sources throughout this part of the book reflect the difficulties of using historical documents simply because they may not tell the whole story. Despite the fact that they were at the scene, their stories could have been told differently than Rodrigues'. Rodrigues does not have an opportunity to tell his story after he apostatized and the difficulty of this is that the story seems to be left unfinished. The change of writing is dangerous because it could leave out crucial information that another person at the same event would include and the tale of events could be misleading depending on the person who is writing.
At first, I think what happened to Rodrigues is that he became an employee of the Japanese government simply because he did not have a choice. On page 180, the Dutch clerk says, "…the Clerk of the Governor called at my room…this was because Rodrigues, the Portuguese apostate priest, informed them that the decision to send priests to Japan by Dutch vessels from India" (180). Another way I believe Rodrigues is forcibly working for the government is that he takes up a Japanese name, probably one he would not take voluntarily. "He had received the Japanese name Okada San'emon; he had become a Japanese" (189). Next, I think Rodrigues hasn't lost touch with his "faith". On page 191, the text mentions that Rodrigues gave confession to Kichijiro, something only a priest would do, thus believing that he is still a priest to himself and Kichijiro. "The priest had administered that sacrament only the priest can administer" (191). Another hint that shows Rodrigues still connects to his faith is found when Rodrigues gets irritated when Inoue talks bad about Christianity. "Christianity is not what you take it to be…with the realization that no matter what he said no one would ever understand his present feelings…" (187-188).
In the account of the officer, it can be "suggested" and explicitly stated that Rodrigues died due to an illness. "Okada San'emon died of illness at 2-3 past the hour of the Monkey…The Managers Takahara Sekinojō, had the corpse of San'emon constantly watched by three policemen" (200). Also, in this account, I believe the text suggests that Rodrigues died out of guilt and also resistance to the Japanese government. Forty-six is a young age to die suddenly but I think he did it out of love for Jesus as well. "He fell ill at the beginning of the month and lost much of his appetite, getting worse and worse in spite of medical treatment, [he] finally passed out" (200). This quote could also suggest that Rodrigues could not deal with being in any prison again and therefore, he decided to give up.
Throughout the novel we see the faith of many individuals showcased throughout the trials in Japan. At the beginning of the novel we are told that Kichijiro is not a Christian and he sticks to this identity for a good portion of the beginning of the book. Later it is revealed that he is a Christian when some villagers expose him “Father, we heard it from a Christian in our village. His name is Kichijiro… But Kichijiro is not a Christian I said finally. Oh, he is, father. Kichijiro is a Christian.” (Pg. 40). As the novel precedes Kichijiro continues to challenge Father Rodrigues when he is challenged with difficulties regarding his faith. He apostasies’ multiple times. His faith s tested multiple times and throughout the novel even though he apostasies’' in the end he is stronger each time and admits that he is Christian loudly and proudly. “Father forgives me! Still kneeling on the bare ground Kichijiro cried out in a voice chocked with tears. I am weak. I am not a strong person like Mokichi and Ichizo. Already the men were seizing me and dragging me to my feet.” (Pg. 83) It can be seen by this quote that at the beginning of the novel Kichijiro is not courageous and well as being extremely weak in his faith. At the beginning of the novel we learn the Ferriera was a devote Christian priest and then it was told that he apostatized. This was a shock to a lot of the priest back home like Father Rodrigues. When Father Rodrigues arrived in Japan he wanted to inquire and find out of the rumors regarding Ferriera were true and to his surprise they were. Father Rodrigues was told that Ferriera had azotized and had taken a Japanese name and was living a prosperous life. (pg.91) Another character in the novel that is challenged regularly is Father Rodrigues. When he first arrived in Japan he was a model Christian. He was extremely strong in his faith and was extremely optimistic and a bit naïve. “Father, we are deeply moved by the strength of your determination in coming here from thousands of miles away through all kinds of hardships. Undoubtedly you have suffered deeply.” (Pg. 116). The Japanese recognize the hardships that Father Rodrigues has gone through and respect him, because even through the trials he has stayed strong in his faith. As the novel progresses he slowly shows some resentment toward God. He regards this as the silence of God and questions his faith a couple of times. Even though he is questioning his faith he remains on the straight and narrow path and has not renounced his faith. (pg.123). As the novel comes to a conclusion Father Rodrigues is forced in trampling on the Fumie due to his inner conscious telling him to protect the people around him being tortured. As a Christian and especially someone holding such a high title within the faith once Father Rodrigues tramples on the Fumie his prestige is slowly diminished. “ The priest placed his foot on the Fumie. Dawn broke. And far in the distance the cock crew.” (Pg. 183)
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ReplyDeleteHannah Fluegel
