Character Analysis
We all have a friend like Father Garrpe. He's that guy or gal who seems to be a better version of you, who seems to doeverything better than you, and who only makes you feel more uncool by virtue of his or her sheer coolness.
Garrpe has a much easier time adjusting to Japan than Rodrigues does. While Rodrigues gets whiny when holed up in their tiny hut, Garrpe manages to stay "in good spirits" because "he feels that with good-nature and humor he can give courage to both" priests (3.27). Later, these differences become even more pronounced when Garrpe refuses to renounce his faith and actually sacrifices his life for it. In his heart, Rodrigues is ashamed to know that he wouldn't have done the same.
But maybe that isn't such a bad thing. By the end of the novel, Rodrigues realizes that "for love Christ would have apostatized [...] even if it meant giving up everything he had" (8.100). Rodrigues eventually does this very thing, renouncing his faith so that Japanese Christians might live. Garrpe didn't do that, instead standing firm to his beliefs and leading his followers (and himself) to death. As with most things in Silence, however, this is hardly a black-and-white issue. What do you think about Father Garrpe?