The Power and the Glory Summary
Description
Here you will find a The Power and the Glory summary (Graham Greene's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters The Power and the Glory Summary Overview
The narrative begins with a clergyman, the last of his kind due to a ban on religion in his state, who misses his chance to escape the capital city when he's called to attend a dying woman. He finds refuge at a plantation and later visits a village, where he encounters his former lover, Maria, and their daughter, Brigida. He conducts mass for the villagers, but his nemesis, a lieutenant who despises religion, arrives in search of him. However, the priest goes unrecognized and the lieutenant, unaware that his quarry is within reach, seizes a hostage to ensure the villagers' honesty about the priest's whereabouts. The priest continues his journey, now accompanied by an uninvited and dubious man known as the mestizo who hopes to claim the reward for turning him in. However, when the mestizo falls ill, the priest manages to lose him and instead, heads back to the capital city. Disguised, the priest attempts to secure a bottle of wine to conduct mass but is arrested after a botched deal and chase. In jail, he confesses his identity to fellow prisoners but is released after encountering the lieutenant again and still going unrecognized. After escaping custody, the priest learns he's out of danger thanks to a man named Mr. Lehr who informs him that they're in a state where religion is permitted. Before setting off to Las Casas, he agrees to hear the confession of a dying outlaw named gringo, knowing it's a trap. As anticipated, he's recaptured by the lieutenant and tried in the capital city. On the eve of his execution, the priest struggles to repent for his sins. His execution is witnessed by Mr. Tench, who later reveals the priest's martyrdom to a boy, inspiring the latter to offer shelter to another priest seeking refuge.
part 1 chapter 1
Mr. Tench, a British dentist based in a small Mexican community, steps out to the riverbank to receive an ether shipment. In the scorching heat, he watches the boats, repeatedly forgetting his purpose there. He meets a stranger who's waiting for a Vera Cruz-bound boat. The stranger piques Tench's interest because he speaks English and has illicit alcohol. Tench invites him over for a drink. At Tench's house, the men share drinks and conversations. Tench reveals that he abandoned a family back in England and has ceased corresponding with his wife. The stranger appears unkempt and nervous, making odd remarks that puzzle Tench. Their time together is interrupted when a boy arrives, seeking help for his critically ill mother. The stranger reluctantly agrees to escort the boy home, realizing it might cause him to miss his boat. He promises Tench he'll pray for him before leaving. After his departure, Tench finds a book the stranger left behind – a banned religious text. Unaware of its significance but sensing potential trouble, Tench hides it. He rushes to the river upon remembering his forgotten ether, only to realize the ship has departed. A girl onboard sings a melancholic tune, feeling inexplicably content. Elsewhere, hearing the boat's whistle, the stranger realizes he's missed his ride. This fills him with despair and resentment towards the boy and his ill mother.
part 1 chapter 2
At the law enforcement office, the lieutenant, a harsh man, assesses his shabby police team with contempt. He disciplines some minor offenders in custody while expecting the arrival of the chief. The chief updates him about a discussion with the governor regarding the potential presence of remaining priests in the state. The lieutenant doubts this until the chief presents a photo of a chubby priest socialising with women at a religious event. Seeing this image, the lieutenant seethes with anger for the hypocrisy he believes the priests represent, living richly while their followers suffer. He places the priest's photograph next to that of James Calver, known as the gringo, who is a bank robber and killer. However, the lieutenant perceives the priests as more harmful to society than the gringo. In his view, capturing and executing a priest would benefit the state. Feeling a surge of determination, he vows to catch the priest within a month. To do so, he plans to take one hostage from every town, threatening their life to expose the priest. He rationalises that a few peasant lives are worth the capture of the state's last priest. Later, alone in his austere room, he bitterly reflects on his disdain for the false promises religion offers. He sees existence as meaningless, the universe as bleak and dying. Elsewhere, a mother narrates to her family the tale of Juan, a boy killed for his religious faith. Listening is the boy who previously sought medical aid for his supposedly dying mother at Mr. Tench's place. It is revealed that his mother is not ill, and his parents discuss the departure of the whiskey priest from the first chapter. They also talk about Padre Jose, a former priest who chose to marry and leave the priesthood instead of facing execution. In another location, Padre Jose spends his evening on his patio under the stars, filled with regret for his life choices. He fears execution and for that he gave up his role in the Church. He now sees his life as a symbol of cowardice and weak faith. As neighborhood children ridicule him, his wife calls him to bed.