Rodrigues, Kichijiro, and Ferreria all struggled dramatically throughout Silence with their belief in God and confession of their faith. Their faith seemed so unstable that the reader was forced to question whether they still qualified as Christians towards the end of the book. The root of their struggle started in their struggle of integrating Christianity in the culture of Japan, whilst from a country that highly encouraged it. This highlighted the difficulties of adapting to a different without conforming to the culture’s beliefs, which was obviously too difficult to do because all three of them apostatized. Rodrigues showed the differences in his belief and the Japanese culture when he was supposed to change his name to a dead Japanese man and take his wife, “Behind his eyelids arose the picture of a slope down which he kept slipping endlessly. To resist, to refuse--this was no longer possible” (186). This sad picture underlines a huge difficulty of attempting to share his religion to a different culture: he has to conform to the culture of the Japanese, because in his eyes, he has no choice anymore. The difficulty of torture overcame his ability to stand for his strongest morals. Rodrigues not only has difficulty in conforming to the culture, but also realizing the difficulty of not being able to relate what he is trying to say, this is also what Ferreria had come to understand. Rodrigues realizes that what he says will not ever be taken in the way that he means, “..but the words stuck in this throat with the realization that no matter what he said no one would ever understand his present feelings--no one, not Inoue, not the interpreter” (187-188). This same point is also highlighted when Rodrigues said, “it doesn’t matter what you think,’ said the priest, lowering his eyes and putting both hands on his knees” (187). Lastly, with Rodrigues, he underlines the fact the difficulty that all expectations were completely torn down as well with a different culture. Rodrigues explains that coming to the new country, he thought he definitely would have had a house and have been adapted into the lives of the Japanese. Now, he is having everything he expected, with a wife, in all the ways he did not expect, like apostocising and being broken down by the culture (188). Kichijiro still tried to come back to Rodrigues, even though he apostatised many times, which is very confusing for the readers on what his state is in with Christianity (201). This shows how hard it is with different perspectives to display faith as a Christian. Where Rodrigues comes from, martyrism is extremely honored, but for the Japanese, it seems like something they did not grow up hearing. This is why I believe Kichijiro is having such a hard time committing, but at the same time there were Japanese who did not apostacise when Rodrigues and Ferreria did. At the end, it seems as thought Rodrigues (most likely Ferreria as well) is trying to justify it as all a part of God’s plan, “Everything that had taken place until now had been necessary to bring him to this love. ‘Even now I am the last priest in this land. But Our Lord was not silent. Even if he had been silent, my life until this day would have been spoken of him’” (191). This speaks volumes in Rodrigues’ state as a Christian or at least in his heart what he believed, it all speaks to the difficult journey he had as a priest and what he came to conclude after the hardships and apostacising that he went through.
Katie Lebo
ReplyDeleteKichijiro, Ferriera, Rodrigues all apostatize at one point throughout the book. How they come to this point differs between all three of them. Their faiths all differ after they apostatize. Rodrigues and Kichijiro deep down still believe in Christianity and want to practice, but are unable to because of the strict laws set into place in Japan. Rodrigues in a way still practices his faith. On page 191, “The priest had administered that sacrament that only the priest can administer.” Rodrigues let Kichijiro confess his sins to him, an act that only priests can do. Rodrigues cares about Kichijiro and let him confess his sins to him so he could help Kichijiro with internal struggles. On page 191, Rodrigues says “No doubt he was his fellow priests would condemn his act as sacrilege; but even if he was betraying them, he was not betraying his Lord. He loved him now in a different way from before.” Since going through what Rodrigues went through when he entered the country of Japan and apostatizing, he has never felt closer to the Lord and has loved him more than he ever could have. We do see Rodrigues blending into his new life as an apostatized priest on page 186, when he adopted the name of Okada San’emon. Rodrigues is a little apprehensive to taking the wife, but he doesn’t care about adopting the name. Ferriera has completely apostatized his faith. On page 144, we find out that Ferriera has taken a Japanese name and is writing a book about astronomy. On page 146, Ferriera tries to get Rodrigues to apostatize so that the Japanese can get rid of the Christians in the country. I believe that Kichijiro is truly a Christian deep down. Even though he went back and forth multiple times throughout the novel, I really think that he does have love for Christ. On page 190, Kichijiro comes to Rodrigues to confess his sins about trampling on the picture of Christ. He comes to Rodrigues in tears begging for forgiveness for what he has done. This goes to show that he still cares and doesn’t to have to deal with the guilt.
It is impossible to tell what truly lies in Ferriera’s heart and know his true beliefs about Christianity, but evidenced by the book, I believe that Ferriera truly has lost his faith in God. First of all, Ferriera is writing a book that aims to shows the errors of Christianity (155). If he truly believed in God and if was truly still a Christian, he would not have written this book. Also towards the end of the book, it is revealed that Ferriera is aiding the Japanese government in crippling the Dutch missionary endeavor and Ferriera is betraying the Catholics that are among the Dutch traders (193). On the other hand, Rodrigues is very open about how he feels about Jesus after his apostasy. Rodrigues administers the sacrament of confession to Kichijiro (203). If he really had denounced Christianity and lost his faith, then he would have refused to perform a sacrament. Also, Rodrigues thinks to himself, “No doubt his fellow priests would condemn his act as sacrilege; but even if he was betraying them, he was not betraying his Lord. He loved him now in a different way from before” (203). Rodrigues openly acknowledges that he has a relationship with God, which means that he believes himself to be a Christian. Kichijiro is harder to figure out. I think that he believes himself to be a Christian but he does not have the right definition of what it is to be a Christian. He comes back to Rodrigues again and again asking for forgiveness and at the end of the book, he appeals to Rodrigues for forgiveness again (203). If Kichijiro were a true Christian, he would not have apostatized so many times. On multiple occasions Japan is described as a “swamp” where Christianity can’t grow (158). Ferriera certainly believes this and so does Rodrigues. Ferriera, Rodrigues and Kichijiro exhibit the differences between Japanese and European culture. Kichijiro and the Japanese Christians are more dramatic and have a more fanatic energy than the European priests. These differences in culture reveal that Christianity and Japan were not as compatible as the priests thought.
