In Graham Greene’s novel, The Power and the Glory, the main protagonist, the whisky priest, decides to go back and hear the Yankee’s last words before he dies, even though it is a rouse created by the half-caste to get the priest back in the state. This novel powerfully resists totalitarianism because the priest chooses to take the risk of getting captured and killed by the police in order to preserve his faith.
In this dystopian novel, the state has deemed that every person who believes in the Catholic Church must renounce their faith or go to jail, and maybe even get executed. The whisky priest knows this and escapes into the neighboring state, but chooses to go back when told about the Yankee’s near death state. Although he knows he will be captured and eventually killed, he feels as though he needs to absolve the sins of the Yankee, who has committed terrible crimes, including murder. He states, “…and I shan’t need money again, shall I?” when the half-caste asks him why he gave so much money to the school teacher. He knows he will not survive going back into the state, but feels as though he needs to. His ability to put himself in harms way for the sake of his religion is admirable, but what truly makes it a resistance to totalitarianism is that it is for a criminal. Most people would understand going back into the state to hear the dying words of a good Catholic, but what is most noteworthy is that he went back for someone who most people would deem unworthy to be absolved by a priest. This act of selflessness is a true sign of defiance to the police because he’s willing to die for his faith, which they are trying to take away from him.
What also makes this a resistance to totalitarianism is that the whisky priest is considered a “bad priest.” Before holding confession, a man offers him brandy, and he willingly takes it, knowing it is a sin, but refuses to stop. He knows in his heart that it is wrong, but can’t seem to say no. Although he has many flaws, and is not an ideal priest that the people need during this time, he still chooses to go back to help the Yankee. If the priest was always moral and just, then the audience would expect this of the priest, and it wouldn’t be such a great sacrifice. However, because the priest is portrayed as rude and a drunk, his selflessness is even more of a stance against totalitarianism, because it shows the audience how even those who are less admirable still know right from wrong, and it makes the police look even more evil. Therefore, when the whisky priest goes back into the state for the Yankee, he is effectively defying the totalitarian regime and taking a stance against the ideals of the police.