How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
What sweat and toil it had taken to plunge the spade into this barren soil, then to fertilize it, to cultivate it until it reached this present stage. (2.25)
As you can see, Rodrigues enters Japan with a deeply paternalistic mindset. Forget that this is a technologically advanced country with ancient roots; for Rodrigues, Japan was mere "barren soil" before white Europeans like him arrived. This mentality shapes his early interactions with the Japanese.
Quote #2
I looked at the Japanese face in front of me. It was impassive and expressionless like a Buddha. (3.75)
Rodrigues is never able to understand the Japanese villagers' emotions. Whether this is because of his personal biases or because of the peculiarities of Japanese culture is unclear, but it's the perfect representation of the distance between the two sides.
Quote #3
The wisdom of peasants shows itself in their ability to pretend that they are fools. (4.3)
Well, if that's true, then maybe they're playing dumb with Rodrigues as well. After all, the priest constantly makes note of how foolish the peasants act—they're just playing him as expertly as Hendrix plays his Stratocaster.