ReplyDeleteHaley Melita
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the book, Kichijiro, Ferreira, and Rodrigues all aspostize. However, in my opinion I believe that Kichijiro and Rodrigues are still Christians. Throughout the course of the story, Kichijiro has always struggled with his faith. He shows many signs of weakness especially when pressure by Japaneses authorities. Although he renounces his faith, I still consider him to be a Christian when the story concludes. This is because Kichijiro acknowledges when he has done wrong and finds his was back to Rodrigues in order to confess his sins, “Father, I betrayed you. I trampled on the picture of Christ...In this world are the strong and the weak. The strong never yield to torture, and they go to Paradise; but what about those, like myself, who are born weak, those who, when tortured and ordered to trample on the sacred image…” (202-203). Here, Kichijiro is proving that he is still a Christian by confessing his sins once again. LIkewise, Rodrigues is still a Christian even though he has also apostatized. Throughout the book, Rodrigues has struggled with the idea of Christ being silent during times of need, “My struggle with Christianity was in my own heart” (199). Rodrigues uses this doubt to reaffirm his beliefs and strengthen his religion through God, “Even now I am the last priest in this land. But our Lord was not silent. Even if he had been silent, my life until this day would have spoken of him” (204). It is because Kichijiro and Rodrigues still believe and show signs of faith that they can be considered Christians. In contrast, Ferriera, in my opinion, is not a Christian. This can be seen when Rodrigues recalls Ferriera stating that Christianity cannot exist in Japan, “‘I’ve told you. This country of Japan is not suited to the teaching of Christianity. Christianity simply cannot put down roots here.’ The priest remembered how Ferreira has said exactly the same thing at Saishoji” (199.) Not only has Ferreira admitted that Christianity does cannot survive in Japan, he has given up efforts to practice this faith. Despite these differences among the characters, together they help to explain the difficulties of bringing a radically different culture into Japan. Specifically, Rodrigues and other fellow Japanese Christians faced severe scrutiny from Japanese authorities, “9th July. An image of the Virgin Mary was discovered in the house of a citizen here. The household was immediately sent to prison and cross-examined” (190). Additionally, Kichijiro acting like a coward at times, Rodrigues occasionally questioning his faith, and Ferriera trying to convince others to apostatize represents the fear all three felt to be practicing Christians in Japan. This is mainly due to the extreme violence from the guards, “7th August. The two songs of the executed parents I mentioned elsewhere were bound and carried on the back of lean horses together with another victim, passing by the Firm, to the execution ground, where they were beheaded” (193). This reveals how strict Japanese authorities were and the great lengths they were willing to go to in order to preserve the culture.
Kichijiro apostatized various times, yet until the end he shows signs of still being a Christian despite the fact that he recognizes he was born weak (203). Later on, Kichijiro is inspected for suspicious behavior. They find an amulet case which had the image of St. Paul and St. Peter on one side and Xavier and an angel on the other (207). Though Kichijiro never builds a platform for his faith to stand stern upon, he does represent a persistent believer who is loyal even when he apostasizes.
ReplyDeleteFerriera, in my opinion, would be Christian if the culture in Japan were different. However, due to the circumstances he is not, and the priest remembers how Ferreira had said that Japan is not suited to the teaching of Christianity (199). Ferriera previously communicated that Japan cannot accept the Christian values because it is not the universal truth, it cannot be accepted everywhere. Ferriera, like Kichijiro, does not stand on his own platform and trades off into the side of the Japanese government. In fact, he "testified in Edo to the Supreme Authorities that there are many Roman Catholics among the Dutch and in Holland" (192). He goes against what he previously believed in to counter the spread of Christianity.
Lastly, Rodrigues, though he does not stay true to himself he does internally stay true to his religion. As Kichijiro comes to him for a confession, Rodrigues reluctantly does it even though he acknowledges that he no longer is a priest. Despite his actions, he strongly believed he was not betraying His Lord even if his colleagues believed he was betraying them (203). Rodrigues continues to put his faith and the people of Japan above everything else because he believes he is fulfilling his purpose given to him by God. Furthermore, Rodrigues states that his struggle was with Christianity in his own heart (199). I think Rodrigues believed this journey he was put through for the people, and in some aspects it was. However, it was ultimately for him to examine his faith and continue to pursue it in a different aspect that is seen at the end of the book.
These three characters portray the difficulties faced when trying to share a religion like Christianity from Europe to a different culture because they contrast the views of the people. Rodrigues never realized that Christianity can be believed in a different way than the one he believed until the end of the book. He tried to inflict his views into the Japanese culture for sake of those that were Christian. He was unsuccessful because of the vast majority of non-believers who had authority. He may have been successful if he approached it in a different aspect that was still like. It is difficult to transfer certain believes to a new atmosphere when perspectives are thought in different ways.