part 1 chapter 3
Captain Fellows, an American who resides in Mexico, manages the "Central American Banana Company." His wife notifies him one day that their daughter, Coral, is conversing with a policeman about a fugitive priest. The policeman is the determined lieutenant looking for the priest. After a terse exchange with Captain Fellows, the officer leaves. Coral then reveals to her father that she denied the lieutenant's request to search their property as the priest is hidden in their barn. Shocked, Captain Fellows requests his daughter to lead him to the priest, telling the clergyman he isn't welcome there. The priest promises to leave politely, asking for some brandy which Captain Fellows refuses to provide. That evening, both Mr. and Mrs. Fellows are in bed, anxious and trying to disregard the noise of Coral's footsteps as she sneaks to the barn with food for the priest. Coral, being curious and kind, attentively listens to the priest's troubles. She innocently questions why the priest doesn't surrender if he's so unhappy as a fugitive. He clarifies that he can't give up his faith and it's his responsibility to stay free as long as possible as it's beyond his "power". Coral listens without expressing judgment and teaches the priest Morse Code for future communication. The priest manages to reach a tiny village and discovers a modest hut to rest in. Despite his desperate need for sleep, the locals start asking him to take their confessions. Eventually, he concedes to miss out on his sleep and fulfill his pastoral obligations. Overwhelmed by exhaustion and frustration, he breaks down in tears. A senior villager then steps outside and tells the villagers that the priest is inside, crying for their sins.
part 1 chapter 4
Feeling distant from his long-estranged wife Sylvia, Mr. Tench attempts to write her a letter but gets interrupted by a knock at the door. His mind is preoccupied by a recent visitor. Father Jose, in a graveyard, declines a group's request to pray for a deceased child. He feels his actions are monitored by the authorities and fears the repercussions if he is seen honoring religious practices openly. Despite their pleas, he refuses to help, feeling disgraced and powerless. A tale of a young martyr, Juan, causes a boy to question his faith, leading to a heated argument with his mother. His father, lacking strong religious beliefs, is saddened by the fading influence of the Church, which he saw as a community pillar. In the midst of a history lesson, Coral Fellows' mother expresses tiredness. Coral seizes the moment to discuss religious beliefs. Later, handling a neglected banana shipment, Coral starts feeling unwell. The lieutenant, authorized by the governor to pursue the priest using any means, discusses plans with the jefe. He proposes taking hostages from the priest's hometown. On his way back to the police station, a boy throws a rock at him. Seeing potential in the boy, he hopes to rid his life of ignorance. His desire to catch the priest and end his influence intensifies.
