Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Silence takes place in Japan during the 1600s, at the height of the Japanese government's persecution of Christians. Though Christian missionaries had converted a sizable amount of Japan's populati...
What's Up With the Title?
When Father Rodrigues first arrives in Japan, his head is filled with idealized visions of the country. Though Christians are currently being executed en masse in Japan, Rodrigues is confident that...
What's Up With the Ending?
So God sure ended his silence in style, huh?Let's rewind a bit. Rodrigues ended up apostatizing to save the lives of Japanese Christians, stomping on the fumie and renouncing his faith. Why? It's s...
Tough-o-Meter
Silence is written in a pretty straightforward manner, so you should have no problem following the action. That being said, the novel is also very ambiguous, so it'll take a little extra effort to...