Dalton Shettle
ReplyDeleteDuring this book, it is evident that at one point each Kichijiro, Ferreira, and Rodrigues were all devout Christians. As a result of being in Japan, and being captured by the Japanese Government, there faith has been tested and almost clawed out of them. The thing that the Japanese government is trying to accomplish by getting people to Apostatize is to have them completely leave their relationship with God and their life as a Christian. The first piece of evidence I would like to look at, that may give us an idea of what Rodrigues's current state of being a Christian can be found on page 186 when it says, "'There is a house prepared for you there, father. It is a house in Kobinatacho, the place where I used to live.' Had the Lord of Chikugo deliberately used the word 'father'? It cut bitterly into the priest's flesh" (186). This gives us the idea that he is still aware of himself as being a Christian since he is still responsive to the word "father". Another piece of evidence that shows us how Rodrigues feels about his new life after Apostatizing and moving away from Christianity is shown on page 186 when it says, "The priest had been listening to those words with downcast eyes. Behind his eyelids arose the picture of a slope down which he kept slipping endlessly" (186). This quote shows how Father Rodrigues, now just Rodrigues, feels like he doesn't have any control of his life anymore or with his relationship with God as a Christian. Evidence of how the Japanese see the difference between the mercy of the Christian God and that of Buddha can be found on page 187 when it says, "For in Japan salvation is from the mercy of the Buddha upon whom people depend out of their hopeless weakness. And one father... -- in addition the believer must retain with all his might and strength of heart" (187). This piece of evidence gives us an idea of how the Japanese see their religion compared to Christianity. Another piece of evidence that shows how difficult it is to bring a religion like Christianity from Europe to Japan can be found on page 188 when it says, "'The Christianity you brought to Japan has changed its form and has become a strange thing,' said the Lord of Chikugo as he heaved a sigh from the depths of his bosom. 'Japan is that kind of country; it can't be helped. Yes, father...'" (188). A piece of evidence that shows Kishijiro's relationship with Christ towards the end of this book, as well as Father Rodrigues's can be found on page 191 when it says, "'Since in this country there is now no one else to hear your confession, I will do it... Say the prayers after confession... Go in peace!' Kichijiro wept softly; then he left the house. The priest had administered that sacrament that only the priest can administer... He loved him now in a different way from before" (191). The last piece of evidence that shows that Kichijiro had a relationship wih Christ can be found on pages 196 and 197 where it says, "On searching his pocket (Kichijiro) at the Enclosed Guardhouse, there was found in the amulet-case he wore hung from his neck an image to which the Christians pay respect..." (196-197).
Austin Greene
ReplyDeleteThroughout this novel, the characters all have their own complicated personal nature. Kichijiro might be the most complicated character to look at from the audience’s POV. Kichijiro comes running back to Rodrigues begging for forgiveness from his sins (284). He admits that he is weak when it comes to his faith and that fact is prevalent throughout the novel, especially when it comes to apostatizing (284). Although we may think poorly of this character, it seems like he understands his faults to a certain extent. There is a reason for him to continue running back to the faith throughout the story and that reason seems to be that he does actually have faith. Another character that we get to see towards the end of the story is Ferriera. Ferriera was given a different name, “Sawano Chuan”(270). This shows that he had adapted to the Japanese culture almost completely. He also gave away information on Christians around the world and would assist the government in finding them (271-272). The last character that I am going to talk about is Rodrigues. Rodrigues is the character that the audience gets the best internal look at. Although we see Rodrigues apostatize earlier, there is still evidence that he is a devoted Christian (274-275) . In one situation, a person was in trouble for having a coin bearing the image of a Saint and he was facing torture, and instead of turning his back on him, Rodrigues appealed for mercy for the man demonstrated he was advocating for the faith (269). Also, it is apparent that Rodrigues is still strong on his faith because in the case of Kichijiro, after he comes back once more, it is said that Rodrigues loved Kichijiro differently, and that all of the past struggles had been a very important part in bringing him to this point in his faith (286). It is seen that there is a major cultural difference between the Portuguese priests and the Japanese natives by the way that they understand Christianity.
The various forms of narration in Silence make it difficult to understand exactly what happens to Father Rodrigues in the end. The book begins with personal letters from Rodrigues, then goes into a third person narrative. Then, in chapter ten, a clerk at a Dutch firm writes about “Padre Rodrigues, the apostate Portuguese” (191). This analysis is very straightforward: Father Rodrigues is an apostate, but one cannot know the spiritual turmoil that Rodrigues experiences simply by reading the clerk’s rudimentary description. In the latter part of the chapter, the omniscient narrator returns and speaks about Rodrigues in the third person. We receive some insight into the ex-priest’s feelings, as the narrator relates, “Everything that had taken place until now had been necessary to bring him to this love” (198). In the appendix, an officer at the residence for uncovered Christians describes Rodrigues by his Japanese name (Okada San’emon) and as one who is totally disconnected from the Christian faith. The officer says that when San’emon is asked if he tried to convert Kichijiro, he denies it adamantly (208). The difficulty of composing a narrative from different sources rests in the fact that we cannot know the subject’s emotions or how the subject is perceived by others from one source only. Multiple sources are needed for a complete narrative.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Rodrigues is housed and fed by the Japanese government and is being used to deter Christianity in Japan. San’emon (his Japanese name) is “placed under charge of Inoue” and lives “in the Enclosed Building” (211). We know for sure that he is put under the care of the government. The next detail gives insight into his activities: “Sane’mon is to write a disavowal of his religion” (206). He is also “always attended by a couple of guards on duty” (208). For these reasons, I believe that the Japanese government is providing for Rodrigues while they use him to eradicate the Christian faith from Japan, mostly through his writings.
Benjamin M Aaron
ReplyDeleteKichijiro, Ferreira, and Rodriguez to me, are very similar but at the same time, very different. I will say that in reading that sentence, I see one that truly did stand out as one who had a solid moral compass. The man of whom I speak is Rodriguez. The others did what apostatized to save their own skin, but Rodriguez did it to save other people’s lives. So, with this information, where do we go from here? All we can do is assess (really, more speculate) how much of a Christian these men are. We can begin with Ferreira. When Rodriguez first encountered him, he seemed to have that of a defeatist mentality; but near the end of the book when they are working together, he states “Our God”. Could this be a habitual slip of the tongue or a meaningful phrase in passing. At this quick quip we can only speculate, but I will say this; what can one really do now that he was given a wife and a son? Put them in danger? I believe that he realized that. As far as Kichijiro; I do believe him when he says that he was born with a weak heart and was scared, but with that, he constantly seeks forgiveness. Is this out of guilt or the knowledge that he is weak but seeks evermore to be stronger? I believe that he is a Christian. We are all made in these imperfect and weak bodies, but with God we are stronger. Rodriguez, I believe, maintained his beliefs. Even though he apostatized, it was not necessarily of his own volition. He was coerced into making that decision. I believe that if that was indeed a true scenario, that God would of course understand the struggles that they all went through.
