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Rodrigues’s changing perception of Christ’s face represents his perception of Christ as both a persecuted human figure and as his Lord. When Rodrigues is naïve, convinced of the purity of his mission to Japan and yet unhindered by doubt or despair, he imagines that Christ’s face is the most beautiful face ever beheld, as beautiful as a lover’s face gazing at their beloved. However, as Rodrigues suffers and witnesses suffering, as his faith becomes less idealistic, his perception of Christ shifts to viewing Christ primarily as one who is alone, one who feels fear and even despair, abandoned by God; consequently, he pictures Christ face not as beautiful but as distant and concerned, sweating blood with fear. When Rodrigues is about to commit apostasy and trample on the fumie, Christ speaks to him as one who entered the world to suffer, who brought himself low to be trampled on by men and bear their pain alongside him. Thus, the image of Christ’s face that Rodrigues sees in the fumie is hollowed, dirty, and worn-out from being trampled on by so many feet over the years. Although Christ is no less meaningful to Rodrigues, he imagines his face not as beautiful but as aged and worn as the subject of abuse and betrayal, a parallel to Rodrigues’s own persecution and ongoing struggle with faith as a Portuguese Catholic missionary in Japan.
Christ’s Face Quotes in Silence
The Silence quotes below all refer to the symbol of Christ’s Face. 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:
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Chapter 1
Quotes
You know well that the early Christians thought of Christ as a shepherd […] And then in the Eastern Church one finds the long nose, the curly hair, the black bear. All this was creating an oriental Christ. As for the medieval artists, many of them painted a face of Christ resplendent with the authority of a king.
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Chapter 7
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Yes, crouching on the ashen earth of Gethsemane that had imbibed all the heat of the day, alone and separated from his sleeping disciples, a man had said: “My soul is sorrowful even unto death.” And his sweat became like drops of blood. This was the face that was no before [Rodrigues’s] eyes. Hundreds and hundreds of times it had appeared in his dreams; but why was that only now did the suffering, perspiring face seem so far away? Yet tonight he focused all his attention on the emaciated expression on those cheeks.”
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Chapter 8
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This guard did not possess any aristocratic cruelty; rather was it the cruelty of a low-class fellow toward beasts and animals weaker than himself. [Rodrigues] had seen such fellows in the countryside in Portugal, and he knew them well. This fellow had not the slightest idea of the suffering that would be inflicted on others because of his conduct. It was this kind of fellow who had killed that man whose face was the best and most beautiful than ever one could dream of.
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Chapter 9
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Yet the face was different from that on which the priest had gazed so often in Portugal, in Rome, in Goa and in Macao. It was not a Christ whose face was filled with majesty and glory; neither was it a face made beautiful by endurance of pain; nor was it a face filled with the strength of a will that has repelled temptation. The face of the man who lay at his feet was sunken and utterly exhausted.
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Christ’s Face Symbol Timeline in Silence
The timeline below shows where the symbol Christ’s Face appears in Silence. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
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;...
(full context)
Chapter 4
...his own haggard reflection. Seeing his face in the water, it makes him think of Christ’s face as well, imagining that “no doubt it was more beautiful than anything [the artists] envisaged.”...
(full context)
Chapter 6
...in their cell with them. Kichijiro again begs his forgiveness. Though the priest thinks of Christ’s face and considers that Christ died for pitiful men such as Kichijiro, he cannot forgive the...
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Chapter 8
...the wall. As Rodrigues waits for hours in the utter darkness, he thinks again of Christ’s face , which this time seems nearer, and the face gazes at him sorrowfully and speaks,...
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...them with a fumie. Looking down at the metal image, the priest sees “the ugly face of Christ ,” and prays to God, expressing his pain at trampling on this face, the most...
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Chapter 9
...can still clearly see the image of the fumie in his mind. This image of Christ’s face was not beautiful, strong, or clear, but “utterly exhausted” and worn down by being trampled...
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Chapter 10
...a priest. However, as he considers Kichijiro’s weakness next to his own weakness, he sees Christ’s face in his mind, reassuring him that just as Christ told Judas to fulfill his purpose...
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