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Inés Villalpando
He is the priest in the town of Contla, which neighbors Comala. After accepting a bribe and pardoning Miguel Páramo’s soul even though he knows it’s immoral to do so, Father Rentería visits Contla’s priest to ask for advice and confess his own sins. Contla’s priest tells him that his actions have been unpardonable and points out that Pedro Páramo’s evil has poisoned all the land in the valley—to the point of making everything that grows there bitter. Because he genuinely upholds the Church’s moral teachings, Contla’s is a character foil for Father Rentería, highlighting his willingness to compromise the moral doctrines he is supposed to be upholding in order to serve his self-interest.
Contla’s Priest Quotes in Pedro Páramo
The Pedro Páramo quotes below are all either spoken by Contla’s Priest or refer to Contla’s Priest. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Fragments 37-46, Pages 61-85
Quotes
“We live in a land in which everything grows, thanks to God’s providence; but everything that grows is bitter. That is our curse.”
“You’re right, Father. I’ve tried to grow grapes over in Comala. They don’t bear. Only guavas and oranges: bitter oranges and bitter guavas. I’ve forgotten the taste of sweet fruit. Do you remember the China guavas we had in the seminary? The peaches? The tangerines that shed their skin at a touch? I brought seeds here. A few, just a small pouch. Afterward, I felt it would have been better to leave them where they were, since I only brought them here to die.”
“And yet, Father, they say that the earth of Comala is good. What a shame the land is all in the hands of one man.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Contla’s Priest Quotes in Pedro Páramo
The Pedro Páramo quotes below are all either spoken by Contla’s Priest or refer to Contla’s Priest. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Fragments 37-46, Pages 61-85
Quotes
“We live in a land in which everything grows, thanks to God’s providence; but everything that grows is bitter. That is our curse.”
“You’re right, Father. I’ve tried to grow grapes over in Comala. They don’t bear. Only guavas and oranges: bitter oranges and bitter guavas. I’ve forgotten the taste of sweet fruit. Do you remember the China guavas we had in the seminary? The peaches? The tangerines that shed their skin at a touch? I brought seeds here. A few, just a small pouch. Afterward, I felt it would have been better to leave them where they were, since I only brought them here to die.”
“And yet, Father, they say that the earth of Comala is good. What a shame the land is all in the hands of one man.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
