In Silence, Father Sebastien Rodrigues can't stop obsessing over sacrifice. No, not the Elton John tearjerker—the idea of actually giving up your life for others. That's heavy stuff, brah. But these are pretty darn heavy times: after banning Christianity in their country, the Japanese government has been turning Japanese Christians into martyrs at an alarming rate. Rodrigues is torn by this, both admiring the Japanese Christians' dedication and horrified that so many people would willingly sacrifice their lives. But what if there's something worth sacrificing that's even bigger than Rodrigues's own life?
Questions About Sacrifice
- How does Rodrigues's view of martyrdom change over the course of the novel?
- In the end, what is the biggest sacrifice that Rodrigues makes?
- In what ways is Rodrigues inspired by Jesus's sacrifice?
- Did Garrpe do the right thing by refusing to apostatize?