I believe the main difficulty of teaching Christianity in the country of Japan vice Portugal or any European countries is that the cultures vary too much. With just about everyone in Europe at least having heard of Christianity/ Jesus Christ and the general knowledge of their being a God that transcends mankind, there is a significant more level of ease in converting people and getting them to understand the premise of Christianity. Japan is the absolute opposite; they do not comprehend God as they do in the west and see it as a human that has reached his highest level. This creates a disparity in between the two worlds as it were and makes it nearly impossible to grasp what the missionaries were saying.
While historical documents like that of battle reports and trade logs are useful for the empirical side of history, they of fail to take in emotion and differing perspective (as the ‘winner’ or survivor of history decides the narrative). For example, both the Dutch and Japanese reports utilize very empirical wording (“Okada San'emon died of illness at 2-3 past the hour of the Monkey.” (200) and “Okada San'emon is engaged in writing a book.” (196) nothing of opinion on the morality of the book’s nature or whether he’s begrudgingly writing it) with the only time opinion appearing being in that of an off-hand remark from the Dutch report (“I almost wish death on that rascal who ignores God; our Firm will only get into trouble because of him.” (184)). A source of error in these documents (taking the rest of the book at face-value and assuming its legitimacy), we see that in the Japanese report, Rodrigues (Okada San’emon) reports that “he answered he had never tried to convert him at all” (198) which we can tell is false as several times did Rodrigues accept Kichijiro’s confession in an attempt for purity and renewal of that of his Christianity (which he had ‘lost’ several times via apostatizing). This empirical account of course doesn’t know that, and ergo it is left out of what the ‘true’ history is. Both the failure and boon of that of historical documents is that facts ignore opinion, and opinion is oft misguided without all the facts.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to the final situation of that of Rodrigues, there’s of course his final entry on him: his death, of which being caused by when “He fell ill” (200) and quickly succumbed to such. In terms of his general life, he continued to be that of a milquetoast Christian and partially denied both his faith and truth (“he answered he had never tried to convert [Kichijiro] at all” (198) and “Okada San’emon [Father Rodrigues] is engaged in writing a disavowal of his religion at the command of Totominokami” (196)). Partially in that he was forced to write it as it was not of his own volition, and that, for someone who has quite a lot of his time at hand due to not being able to do anything without immediate observation, it takes him quite a bit of time to complete this book (“From 20th January to 8th February. Okada San’emon is engaged in writing a disavowal of his religion,” (196) to “Okada San’emon is to write a disavowal of his religion from 14th June to 24th July,” (196), 7 months for his book). In terms of integration into Japanese life, he doesn’t seem to be all there. For example, when the report list the of the residents with Rodrigues, the list does not make mention of any children (“cousin,” “cousin,” “nephew” (all page 195)), meaning that he never broke his celibacy and never actually connected on the emotional and physical to the Japanese. However, he does have fondness for that of Japanese culture when “He tried to imitate the children's song in a low voice; but he could not sing-and this thought made him sad” (189), meaning he had some desire to participate in the lifestyle of the Japanese, but his confinement is and withering soul prevented him from doing such. In conclusion, Father Rodrigues remained on his path of a withering body that similarly had a withering morality, but a spark of hope somewhere still remained within him, but he was never able to return to his jolly enthusiasm like that of the beginning of the book, or his biting cynicism like that of his time in prison.
Heather Penna
ReplyDeleteThroughout Silence, by Shusaku Endo, there are times it is difficult to determine whether or not a character is a Christian. Specifically, it is hard to tell whether or not a character is a true Christain after apostacy. When in a different culture it is not only difficult to share your beliefs, but also to hold on to those beliefs. These statements held very true for the characters Kichijiro, Ferriera, and Rodrigues. After following these characters throughout the story, it is difficult to fully understand where they stand in their religious beliefs after immense persecution and apostacy.
Kichijiro denies being a Christian numerous time throughout the book. On page 24, Garrpe asks Kichijiro if he is a Christian and he denies it. Later, Rodrigues learns that Kichijiro is indeed a Christain who apostatized (pg.40). Apostacy, in and of itself is denying Christ.
Ferriera was priest before his apostacy. Rodrigues is shocked to learn that not only did Ferriera apostatize (pg.152), but he is also writing a book claiming that Christianity is wrong (pg. 155). Ferriera apostatized in order to save others, but completely turns away from his faith later (pg. 180).
Rodrigues remains strong in his faith throughout the book, until he hears the cries of the Japanese being suspended over the pit (pg. 177). Rodrigues apostatizes because he believes the Lord is telling him to do so. He holds on to his faith, but questions it legitimacy after he denies Christ (pg.203)
Ultimately, it can be concluded that Rodrigues and Kichijiro are most likely still Christians. This is because every time they have denied Christ or turned away from him they end up returning to him. Ferriera, on the other hand, is most likely not a true Christian because his apostacy complete turns him away from Christ.
These characters show the difficulty in bringing a religion to a different culture, through the fact that at one point or another, all these characters claim to turn away from being a follower of Christ. Being in a different culture can test and change your faith in huge ways. It is much harder to hold onto your beliefs when you are in place where those beliefs are being constantly criticized.
