In his novel Silence, Shushes End uses the recurring description of God's silence towards Sebastian Rodriguez to portray the feelings of abandonment experienced by Japanese Priests, thus causing the reader to contemplate the overall effect of these emotions on the novel, namely an ambiance of despair. Throughout the story, End employs an ongoing motif of silence, with Rodriguez often feeling a sense of silence from God. As Rodriguez enters Japan and assumes the role of priest for Japanese Christians, at a time when Christianity was illegal in the country, he experiences a profound despair in his faith when he is captured, feeling abandoned by God. Rodriguez even questions God's abandonment, asking why He doesn't stop Japan's persecution of Christians despite the prayers from many missionaries and Christians for divine intervention. This prayer scene underscores the novel's prevaili
...ng idea that hope is lost for Japan. These feelings of hopelessness and confusion ultimately lead to Rodriguez losing faith in himself and expressing doubt about his ability not to fail in his mission. The silence from God towards Rodriguez' prayer undercuts any reassurance he could have received and further emphasizes End's motif that something must be terribly wrong with Japan if God is denying help to the country.End utilizes the Japanese crowd's behavior in Amour to argue that Japan cannot comprehend Christianity. When Rodriguez blesses the crowd, they react with alarm and shame, exemplifying the sentiments of the majority of Japanese during the time when Christianity was a criminal offense. The children's stone-throwing display towards the priest parallels how most Japanese were either disinterested or angered by Christianity and unwilling to accept it as a religion. These factor
contributed to Rodriguez's feelings of despair. By portraying God's silent response to Rodriguez's pleas and highlighting the Japanese attitudes towards Christianity, End ultimately suggests that Japan is unable to adopt a pure and respectable form of Christianity. This notion implies that the Japanese are shaping Christianity into their own religion, resulting in God's refusal to their prayers and Rodriguez's despair.
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