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Reading Guide

Use this guide for your own reading and contemplation of the themes in Silence, or discuss these questions within a group setting.

Silence

  • There are many different types of silence (such as not speaking, falling into silence, being absent from the historical record, or being marginalized due to a lack of power, et cetera). What sorts of silence are present in the novel? Find passages that mention silence explicitly and also passages that do so metaphorically or indirectly.
  • How is God present in the novel?

    • In one interview, Shusaku Endo explains his original impulse in authoring

    Silence

    in a way that helps us understand the kinds of silence in the novel:

    In light of Endo's remark, discuss the moments in the novel, where Kichijiro or any other character acts as the author’s mouthpiece, as a marginalized voice that breaks the silence imposed by history and/or the Church.

    Christ, Suffering, and Redemption

  • Find all the passages in the novel where the face of Christ is being discussed--look at them in order. How does it change? What is the effect on the reader of the change? How does this change affect the reader? How about Rodrigues?

    • How does Rodrigues change over the course of the novel? Look for passages that describe or demonstrate the character of Rodrigues at various moments in the text. What seems to be Endo’s overall view of Rodrigues and his faith and vocation and suffering?

    What should we make of Kichijiro in

    Silence

    ? How is he an agent of change for Rodrigues?

    Missions, Cultural Difference, and the Gospel

  • What are some examples Endo gives of the difficulties Japanese Christians faced after their conversions?
  • How does the novel portray Portuguese Jesuit missions? Describe what we learn about Endo’s understanding of Portuguese missionary versions of Christianity through his portrayal of Rodrigues’ words and thoughts.
  • How does the novel portray Christianity in Japan? Gather passages from various sections of the novel where characters (such as Rodrigues or Inoue) describe Christianity, along with scenes or actions which demonstrate something about Japanese Christianity. What are the problems and possibilities of sharing Christianity across cultural barriers?
  • Silence was banned by many Catholic churches in Japan. Endo even lost one of his close Catholic friends, a French priest, due to its publication. What do you think made Silence such a controversial book in Japan?

    • How do the themes of

    Silence

    help us not succumb to evil and instead lament evil and mourn with hope?