It seems to me, after all that had happened to Kichijiro, Ferriera and Rodrigues, Kichijiro was the strongest Christian out of the three men. “Please hear my confession” (190). “Kichijiro wept softly;… The priest had administered that sacrament that only the priest can administer” (191). Kichijiro kept coming back, with sincerity, asking Father Rodrigues to hear his confession and asking for absolution; however, Father Rodrigues only went through with the steps of the sacrament to get rid of Kichijiro and not knowing whether or not he could truly absolve him of his sins. He also continued to wear Christian images on his person. “On searching his pocket at the Enclosed Guardhouse, there was found in the amulet-case he wore hung from his neck and image to which Christians pay respect, with St. Paul and St. Peter on one side and Xavier and an angel on the other” (196-197). As for Ferriera, there isn’t much mentioned about him, but it seems to me that he had completely apostatized and no longer believed in God or Christianity. I see Father Rodrigues’ faith much changed from the young missionary who came to Japan willingly to fight for the Christian faith in Japan. “…but even if he was betraying them, he was not betraying his Lord. He loved him now in a different way from before” (191). Father Rodrigues had come to realize that God was not silent but suffering along with him through all the trying times he had faced. “Lord, I resented your silence” (190). “I was not silent. I suffered beside you” (191). It also seems he realized the Christianity that was practiced in Europe would not and could not be practiced the same way in Japan. The deep roots of Buddhism in the Japanese culture would make bringing in a new faith a very difficult task. Again, I see that as being the most difficult part of missionary work. It is very easy to revert back to a culture you grew up in and are very familiar with, rather than to stand against the government of your country and be tortured for a faith that is new and not as familiar as the faith you were raised in. In the end, Father Rodrigues or Okada San’emon died broken and alone in a country to which he had come to in order to become a part of the faith community.
ReplyDeleteNathalia Goncalves
ReplyDeleteIn Shusaku Endo’s “Silence,” it is difficult to characterize the main characters as Christians and non-Christians. More precisely, rather than just these two categories, each character then represents the broad spectrum of Christianity’s existence in Japan. Kichijiro’s character represents Christianity as a private faith rather than just a public religion. Although he had a strong private faith, he was seen as a coward when expressing Christianity in public. This is seen during the many times he apostatizes but ends up always returning to his faith. This is further emphasized after Kichijiro asks Father Rodrigues to hear his confession. Kichijiro is weeping about how weak he is, and Father Rodrigues finally says: “there are neither the strong nor the weak. Can anyone say that the weak do not suffer more than the strong?” (203). Here, Father Rodrigues is finally realizing that there is a broad spectrum to Christianity and he is also realizing that Kichijiro’s faith may be stronger than anyone could possibly imagine. Even after being shamed for his weakness, Kichijiro always came back to his faith. During this same part of the book, we can also see Father Rodriguez’s faith evolving. He states that “no doubt his fellow priests would condemn his act as sacrilege; but even if he was betraying them, he was not betraying his Lord” referring to him listening to Kichijiro’s confession even though he is a fallen priest (202). It is at this point of the story that Father Rodriguez stops seeing Christianity as just a public religion, or only through the Church and is then able to develop an intimate relationship with God. This represents how many of the priests were so caught up in the spread of Christianity through the Church, that they neglected the development of their personal faith in God. Kichijiro and Father Rodriguez keep seeing each other until his Father Rodriguez’s death. When the guards “found in the amulet-case [Kichijiro] wore from his neck an image to which Christians pay respect,” it leads the reader to believe that both Father Rodriguez and Kichijiro kept practicing their faith in silence (207). When Father Rodriguez dies and is cremated, it emphasizes the fact that although he had a Buddhist funeral and not a Christian burial, he at least died with his faith and a closer relationship with God. Although religious traditions are important, faith is the one thing that cannot be taken away from you, even when you die (212). When Inoue repeats the same words that Ferreira said earlier in the novel “this country of Japan is not suited to the teaching of Christianity. Christianity simply cannot put down roots here,” it emphasizes how the cultural difference played a huge role in why Christianity did not take off in Japan (199). It is difficult to say whether Ferreira is a Christian in the end, but because he told Father Rodriguez to apostatize to save the Christians because “Christ would have apostatized for them,” I believe there is at least some faith left in him (181).
Carrolline Kickhoefer
ReplyDeleteHistory Since 1500
Blog Post #5
I believe that deep down Kichijiro, Ferreira, and Father Rodrigues are Christians in their heart. I think one example that shows Kichijiro is still a Christian is that he tries to go and repent by saying “Father, forgive me!”(174) I think that this shows Kichijiro regrets turning Father Rodrigues over to the authorities (83). I believe that this is a sign of his true Christian heart. As for Father Rodrigues, I believe that he is also a Christian at heart. I believe that he still wants to convert Japan to Christianity as well. I think he chose to apostatize when he heard “the moaning of Christians hanging in the pit.” (177) I believe because he is Christian he apostatized to but them out of their misery. And then last is Ferreira I think he is Christian but maybe believe that Japan is just a lost hope. Earlier in the book Ferreira claims that Japan is like a swamp, making the growth of the sapling of Christianity impossible (158). Because of this I feel like Ferreira was really quick to give up. With all three of these men’s circumstances combined I feel liked they are Christians but were put through extreme misery in pain. Both Father Rodrigues and Ferreira were kept in a tiny prison cells for days on end (172). I think that Christianity is hard to transfer over to Japanese culture because the government officials will lose a lot over power as the Christian believer will choose to stand next to their faith instead of listening to them. They had tons of Japanese Christians working out in fields and being herded like animals (124), but could easily be treated much better if they would just choose to give up their faith.
