By Night in Chile Essay Questions

Question

What is Bolano's opinion of religion in the novel? Cite an example.

Answer

Bolano takes a rather dim view of religion in his novel. However, it should be noted that his criticisms of religion are limited to the institutional realm. The reader is allowed to imagine how Urrutia's life might have been different had the personal moral claims of religion been allowed to play a larger role in his life. As it is, however, Urrutia played the part of an institutional priest, using the church only for his own gain.

One example of Bolano's critique of religion is Urrutia's lack of initiative in saying mass for the poor peasants of Farewell's estate. Though he mentions that Farewell could have organized this service, he chose not to because it was a time for literature, not religion. Through the character of Urrutia, the church is shown to be utterly uncaring towards the poor and destitute who most yearn for religion's comfort.

Question

What idea does the character of Farewell best represent?

Answer

The character of Farewell best represents the notion of impermanence. His very name, Farewell, alludes to a 'goodbye.' Through the novel Farewell often ponders his own impermanence in the world, though he attempts to cover up such feelings of dread by believing that he will be remembered as one of Chile's literary greats. Instead, however, he foreshadows the changing political and social climate of Chile. Thus, both he, and the art he critiques, are impermanent fixtures in a world that is constantly in flux.

Question

What does the imagery of the falcon and the pigeon suggest in the novel?

Answer

The imagery of the falcon and the pigeon is a metaphor for the power that ecclesiastic authorities have held over those whom they were supposed to serve. In order to preserve the power of the institutional church, Bolano suggests, through the imagery of the falcon killing the pigeons, that churches have devised ways to violently oppress those who they feel would destroy the institution. Historical examples might include the crusades, and even up to the modern times, the church's partnership with dictatorial governments.

Question

What is Bolano's opinion of art in the novel? Cite an example.

Answer

Bolano's opinion of art, as portrayed in the novel, is a complex issue. It is made more complex because he uses the form of art, the novel, to critique the role of art in society. His view of art is that, while critics and artists cry for art's prominence in the cultured society, it does little to alleviate the pain and suffering caused by political oppression.

The most damning instance of this critique comes in the narrative of Maria Canales's house where she simultaneously held parties for Chilean novelists and writers while her husband tortured political prisoners in their basement. In this instance, art not only was incapable of matching the political power of the Pinochet regime, but it was also too cowardly to do so.

Question

Is Urrutia's deathbed confession believable? After reading the novel, do you believe reader's should forgive him?

Answer

One of Bolano's strengths in the novel is his ability to show the deep psychological complexity of his protagonist, Father Urrutia. Urrutia is shown to both understand the evil that he has committed, or allowed to be committed, while still being unable to comprehend that he should be held accountable for it. In this way, his confession is believable in that one can hear the cries for forgiveness and repentance.

Yet, Bolano also seems to urge the reader not to be too forgiving for Urrutia's sins. Repeatedly Urrutia is faced with crossroads in which he has the ability, as well as the authority, to speak up against injustice, and repeatedly he puts his own ambition and comfort above those of others. In the end, Urrutia remains an unforgivable character.

Question

Out of all of Father Urrutia's sins, which do you believe was the worst?

Answer

Bolano's novel does not directly tie church leaders to acts of violence or injustice, it only hints at the acceptance of such acts. For Urrutia, his worst sin is not a sin of commission - something he did to offend morality or justice - but it is a sin of omission. It is what Urrutia failed to say or do that forever condemns him.

One line in the novel perfectly illustrates this: Urrutia confesses that "silences rise to heaven too, and God hears them, and only God understands and judges them, so one must be very careful with one's silences. My silences are immaculate.'' This is, of course, not the case. Though he has been very careful to be quiet when he needed to be quiet in order to rise to fame and gain the trust of important and famous people, he failed to be a voice for the people that needed him most, the suffering and poor. Therefore, his silence is not as immaculate as he would believe.

Question

Discuss the ways in which By Night in Chile resembles a Greek tragedy.

Answer

The novel resembles Greek tragedy, which Bolano alludes to at several points in the novel, in two ways. First, the novel imposes a strong sense of fate on it main character, Urrutia. The choices that Urrutia makes in life seem to be more influenced by his eventual fate as a regretful, dying man, than by any sense of interiority. Urrutia's role as a "Judas" character to the ideals of freedom seem to be cemented even by his decision as a child to attend seminary.

The second way in which the novel resembles a Greek tragedy is the way in which distinct characterizations of right and wrong are displayed in the novel. Characters themselves are not always portrayed as being either good or evil, but there is much less ambiguity in the moral choices characters are asked to make. Though Urrutia spends much of the novel explaining away his choices, the reader understands that Urrutia made the wrong moral choices and was aware of those choices.

Question

Discuss the meaning of the "Judas tree." How does it relate to Urrutia?

Answer

The Judas tree represents the Chilean artists' betrayal of their home country. Just as Judas hung himself after betraying Jesus in the biblical narrative, the Chilean artists secured their own artistic destruction by silently supporting the injustice of the Pinochet regime. By saying nothing, Bolano suggests they are as despicable as the character of Judas.

Urrutia's betrayal is especially potent as it represents the betrayal of art and religion. Urrutia, who represents the church's role in Chile, both ignored the calls of his faith to justice and caring for the poor as well as his role as artist to speak truth to the power of political injustice.

Question

Discuss the character of Father Antonio. What does he represent?

Answer

The character of Father Antonio represents Urrutia's own future guilt for the injustice he passively inflicts upon those he is supposed to serve. Bolano even goes so far to describe Antonio's physical position as being just like that of the old, dying Urrutia. How much of that is the dying Urrutia projecting his own feelings and positions onto his memory of the dying priest, it is hard to tell. What is sure, however, is that in Antonio's guilt, and his reluctance to allow his falcon to hunt for it would be killing God's creation and the representation of the Holy Spirit, Bolano foreshadow's Urrutia's own position later in life.

Question

In your opinion, why would the Chilean artists and church officials remain silent about the injustice around them?

Answer

One reason that Bolano gives for why the artists and church officials remained silent while injustice prevailed is that art and religion have no real power against political authority. This is a pessimistic view of the power of art and religion, but Bolano suggests that the only real way to combat injustice is through politics. This was true in Bolano's own biography as well, as he attempted to fight Pinochet by encouraging political rebellion long before he began critiquing the regime in his art. Whether this powerlessness of art and religion is always true could perhaps be contested, however in the case of Chile, Bolano suggests that art and religion stayed silent in part because they had nothing of value to say to the brutality of Pinochet.