To Cuba and Back · Concept
Religion and Moral Hypocrisy
The book critiques the enforced dominance of Roman Catholicism, the historical corruption of the clergy, and the contrast between the piety of institutions like the Sisters of Charity and the moral decay of the broader society.
The book critiques the enforced dominance of Roman Catholicism, the historical corruption of the clergy, and the contrast between the piety of institutions like the Sisters of Charity and the moral decay of the broader society.
The narrator contrasts the sumptuous Cathedral and the reverence for Columbus with the irreverent altar boys and the disrespectful American visitors who refuse to kneel.
The contrast between the bishop's dinner and the all-night mask ball, with church bells calling to prayer as revelers go home, underscores moral contradictions.
The chapter contrasts the Jesuits' austere personal lives with the lavish altar vestments, and critiques the Cuban taste for excessive decoration in churches, highlighting moral and aesthetic tensions.
The chapter contrasts the reverent Jesuit Mass and the heroic devotion of the Sisters of Charity with the rigid social customs that prevent a young American woman from visiting charitable institutions.
