GRAHAM HENRY GREENE

GRAHAM HENRY GREENE
(1904-1991)
An English novelist, playwright, essayist, travel writer, screenwriter, and author of short fiction.
He was born on October 2, 1904, in Berkhamsted, he was the son of a headmaster, Greene was educated at Oxford University. While still a student, he published a collection of poetry, Babbling April (1925). Then he worked for The Times and then as a freelance writer. He worked for the British Foreign Office in west Africa and after World War II traveled widely. His popularity came after he published the spy thriller Orient express in the United States. He wrote a lot of novels such as England Made Me , A Gun for Sale, and The Ministry of Fear, The Quiet American- questions American involvement in Vietnam; Our Man in Havana - is set during the last days of the Battista regime in Cuba. A Sort of Life (1971) and Ways of Escape (1980) are his autobiographies. From 1966 Greene made his home on the French Riviera and spent much time travelling. He died in Vevey, Switzerland, on April 3, 1991.
The novel The Power and the Glory:
The author describes Mexico, where is prohibition /of sale the spirits/. The churches and everything, that reminded of Christianity, was destroyed. The Police persecute priests, and they have to give up the priesthood or they are sentenced to death. Two men are wanted: Gringo-he is a murderer and a robber, and a priest from Carmen.
The main person is the priest. Despite the horrible pursuit and the suffering he tries to realize his mission. He is aware of his mistakes /alcoholism/ and that he isn’t quite a good priest /he broke the promise of purity/.
He must give up all relics to be unrecognized. He comes to a village. He doesn’t know why everybody is afraid. He get to hear that the Police wanted him and they take a hostage and then they shoot them.
He meets his 5-year-old daughter that he begot with Mary. He did it not from love but of fear and of despair, with a bottle of brandy and the feeling of loneliness made him break the promise of purity. Her mother makes the girl to faith. He says the mass but the Police come. He wants to run away. Mary hides him and he passes as a hireling. The lieutenant takes a man as a hostage.
The priest starts /on/ a journey again. He still thinks of his daughter. He wants to save her. Then he is aware of his duties as a priest. He follows up the scent direct to the Police. He needs vine. He would do anything for it. He wants to go to Carmen. A mestic meets him and he goes with him. The priest doesn’t trust him. The mestic recognized him as a priest. The fugitive goes different way and the mestic is angry because he lost a reward.
The Police caught him keeping spirits and he has to pay a penalty. He doesn’t have any money and he must stay in a prison overnight. He goes on. He wears along in fever. A German family takes him up. He wants to go to Las Casas. The mestic comes to him and he tells him about Gringo that is on the point to dying and he wants to confess. The priest knows that it’s a snare but he goes away with the mestic. When they come to a cottage, The lieutenant takes him into custody. The priest is shot to death. The next priest comes to town.
The main idea is that: The power can win but it doesn’t mean a really victory. The faith is in people not in things.