Philip Cioffari, in both works, Jesusville and Catholic Boys, proposes 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 examines Vee in Jesusville, whose character undergoes punishment as a way to be possessed and relieve the lost and lonely feeling within her, and Arthur and Donald in Catholic Boys, who are punished for being guilty of the sins of others. These characters “suffer in silence,” each reinforcing the major themes of “their” novels through punishment. To begin, the discussion focuses on the character of Vicki in Jesusville. When first introduced to Vicki, Cioffari describes her as strikingly beautiful, dressed in an appearance that seemed to be "a threat to her safety" (Cioffari 14). Shortly after the novel begins, we see Vicki's discomfort and her need for validation – that is, a confirmation of herself and the existence of another. Cioffari writes: “With her rigid gaze she seemed almost catatonic. She wanted him there, but it was as if nothing else existed but her and perhaps not even that” (Cioffari 21). Vicki realizes her need to be validated; however, he doesn't know how to get it. Vicki then asks Trace, “Have you ever thought, when you look at yourself like that in the mirror, that what you see isn't really you” (Cioffari 22)? She goes on to say, “I'm not Vicki anymore. From now on I want you to call me Vee. Is it okay” (Cioffari 22)? It is at this point in the novel that Vee becomes aware of her isolation, towards Trace and others. Her loneliness devours her and makes it impossible for her to have a fulfilling relationship. Vicki's transition to the character of Vee is her confirmation of the person who... at the center of the card... example of the silent sufferer. On the cross Christ cries out in pain, but never against the men who beat him. In none of the biblical accounts are they asked 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 brunt 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 renounces his carnal bodily order to gain a spiritual body through death. Through this process they demonstrate the main themes of the novel, 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 Cioffari's characters..