Ferreira carried out Inoue’s view of Christianity not being able to spread in the “swamps” of Japan back in Chapters 7-8 but was reaffirmed in Chapter 10 as Rodrigues was speaking to Inoue. (199) For instance, during his “lecture” to convince Rodrigues, Ferreira went on about how Japanese Christians weren’t real Christians. They didn’t serve the same God that they served. He went on about how Rodrigues and himself were different kinds of Christians in comparison to the Japanese Christians. He believed that Japanese Christians were incapable of seeing God as a higher power and past a human-like form. He believed that the Japanese formed this abstract versus the God that Rodrigues and the other priests had been teaching and raising them to believe. (160-163) Ferreira during his apostasy, along with other things, fed such beliefs to himself in a way to relieve his convictions of apostatizing and give reasoning as to why he gave up on his mission to spread Christianity. In this, Ferreira is showing a sense of disbelief in his faith and the power of Christianity in itself, expressed coward-esque behavior, and actually gave up his faith and renounced himself as a Christian completely changed his identity.
ReplyDeleteRodrigues was different from Ferreira as he never completely gave up on God, even when he doubted his faith. Even when he trampled the fumie, he perceived that moment as God instructing him to do it and believed God to be understanding. (202-203) In Chapter 9-10, it’s clear that Rodrigues didn’t truly renounce his faith and he reconditions his faith in God. He grew a different relationship with God with exuded a different kind of love for God. Rodrigues, I believe, is an example of what most loyal Christians would do if put in the same predicament. Many Christians experience doubt/disbelief and a sense of silence in our modern, 21st century everyday lives, so its unimaginable how much strength it took to uphold their faith in such treacherous conditions. But to have your identity ripped from you, have declared by government officials that you are no longer able to go back to your native land, and forced into an identity and life of a deceased man is just completely baffling to comprehend. (198-201) However, instead of accepting his circumstance and have a similar outcome as Ferreira, Rodrigues saw this experience as an opportunity to hold on to his faith and grow deeper with God. (203-204)
Kichijiro is understood to be the back-stabbing coward of the book; but in reality, I feel as though he is just a person consumed by his convictions and is stuck on repeat. Kichijiro throughout the book continues to renounce his faith in convenience to his lifespan but then announces his guilt and asks for forgiveness through confessions. What’s mainly ironic through all of this is that the person that Kichijiro continues to go back to for confessionals is the person he betrayed, Rodrigues. Even in Rodrigues’ darkest moments (174; 202-203), Kichijiro makes these surprise appearances to confess his sins through Rodrigues and to get a sense of relief from his guilt. Kichijiro is stuck in this cycle due to him not making any changes to who is. He continues to say that he’s weak and apologizes and weeps, but because of his actions, is there any truth behind his tears?
Ryan McConnell
ReplyDeleteOver the course of the book the three characters of Kichijiro, Ferriera and Rodrigues drastically changed throughout the story. Each of them possessed a different view of Christianity at the end of the book compared to the beginning. In the case of Rodrigues, at the beginning of the book he was extremely righteous in his efforts to spread Christianity throughout Japan. But by the end of the book "Rodrigues, the Portuguese apostate priest, informed them that the decision was made in Macao to send priests to Japan by Dutch vessels from India" (180). This radical change in behavior shows how Rodrigues has grown a more realistic view on the world. He realized that the only reason why the Japanese Christians were being persecuted was because of the European priests that had come to Japan. Rodrigues and the Christianity that he had previously perceived as superior "were defeated by this swamp of Japan" (187). He realized that, at this time, Japanese culture and Christianity simply cannot coexist right now, so he does his best to stop more people from getting hurt. Ferriera's identity as a Christian probably had the most drastic change. He went from a self-righteous priest who had taught many priests such as Rodrigues the way of God, to becoming a regular Japanese citizen who even had a wife. By the end of the book "even if the Christians and the clergy look upon [him] as a blot on the history of the mission, that no longer [mattered] to [him]" (187). Ferriera may not be the same type of Christian as he was at the beginning of the book, but he is still considered a Christian. He has adapted what kind of Christian he is to the Japanese culture because he realized the fact that the "country of Japan is not suited to the teaching of Christianity" (187). The most evident example of Christianity and Japanese culture not mixing at the time can be seen through the character of Kichijiro. Throughout the book he faces an internal battle between doing what is morally right and what can keep him alive. By the end of the book Kichijiro can be considered Christian because he was "administered [the] sacrament that only the priest can administer" (191). This shows his effort towards being forgiven for being a Judas. He may be considered a Christian by the end of the book, but for the most part he was not considered one because of his acts of betrayal. Kichijiro was also forgiven because "God knows our weakness more than anyone" and had a plan all along for Kichijiro to try to overcome it (190).