part 2 chapter 1
The priest is fleeing from the authorities on a mule and unintentionally heads towards his birthplace. Arriving, he's met by Maria, a former lover, who reveals her apprehension due to the police taking hostages in areas he's known to have been. Maria shows him to a hut where he meets Brigida, their illegitimate daughter. The priest is consumed with a sense of responsibility for her, wanting to shield her from harm. He wakes early to hold mass for the locals. Mid-service, they learn the police are nearing and by the time the mass is over, they're surrounded. The lieutenant, leading the police, questions each villager and on examining the priest's calloused hands, doesn't suspect him. The priest steps forward to be taken hostage, but the offer is declined and another villager is chosen instead. The priest says farewell to Maria, who's ashamed of him, and retrieves his discarded travel case from the rubbish heap. Brigida confronts him again, expressing her humiliation due to his actions. He comforts her, but acknowledges the violence and intolerance that has shaped her life. After expressing his love for her, he departs. He heads south to La Candelaria where he encounters a dubious mestizo. Despite their mutual suspicion, they travel together. The priest recognizes the mestizo's deceitful intent but is kept awake by the fear of betrayal. They rest in a hut, where the mestizo succumbs to fever. Although the priest attempts to leave in the darkness, his guilt forces him to stay and care for the mestizo. The priest admits to the mestizo that he's a priest and later switches places with the sick man, letting him ride the mule. As they near Carmen, the priest sends the mestizo one way while he takes another, leaving the feverish man protesting weakly. Fearing for the safety of the locals, the priest contemplates his next move.
part 2 chapter 2
In the heart of the city, the clergyman idly observes the crowd from his seat on a bench. A panhandler comes up to him asking for a handout. The priest confesses he's short on cash, and intends to use his remaining funds on liquor. In truth, he's seeking wine to perform mass, but to the beggar, he poses as an ordinary drinker. Spotting the mestizo in the town square during their chat, the priest is guided by the beggar to a riverside hotel where he can buy alcohol. In a grand, unfurnished room, they await the arrival of the beggar's connection, the Governor's cousin. The beggar hints that the priest should offer their host a drink after purchasing the alcohol. Shortly, the Governor's cousin arrives, and following a somewhat strained chat, consents to sell the priest a bottle of brandy and wine. Despite the priest offering brandy to the cousin, he prefers wine and consumes a glass. As the three engage in conversation, the cousin continuously toasts and gulps down the wine. The priest can only watch in despair as the wine intended for mass is consumed. The jefe joins them and also helps himself to the wine. The men are taken aback when they realize the priest is shedding tears. They assume his tears are due to drunkenness and his poet's soul. The jefe then brings up the manhunt for a priest, revealing they have a potential witness who could identify him. The conversation continues, with oddly religious phrases like "mystery", "soul" and "source of life" cropping up. When the wine runs out, the disheartened priest, with the brandy bottle hidden in his coat, bids them goodbye. Upon exiting the hotel, the priest encounters rain and takes shelter in a cantina. Inside, he inadvertently clashes with a billiards player, causing the brandy bottle to clink in his pocket. This attracts the attention of a group of men who start to taunt him. The priest makes a sudden run for it, prompting a chase through the city streets. He sprints towards Padre Jose's house, hoping the ex-priest would shield him. However, Padre Jose declines, unwilling to bear the risk. The pursuing group, inclusive of policemen, ultimately apprehends him. Unaware of his true identity, they demand the priest pay a fine for the concealed booze. Unable to pay, the priest is escorted to jail.
part 2 chapter 3
In the dark confinement of the prison cell, the priest navigates through the other incarcerated individuals. Requests for cigarettes, money, and food echo around him, among other egregious sounds. He manages to find a spot to settle and instantly falls into a conversation about priests, with one prisoner blaming them for all his troubles. Discarding his desire to hide his true self, the priest reveals that he is indeed a cleric, but a flawed one. He professes his fear of death, unworthiness for martyrdom, and the existence of his illegitimate child. A fellow inmate assures him they have no intention of betraying him for the government's reward. He feels a deep connection and love for these prisoners, something he missed while on the run. A conversation with a religious woman in the cell for hoarding religious artifacts leads to a conflict. She conveys her disgust at sharing a cell with the others and is offended when the priest suggests that suffering can still be beautiful to a saint. She threatens him with exposure to the church authorities once she's free, but the priest no longer fears the church hierarchy. The following morning, the priest wakes up, expecting the police to unmask his identity. All prisoners are called outside except for him. His task is to clean the human waste from the cells. Inside one, he is surprised to find the mestizo, the police's guest. Despite the mestizo's efforts to engage him, the priest tries to ignore him. The mestizo eventually recognizes the priest but doesn't rush to betray him, valuing his reward and comfortable stay in jail. After cleaning, the priest faces the lieutenant. Unrecognized, the priest is asked about his destination and means of survival. Responding vaguely about finding work, the lieutenant, feeling sympathy, gives him five pesos. Before leaving, the priest praises the lieutenant for his goodness.
