Silence: Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

The narrative shifts to be told in the form of letters written by Sebastian Rodrigues. Juan de Santa Marta has fallen ill with malaria, though Rodrigues and Garrpe remain in good health and work at a missionary college in Macao. Valignano still refuses to send missionaries into Japan, even though there are many Japanese Christians who must be lost without priests to guide them. Valignano has heard no word from Ferreira since 1633, and so does not know if he is alive, sick in a cell, or has “won a glorious martyrdom,” though he does not mention the possibility of apostasy. Moreover, this new man Inoue is a “terror of the Christians” and “cunning as a serpent.” He surpasses his predecessors both in savagery and guile, able to break many Christians (who once seemed immune to torture and threats of death) by forcing them to apostatize. Inoue was once a Christian himself, but obviously no longer. The priests memorize his name.

After much pleading, Valignano finally relents and lets the priests make their journey “for the conversion of Japan and the glory of God.” While searching for a Chinese ship that might smuggle the priests to Japan, they meet their first Japanese person, a drunk named Kichijiro who is about their age. Garrpe asks Kichijiro if he is Christian, but Kichijiro seems uncomfortable and denies it. He does, however, tell them of what he saw during the insurrection—a local governor tied 24 Christians to poles at the edge of the sea, so that each time the tide came in, they had to struggle to keep their heads above the waves and not drown. Each of them died after a week or so, when their bodies gave out in agony and exhaustion. 

The three priests tell Kichijiro they have money for a ship and crew to go to Japan, and offer return him to his home country (he was found adrift at sea and taken to China by a passing Portuguese vessel) since it will be useful to have a guide once they reach Japan. Valignano arranges a Chinese crew and vessel to take them to Japan, though Santa Marta becomes so ill that he must stay behind.

Kichijiro will join them, and as the priests watch the Japanese man work alongside the Chinese crew, they surmise “what a cunning fellow he is. And his cunning comes from weakness of character.” When the Chinese captain is watching, Kichijiro works hard, but when he is not, Kichijiro idles, until the crew beats him and he grovels before them on his knees “in the most ugly way you could imagine.” Kichijiro contrasts with every description Rodrigues and Garrpe have heard of the Japanese thus far as stalwart and noble people. Rodrigues, amused, reflects that Christ, too, entrusted his life to such untrustworthy people.

As Rodrigues waits for preparations to be finished—which takes several weeks—he reflects on Jesus Christ’s face. The Bible pointedly gives no description; early Christians envisioned him as a shepherd; the “eastern Church” depicts him with a long nose and curly black hair, an “oriental Christ”; medieval painters envisioned him as a powerful king. Rodrigues prefers the painting in the Borgo San Sepulchro, where Christ has a crucifix in hand, tomb under foot, and is encouraging his followers to “feed my lambs.” Rodrigues reflects that he is as enamored by that face “jut like a man fascinated by the face of his beloved.” Only a few days out from their final voyage, Rodrigues and Garrpe know that Santa Marta is still too weak to accompany them, but trust that God is “secretly preparing” the path for his own life.