There is perhaps no greater joy in life than finding your soul mate. Once found, there is perhaps no greater torment than being forced to live without them. This is the conflict that Paul faces from the moment he falls in love with Agnes. His devotion to the Church and ultimately to God are thrown into the crosshairs, with the only possible outcome being that of excruciating humiliation. Grazia Deledda's Mother presents the classic dilemma of having to choose between what is morally right and being true to one's own heart. Paul's inability to choose one over the other consumes his life and everyone else's. Paul's infatuation with Agnes seems to have completely surprised his mother. Their seven years in the village only seemed to strengthen his belief that Paul was a great man worthy of the praise and admiration others accorded him. It seemed perfect for both of them “because they were so happy in the little village that seemed to him the most beautiful in the world, because its Paul was its savior and king” (Deledda 31). Without the mother's need to protect Paul, his affair with Agnes might have lasted longer. Her devotion to her son and to God, however, could not remain silent. Paul's feelings of guilt forced him to see his mistake and see Agnes for serving only God. “He was a priest, he believed in God, he had married the Church and had taken a vow of chastity” (Deledda 57). His love for Agnes did not dissipate, however, and he looked for ways to forget her. After his mother delivers a message to Agnes saying, “Wait for me no more” (Deledda 81), Paul seeks to consume her spirit with Antiochus. and his desire to become a priest. As village priest, Paul intends to... middle of paper ...... and once again become a victim of his own indecision. Antiochus's desire to become a priest, the exorcism of Nina Masia, and the trip to see King Nicodemus are all events that Paul uses to keep himself away from his true love. Throughout The Mother, Paul fights his human desires and desperately attempts to cling to the established rule of celibacy in the priesthood, ordained by man, despite the fact that it is not ordained by God. He took the oath before his own aspirations could be known and before he realized that his love was not to serve the Church, but Agnes. He does not have the ambition to be a good priest because the choice to become one does not belong to him. No matter what role society imposes on someone, Deledda shows that avoiding one's true calling in life is of no consequence. Works Cited Deledda, G. (1928). The Mother. New York: the Macmillan company.