part 2 chapter 4
After departing from the capital, the priest goes back to the deserted Fellows' residence in hope of aid from Coral Fellows. He's left disappointed, hungry, and homeless as the family have fled, leaving behind no sustenance. The only life present is an old and abandoned dog. Out of dire hunger, the priest seizes a bone from the dog, intending to save a portion for the animal, but ultimately devours it all. Escaping the Fellows' place, he finds refuge in a hut in a deserted village. A lone woman is spotted around the hut then vanishes into the woods. He discovers a child, bloodied and on the brink of death, hidden in the hut. The woman reappears conveying that the criminal known as the "Americano" is behind the violent scenario. After the child's death, she requests the priest accompany her to a church for a proper burial. The pair embarks on a long journey, discovering a plateau filled with crosses. The woman leaves her child at the foot of the tallest cross, turning a deaf ear to the priest's pleas to depart before an impending storm. Concerned for her safety, the priest departs, then begins to fret over leaving her alone in possible danger. He returns to find her gone, eating a sugar cube she left behind for her deceased child. Guilt-ridden and wearied, the priest continues his journey. Confronted by a man with a gun, he reveals his identity as a priest, unperturbed by potential capture. The man is not a law officer but is relieved to meet a priest. He informs him that the nearby whitewashed building is a church and that they are in a region where religion isn't banned. The priest is now safe from the authorities.
part 3 chapter 1
The priest finds himself in the company of Mr. Lehr and his sister, Miss Lehr, German-American Protestants residing in Mexico. Having spent a few days at their place, he is refreshed. However, the Lehr's don't have a favourable view of Catholicism, seeing it as overly indulgent with rituals and ceremonies. The priest experiences guilt for his "idleness" during his stay, especially when thinking about the hardships faced by the mestizo, Brigida, and the prisoners. In town, the locals are thrilled to see the priest, who hasn't been around for three years. They are eager for him to baptize their children and listen to their confessions. He settles on charging one peso fifty for each baptism. Indulging in brandy, he feels guilty for slipping into his old ways and questions if God forgives such habits. However, he continues drinking and even decides to lower the baptism fee to one peso. During confession, the mundane nature of the townspeople's sins leave him feeling indifferent and unsuccessful in shaking their complacency. Planning to leave for the larger city of Las Casas, he feels self-loathing during the mass. Despite avoiding danger, he can't escape his sin and shame. As he prepares to leave, the mestizo approaches him with news: the gringo is critically injured in a police shootout and needs a final confession. This means crossing the border and putting himself in danger. Although he knows it's a trap, the priest decides to absolve the dying man. He donates his baptism earnings to the schoolteacher, foreseeing no need for money at his intended destination.
part 3 chapter 2
As they travel, the mestizo maintains he isn't leading the priest into danger, though the priest isn't swayed by the mestizo's clear deceit. Approaching some huts where the gringo is said to be, the priest sends the mule driver away, surprising the mestizo. The priest isn't angry with the mestizo for his treachery. Rather, he expresses sorrow that the mestizo is incriminating himself in his planned murder. With the worried mestizo alongside him, the priest, filled with anxiety, hurries to the hut and takes a swig of brandy for courage. Upon reaching the hut, they find the gringo inside, in poor health. He doesn't resemble the intimidating criminal from the wanted posters but looks more like a common vagrant. Despite being told to "beat it" twice by the gringo, the priest stays, pushing the gringo to quickly admit to his wrongdoings before it's too late. The gringo, believing he's already damned, has no interest in confessing and encourages the priest to leave before the police arrive. He even offers his gun to the priest, who declines it. The priest doggedly implores the gringo to repent and confess, but it's in vain. In the end, the gringo passes away.