Kichijiro, Ferriera, and Rodrigues are all Christians throughout the novel. At the end of the novel I believe they are all still Christians at heart even though they all apostatized. At the end of chapter eight, Rodrigues tramples the Fumie, “The priest raised his foot. In it he feels a dull, heavy pain… The priest placed his foot on the Fumie”. (pg. 183). Kichijiro’s relation to Christ is not as strong as Ferriera or Rodrigues but he apostatized very early on in comparison to Rodrigues. He wishes for forgiveness from Rodrigues when they are near each other and although Rodrigues cannot see him, Kichijiro shouts out “Father forgive me! I’ve come to make my confession and receive absolution. Forgive me!” repeatedly he asks for the priests’ forgiveness (Pg. 174). The only reason they all apostatize is to receive freedom from Inoue and be save from torture or even death. We all knew there was going to be a downfall of Rodrigues in the end and being the reader, we feel disappointed by the Japanese “winning the battle” over religion. Rodrigues is also very disappointed as he feels he has let himself and his followers down, as well as failing his mission. In chapter ten, many difficulties were viewed as to how Rodrigues and the others all snuck into japan. “it had been decided that priests should enter the Dutch firm in Europe as workmen or sailors to sail over to Nagasaki, Japan” (Pg. 192). This shows the strict laws of Japan and how they don’t appreciate western religion by any means. On top of religion being an issue, the priests put the Dutch firm at risk as well. “One is a Portugese called Chuan who used to be the provincial of the Society of Jesus here and is blackhearted; the other priest called Rodrigues from Lisbon, Portugal” (Pg. 195). Saying that they both live in Nagasaki, they must enjoy Japan. “… go and receive the fumie plaque and to check each houses observance of the practice of the trampling of the fumie” (Pg. 197). This shows that although the priests have apostatized and live free, the fumie exercise is still performed to help rid of Christianity throughout Japan. In America, Christianity never faced an issue with having to stop another religion from arising besides looking at the cold war where communism was the red scare throughout America, but that isn’t a religion.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKichijiro, Ferriera, and Rodrigues have all dealt with the extreme difficulties of traveling to the new country of Japan from Portugal and having their faiths taken away from them. They all ended up apostatizing because Christianity is not accepted in Japan. If they were still in Europe, they would not have had to deal with those hardships and they would be able to practice their religion freely. On page 187, Inoue is explaining that Japan is “not suited to the teaching of Christianity.” This is the main difference between Christianity in Europe compared to Japan. Ferriera had a hard time not apostatizing because he was convinced by another priest who was “told” by the Christ on the fumie not to trample it (187). While Ferriera was not confident in his faith and was shaking, he was finally convinced to apostatize and renounce his faith. This shows that he would have most likely stayed strong in his faith if he had stayed in Europe and not come to Japan. Kichijiro is someone throughout the whole book that has gone back and forth with his faith but ultimately is trying to be good at the root. On page 189, he is still asking the priest to hear his confession. He tries so hard to be Christian, but is constantly sinning and he knows it. On page 190, he admits that he “betrayed” Christ and “trampled on the picture of Christ.” He feels shameful when he sins, showing that he still does have that connection to Christianity still, whether he is fully practicing it or not. In the appendix on page 197, he is found with a necklace of sorts which is “an image to which the Christians pay respect.” Even through all that he has been through, he found this and wears it in order to be close to Christ. Despite all of his wrongdoings, he tries hard to be a good Christian, even if he rarely succeeds. Rodrigues is the strongest in his faith to compared to the others to me. It seems as if event though he apostatized, he is still trying to do good in the situation he is in. When a family was found with Christian items in their household and were to be tortured, Rodrigues begged the government to not hurt them (179). Even though this did not make a difference to the government, I feel as if it is a testament to how he is acting which is Christian-like. Even though he made the decision to apostatize, he uses every opportunity he has to make up for it.
ReplyDeleteAshton Peckinpah
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most interesting characters in the book is Kichijiro himself. He again and again denies his faith, and it is so obviously seen time and time he steps on the fumie. Even with his lack of faith, he continuously asks for forgiveness (191). "Please hear my confession. If even the Apostle Paul has the power to hear confessions, please give me the absolution for my sins" Kichijiro confesses (190). Kichijiro seems like an individual who is weak and almost cowardly.. However, what if he is actually born weak? "The strong never yield to torture, and they go to Paradise; but what about those, like myself, who are born weak, those who, when tortured and ordered to trample on the scared image..." exclaims Kichijiro (190). I have struggled with understanding his character and how he could truly be a Christian. However, I have no idea what it is like to go under the scrutiny of the Japanese emperor. Was Kichijiro simply protecting himself out of selfish manner or was he incapable of clinging to his faith in Christ?
As for Ferreira, he is the one character that I lack sympathy for. He not only went to Japan to spread Christianity, he had a whole host of individuals back home believing in him and his fight to convert the Japanese. However, he ended up doing the very opposite of what he was doing when he first arrived in Japan. Through his discussion with Father Rodrigues, it becomes quite obvious that Ferriera has been through the ringer and back in terms of his faith. Even his hopes for it to reach the Japanese people. "This country of Japan is not suited to the teaching of Christianity. Christianity simply cannot put down roots here" (187) claims Ferriera. Ferriera is mainly meaning that the Japanese people have their own way of worshipping and Christianity is just not a 'counter-culture' that will plow through Japan. The main argument against Ferriera's claim is Rodrigues himself. He has an understanding of Christianity begin present in Japan for centuries and centuries before. I think Ferriera became weak at the end of it all and just pretending to act like he no longer thought Christianity was the only way.
Now for the main and overarching character that guides the course of the entire book, Father Rodrigues. Rodrigues consistently struggled with his faith throughout the book, however, I do not think he expressed it as often as the other. Rodrigues held out about stepping on the fumie (180) as well as many other sacrifices. But how do we know he consistently did as the Lord wanted him to do? Was he really God-like in his presence and speech? Or did he simply just think of himself that way? The answer to this question can either raise him up or completely crush him down. Even when Rodrigues is about to step on the fumie for the first time, the Lord proclaims, "I am with you" (162). That is incredible to think that the Lord directly answers his prayers by just telling him. Even more so, the Lord claimed that He was "not silent, but, suffered beside Rodrigues" (190). For each of the characters, the Lord was always with them. Even when they deciding to apostatize because Christianity was not an accepted religion in Japan. Its hard to piece together whether or not he did what he had to do or did it out of selfish pity. However, like I mentioned earlier, it is almost impossible to justify how one would act without being there. Even through Rodrigues did not acknowledge God afterwards, he constantly held it close to his heart.
Did they successful complete the mission they were going there to do? Or did they find another way to find hope, just in a different culture?