Death comes for the Archbishop: symbolism and imagery

In Death Comes for The Archbishop, Willa Cather demonstrates her unique ability to illustrate exceedingly intricate landscapes with delightfully eloquent prose. She brilliantly incorporates symbolism and imagery to express depths of emotion that are universally relatable, while artfully portraying the victories and failures of her protagonists. In fact, her descriptive use of language is so lyrical that it could almost be considered poetry.

Set in nineteenth century New Mexico, this historical novel follows the adventures of two refined French priests on a mission to promote Catholicism in Santa Fe. Their experiences in these stunning yet uncultivated surroundings cause dramatic changes in both men as they experience the westward movement of the agricultural frontier.

The central characters of Father Vaillant, and especially Father LaTour, represent the heroic ideal in that they are unmistakably viewed as enjoying a lofty status, yet they still feel genuine concern and understanding for the inhabitants they are seeking to help. Both priests have dedicated themselves to altruism and both show evidence of remarkable inner strength. Yet Father LaTour seems to symbolize heroism somewhat more profoundly than Father Vaillant, which can be seen in the following passage that purposefully describes him:

"The new Vicar must be a young man, of strong constitution, full of zeal, and above all, intelligent. He will have to deal with savagery and ignorance, with dissolute priests and political intrigue. He must be a man to whom order is necessary--as dear as life" (p. 8).

"When he discovers the juniper tree in the shape of a cross, his immediate response is one of grateful worship… a priest in a thousand . . . His bowed head was not that of an ordinary man . . ." (p. 18).

LaTour is dignified and contemplative; Vaillant is straightforward and upbeat. Yet the two have acted as kindred spirits essentially since birth, and their alliance remains strong throughout their disappointments and victories in New Mexico. Such exasperating obstacles as corrupt Spanish priests and the unresponsiveness of the Hopi and Navajo regarding church and religion do not deter these men from pursuing their mission and preserving their friendship. As they persist in their attempts to construct a Catholic cathedral in the wilderness, these characters exhibit a relationship with the land and the people that is both powerful and moving, due in most part to Cather’s detailed descriptions and explicit imagery. An example of her beautifully expressed descriptiveness is seen here:

"After early Mass the next morning Father LaTour and his guide rode off across the low plain that lies between Laguna and Acoma. In all his travels the Bishop had seen no country like this. From the flat red sea of sand rose great rock mesas, generally Gothic in outline, resembling vast cathedrals. They were not crowded together in disorder, but placed in wide spaces, long vistas between. This plain might once have been an enormous city, all the smaller quarters destroyed by time, only the public buildings left,—piles of architecture that were like mountains. The sandy soil of the plain had a light sprinkling of junipers, and was splotched with masses of blooming rabbit brush,—that olive-coloured plant that grows in high waves like a tossing sea, at this season covered with a thatch of bloom, yellow as gorse, or orange like marigolds"(p. 94)

Despite Cather’s expressive depiction of the frontier, she manages to refrain from glamorizing it. She instead offers an unbiased perception of the rough and ready circumstances that the priests encounter during their experiences in New Mexico. Symbolism is also present within the descriptive imagery in that the slow yet steady expansion of Catholicism in Santa Fe mirrors the gradual escalation of Catholicism that was occurring throughout the nation.

Father LaTour’s thirst for learning and leadership essentially drains him of his youth, yet in the end it is his principal sustenance. His goal to make a lasting impression and institute permanent change in the land and its people is unwavering, and his commitment is embodied in the construction of the cathedral. The cathedral is intended as a symbol of the beauty and harmony that can result from organization; or organized religion. Father LaTour’s appreciation of nature and spirituality, along with his compassion and understanding of the individuals he is attempting to convert to Catholicism, are reflected in both the dark and well-lit corners of the structure. This pictorial representation of the good and evil the priests and all people must struggle with is present throughout the novel. Willa Cather superbly incorporates both imagery and symbolism to convey these and other significant themes.