Don’t Be Surprised /// Emily Thullesen

 At the beginning of Silence, Japanese Christians are shocked when Ferreira, a long-time missionary, apostatized due to persecution. They were so surprised because he served as a missionary for so long and had held a great example of resilience during the persecution Japanese Christians faced during this time. However, this example shown when the novel begins sparks a great theme about humanity. 

People change whether we like it or not. Some people change for the better, and some people change for the worst, and some people change simply because they are exhausted and human. In the example in Silence, Ferreira likely changed his mind about missions because he felt he had no other choice. People are imperfect and struggle with emotions, and they use whatever means necessary to save themselves at these breaking points. 

When people change, we are surprised and sometimes take it personally. However, it is notable that we try to understand why. People go through hardships that we might not ever assume just upon meeting them, or in Ferreira’s case, knowing that person’s reputation for decades. Fear, discomfort, and other external factors all contribute to what is already going on internally for an individual. It is a part of the human life that we undergo unexpected changes and decisions because we have no other choice but to protect our own mental states. 

I commented on Lily Caswell and Emily Otts’ posts. 

Comments

  1. Emmett BryantApril 18, 2022 at 8:10 PM

    People change. It seems like no matter how many times we try to remind ourselves of that we forget it. People change, for better or for worse. When for the better, we have to be willing to accept them with open arms and put no limits on our forgiveness. When for the worse, we still have to forgive them, but at the same time not let their change affect what we are doing. The only thing that could make change harder is not acknowledging it. --Emmett Bryant

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