part 3 chapter 3
The lieutenant confronts the priest, giving thanks for time spent with the dying man, and receives the acknowledgement, "I am not a barbarian." They're forced to remain at the hut due to heavy rain. The lieutenant slightly recalls the priest from their past encounters, and the priest elucidates. The lieutenant expresses his hatred for the church's exploitation of the poor, which the priest unexpectedly concurs with. They both share the belief that the world is tainted, and true happiness is elusive unless one attains sainthood. The lieutenant tries but fails to trigger a debate as the priest concedes his faults and weaknesses. He reveals his decision to stay in the state, despite other priests fleeing, was down to pride, not bravery, as he wanted to prove himself to be virtuous. When the storm subsides, a man comes to tell them it's time to leave. The priest bids farewell to the mestizo, declining to give him a blessing, but pledges to pray for his soul.
part 3 chapter 4
The lieutenant visits Padre Jose at nightfall, intending to get him to come to the police headquarters. Upon seeing the officer, Padre Jose is terrified, believing he is about to be arrested. His wife wakes up and starts defending Padre Jose, insisting on his innocence. The lieutenant clarifies that he wants Padre Jose at the station to take confession from a priest who is due to be executed in the morning. Padre Jose feels empathy for the doomed man, but his wife staunchly opposes his involvement, suspecting a trap. She labels the priest a drunk and a waste of their time. Padre Jose's attempts to reason with his wife are unsuccessful and he informs the lieutenant that he cannot accompany him. The lieutenant returns to the station and breaks the news to the priest, who feels utterly deserted. In a surprising act of empathy, the lieutenant offers the priest a bottle of brandy to soothe his nerves. The lieutenant, back at his desk, feels a sense of emptiness and loss of direction. The priest, alone in his cell, consumes the brandy and attempts a solitary confession. He is unable to find repentance in his heart and prays for his daughter's safety. He reprimands himself for his preferential love for his daughter, believing he should harbour the same intense feelings for all humans. Despite trying to pray for others, his mind keeps returning to his daughter. He sees himself as a failure and reflects on his eight year flight from law enforcement with regret for his lack of achievements. He contemplates the impending pain and wonders if he too should renounce his priesthood like Padre Jose. In his dream, he sees himself dining in a cathedral, oblivious to the ongoing ceremony, waiting for the best dish. Waking up to the sight of the prison yard, however, dashes the hopeful feelings his dream had given him. The priest is overcome with disappointment and stops worrying about his soul. His focus is on his life's missed chances and the impending meeting with God, for which he feels "empty-handed."
part 4
Mrs. Fellows is unwell, cared for by her husband, Captain Fellows. Their daughter, Coral, has passed away, a topic they avoid. Mrs. Fellows longs to return home, but Captain Fellows initially opposes it. He eventually gives in after she becomes emotional. They recall a priest who visited them. Mr. Tench, a dentist, attends to the jefe, who has severe dental issues. Tench talks about his wife and a surprising letter he received from her, sharing her newfound faith and forgiveness for him. Tench observes a firing squad preparing to execute a man, identified as the priest, through his window. The priest is quickly executed, attempting to say something before his death that Tench interprets as an apology. Following the execution, Tench is consumed by loneliness and swears to leave Mexico. A woman narrates the tale of Juan, a brave martyr, who proudly declares, "Hail Christ the King!" before his execution. A young boy inquires if the recently executed priest is also a Church martyr, with his mother confirming it. The boy grows sad, thinking all heroes are gone now that the last priest is dead. He sees the lieutenant from his window and displays his displeasure. The boy dreams of the priest that night, envisioning him laid out as if for a funeral, but winking at him. Awoken by a knock, he finds a stranger claiming to be a fugitive priest at his doorstep, whom he lets in.
