Juan Rulfos Pedro Paramo and Religion :: Juan Rulfo Pedro Paramo Essays

Juan Rulfos Pedro Paramo and Religion In the novel Pedro Paramo, Juan Rulfo uses religiousness as a characteristic that contrasts with the characters lack of moral codes and lack of faith usually attributed to worship. The people in the town of Comala are obsessed with the afterlife and prayer, and they even attend church regularly, but these are just habits that score lost their master copy meaning. Rulfo uses these symbolic activities to make the characters dichotomous nature more apparent. Father Renteras occupation, the town priest, demands integrity, purity, and the power to believe his own teachings. Father Rentera might, at one time, have had those attributes but something changed him. The realization and consequences of his own conflictive nature haunt Rentera, and the town subconsciously senses his anguish, thus shedding light on Comalas religious and psychological condition. A question arises about Renteras disillusionment with religion Did the townspeople make Rentera cynical or did his doubts lead them astray? I think it was more of the former, and the gas in Renteras religious failing was just one man Miguel Paramo. Miguel Paramo killed Father Renteras brother and raped Renteras niece Ana. These events were merely taken in stride with Renteras philosophy of never hate anyone but it was the death of Miguel that dashed Renteras religious beliefs. Father Rentera performed the funeral ceremony and did not offer a final benediction partly for selfish reasons of revenge, using his pastoral robe as a barrier. Disregarding Renteras condescending remarks of Miguel, Pedro Paramo offered gold to the priest as restitution, or a bribe, and said, Weigh him and forgive him, as perhaps God has forgiven him. At Paramos defiance, Rentera realized that his religious power was no longer in effect(p) or revered in Comala, because Paramos gold was now the controlling force in the land. Crushed and depressed, Rentera no longer felt worthy of his subroutine What has their faith won them? Heaven? Or the purification of their souls? And why purify their souls anyway, at the last moment Rentera had lost all faith in his religion and himself. As if he had failed a test, he says, Alright Lord, you win. Father Rentera represents the constant struggle a person has to maintain personal integrity against outside depravation and personal vices.