Pedro Páramo may be full of ghosts, but it's equally full of the Father and the Son. The Catholic Church plays a super important role in the economic and social developments in the novel. Check it out:
The town priest charges top dollar for every ceremony he performs. Since most of the poor people can't afford his services—like last rites—they end up being stuck in purgatory as spooky souls wandering the streets of Comala. Not a pleasant way to spend the afterlife. Meanwhile, evil rich guys like the Páramos are pardoned and sent to heaven… because they can pay the priest. Yeah, Juan Rolfo is looking at Catholicism through a particularly harsh and critical lens in this novel.
Questions About Religion
- What role does religion have in the characters' day-to-day lives?
- If Father Rentería is a representative of the Church in general, what does his character tell us about the organization he represents?
- What is the relationship between religion and power in the novel?
Chew on This
Even though the novel criticizes the Church, it basically affirms its power because all the poor people that the church didn't let into heaven end up as ghosts wandering Comala.
In this novel, religion is portrayed as an extension of the sin of greed.