Heroes and Saints Lesson Plan

Consider Juan and Cerezita's conversation in Act I, Scene Ten, where they are discussing his decision to fast and why he became a priest. What does this reveal about each of their characters?

Strong responses will note that Juan seems to have selfish or self-serving motives for becoming a priest and that he lacks spiritual maturity. This should be somewhat surprising, considering he's a priest. His fantasy of dying as a martyr isn't about helping people. Instead, it's related to his ego: he wants people to eventually see him as a misunderstood hero. Also, he says he came back to the San Joaquin Valley because he saw Cesar Chavez fasting and thought he looked like...