Philip Cioffari, in the two works Jesusville and Catholic Boys, puts forward the idea of ​​the “silent sufferer”. Used in different ways in each of the novels, the “silent sufferer” is characterized by guilt and shame. This discussion focuses on Vee in Jesusville, whose character suffers punishment as a means of being possessed and alleviating the sense of loss and loneliness within her and on Arthur and Donald in Catholic Boys, who are punished for the guilt of sins of others. These characters “suffer in silence,” each reinforcing the major themes of “their” novels through their punishment. To begin, the discussion focuses on Vicki's character in Jesusville. When first introduced to Vicki, Cioffari describes her as surprisingly beautiful, wearing a look that seemed to be "a threat to his safety" (Cioffari 14). Shortly into the novel, we see Vicki's unease and need for validation, that is, confirmation of oneself and the existence of another. Cioffari writes: “With her stiff veneer, she seemed almost catatonic. She wanted him there, but it was as if nothing existed except herself and maybe not even that” (Cioffari 21). Vicki realizes she needs validation; however, she doesn't know how she should get it. Vicki then asks Trace: “Have you ever thought, when you look at yourself in the mirror like that, that what you see is not really you” (Cioffari 22)? She goes on to state, “I’m not Vicki anymore. From now on, I want you to call me Vee. Okay” (Cioffari 22)? It is at this point in the novel that Vee becomes aware of her own isolation – from Trace and the others. Her loneliness eats away at her and prevents her from having a fulfilling relationship. Vicki's shift to Vee's character is her validation of the person who is in the middle of a paper...example of the silent victim. On the cross, Christ cries out in pain, but never against the men who beat him. None of the Bible stories ask them to stop and think about what they are doing. Instead, he looks to his Father, resigning himself to God's will, knowing that he must be the sacrifice and, like Vee, bear the weight of the crimes. As silent sufferers and images of Christ, Vee, Arthur, and Donald absolve their sins through their resignation to suffering. Vee is able to ease the brokenness within her, resolving her "crisis of faith". Arthur abandons his fleshly body to acquire a spiritual body through death. Through this process, they demonstrate the novel's major themes, including: redemption, sin, consequences, and resolution - ideas that can be seen not only in the stories of these three characters, but in the majority of the characters in Cioffari..