Jesusville and Catholic Boys: Silent Suffering in the Novel Essay

Philip Cioffari, in both works, Jesusville and Catholic Boys, puts forth the idea of the â€Å"silent sufferer.† Used in different ways in each of the novels, the â€Å"silent sufferer† is characterized by guilt and shame. This discussion looks at Vee in Jesusville, whose character undergoes punishment as a way of being possessed and alleviating the lost and lonely feeling within her and Arthur and Donald in Catholic Boys, who are punished for the guilt of others’ sins. These characters â€Å"suffer silently,† each one reinforcing major themes in â€Å"their† novels through their punishment. To begin, the discussion focuses on Vicki’s character in Jesusville. When first introduced to Vicki, Cioffari describes her as having a startling beauty, dressed with a look that seemed to be â€Å"a threat to her safety† (Cioffari 14). Shortly into the novel, we see Vicki’s uneasiness and her need for validation—that is a confirmation of self and of the existence of another. Cioffari writes, â€Å"With her rigid glaze she seemed almost catatonic. She wanted him there, but it was as if nothing existed but herself and maybe not even that† (Cioffari 21). Vicki realizes her need to be validated; though, she is unaware of how she is to obtain it. Vicki then asks Trace, â€Å"Did you ever think when you look at yourself like this in the mirror that what you’re seeing isn’t really you† (Cioffari 22)? She continues, stating, â€Å"I’m not Vicki anymore. From now on I want you to call me Vee. Okay† (Cioffari 22)? It is at this point in the novel that Vee becomes aware of her own isolation—to Trace and to others. Her loneliness eats away at her and makes it impossible for her to have a fulfilling relationship. Vicki’s shift into the personage of Vee is her validation of the person that s... ... example of the silent sufferer. On the cross, Christ cries out in pain, but never against the men beating him. In none of the biblical accounts does ask them to stop and think about what they are doing. Instead he looks to his Father, resigning himself to God’s will, knowing that he must be the sacrifice, and like Vee, bear the weight of crimes. As silent sufferers and pictures of Christ, Vee, Arthur, and Donald absolve their sins through their resignation to suffering. Vee is able to alleviate the brokenness within her, resolving her â€Å"faith crisis.† Arthur gives up his fleshly body order to gain a spiritual body through death. Through this process they demonstrate major themes in novel including: redemption, sin, consequences, and resolution—ideas that can be seen not just in the stories of these three characters, but in the majority of Cioffari’s characters.