says "[The book 'Black Pig'] is very valuable ... it tells you about those priests" (8). The priest and all the clergy are, to the soldiers, the enemy, no matter what. Rinaldi, Henry's companion, expresses the sentiment of the soldiers well: "He is a good priest . . . but still a priest" (173). In other words, he is not to be trusted and not to be taken seriously.Lieutenant Henry's relationship with the priest is in stark contrast to the other soldiers'. Unlike the other soldiers, Henry never directly attacks the priest himself. Like those soldiers, however, he does question the priest's beliefs. But he does so in an inquisitive or curious manner. This becomes, in the novel, the essence of their relationship: discussion. Henry tells the priest, "I always enjoyed our talking," and later when the priest asks Henry if he needs him for anything, Henry replies "Just to talk" (69,73). Indeed, most of Henry's opinion of the priest is revealed through their conversations. They consistently speak of the war, of their thoughts on the war and its duration. What is most interesting about their conversations is Henry's behavior. With the priest, Henry keeps up a consistent line of questions or prompts. For example:'What will happen?' I stroked the blanket with my hand.'I do not know but I don't think it can go on much longer.''What will happen?''They will stop fighting.''Who?''Both sides.' (178)This conversation continues in the same way and is very similar to every other conversation the two have. What is significant about this is that with nearly every other character in the book, it is Henry who needs the prompting. Henry looks to the priest for advice and as someone in which to confide. It is through his conversations with the priest that Henry comes to many important conclusions in the book, realizations about love, about the inefficacy of the war and of those conducting it, about the nature of man and power. Henry himself...
