Meet the Cast
The Whisky Priest
We suspect that Graham Greene sat down one say and thought to himself, "I think I'll write a novel about a martyr, but instead of making him a holy man of God, I'll make him a real scoundrel. A stu...
The Lieutenant
Upon being released from prison and sympathetically handed money by the lieutenant—a ruthless man who has killed innocent villagers to get his hands on the last Catholic cleric in the state—the...
The Family
The family consists of a mother, a father, their two young daughters and one son named Luis. The parents are doing the best they can to continue raising the children Catholic—the mother more than...
The Fellows
Captain Fellows runs the Central American Banana Company and lives along the river with his wife Mrs. Fellows (Trixy) and their clever daughter Coral. As we noted in the Characterization section, C...
The Gringo James Calver
The criminal out of the United States is built up as a dangerous man capable of theft and murder. When we meet him, he's dying from being shot. He took a boy as a hostage and shield, but that didn'...
The Jefe
Overweight, constantly complaining of his toothache, and always finding ways to avoid work, the chief of police doesn't have the idealism or determination of his lieutenant. His position gives him...
The Lehrs
Mr. and Miss Lehr are good-natured, hospitable Lutherans who care for the priest after he's escaped. Mr. Lehr is none too fond of the Catholic practices of the priest, but he helps him nonetheless....
Maria and Brigitta
The priest's former lover and their daughter, Maria and Brigitta remind the priest of his sinfulness. He doesn't show signs of wanting to rekindle his affection for Maria, but he's madly in love wi...
The Mestizo or Half-Caste
Poor, sickly, and having only two teeth, the mestizo is as determined an opportunist as they come. He's smart too, and observant. Too smart and observant, if you ask us. With the insight that would...
Padre José
Of the two priests, Padre José is the true coward. He took vows to serve Christ unto death, but forsakes the faith to save his own skin. He married—in further violation of his vows. His life now...
The Prisoners
We only get to know a few of the prisoners in the packed jail cell the priest stays in after being caught with brandy. There's an old man who blames the priests for his suffering and a woman with u...
Mr. Tench
Another outsider in this land, the dentist Mr. Tench is forgetful and trapped. He'd leave if he could, but he doesn't have the money. His family is a memory from the distant past. He's not religiou...