Sacrifice of Piety in the Plot of "Viridiana"

Sacrifice is often considered in a religious context to be something sacrificed for a religion.  However, Girard defines sacrifice through a social perspective as something that ends the conflict between two units of society.  In more spiritual and "primitive" societies, this is often viewed in religious material sacrifice of a person or thing, whereas "modern" secular societies have the judicial system.  In "Viridiana," it seems to me that religion itself is the thing that is sacrificed.  Piety is sacrificed to end the conflict between deciding to act for the benefit of others or for the benefit of oneself.  The plot's exposition really only serves to explain some of the relationship between Viridiana and her uncle and to explain why she is going to visit him. One important detail is that Viridiana is conflicted as to whether she should go to see her uncle or not.  She does not go completely willingly, and she also feels guilty about staying.

If we look at the plot's conflict as the ritual of Viridiana sacrificing her piety, then the inciting incident and beginning of the ritual occurs whenever she has a conversation with Mother Superior in Don Jaime's house.  As soon as Mother Superior enters the room, the first thing Viridiana does is bows to kiss Mother Superior's crucifix. This gesture of deference seems not to only show respect.  It seems to me that Viridiana is "giving a kiss goodbye" to the sacrament of holy orders and her future as a nun.  When Mother Superior tries to force Viridiana to confess to her, Viridiana says that she is not going back to the convent, officially acting and "performing" the physical aspects of the ritual.  It seems that perhaps the sacrifice itself has already been performed, as she says "I have nothing to blame myself for.  I only know I've changed."   At this point, the audience feels pity for the Viridiana who has made drastic changes in her life to cope with the drastic changes of the relationship of the uncle.  We see a woman whose uncle killed himself due to the unfulfilled taboo lust he felt for her.  However, we know that a major alteration in the plot has occurred, and we are wondering what will come next for our heroine.

Since the sacrifice itself is largely internal, it seems that the sacrifice has begun within Viridiana at the moment she realizes her uncle is dead.  Instead of returning back to the convent, she is brought back to his house, and appears silent and lost in thought.  One can assume that during these moments she is pensively thinking about her future as a normal woman instead of a nun, as she later says "I've had a lot to think about."  In her conversation with Mother Superior, it doesn't appear that Viridiana is overly unsure of this new future as she doesn't ask for Mother Superior's (or anyone's) guidance in this decision, and she is very definite and confident (although perhaps melancholy) in her statements.  

Throughout the rest of the rising action, Viridiana continues to proceed in the ceremonials of sacrificing her piety.  Throughout the rising action, she proceeds in well-meaning but unorganized ways of enacting religious practices. She has been freed from the order and communal environment of the convent, but instead now lives in her own house (representing a large change towards self interest) with the homeless, whom she has invited.  She intends to give them work and food, as well as friendship.  In the climax of the event, she returns to her chaotic house and is the victim of a rape attempt (for the second time) and is forced to recognize the inherent evils in every human being.  Even those who she has given her house, home, and time to have destroyed her belongings and assaulted her physically and sexually.  The falling action of the plot appears to be somewhat muddled with the resolution or hidden altogether.  In the falling action, the house is restored to order and Viridiana seems to change herself physically, as evidenced by her appearance in the final resolution scene of the movie, where Viridiana has quite literally let her hair down and is seen playing cards (among other possible things) with her cousin and servant.  
Although she is not as religous as before, she has not become totally evil or selfish, but simply exists as a more balanced human being.  It does appear that Viridiana is more self centered at the end of the movie, but she is no longer fighting herself to try and decide what is right or good.  As Girard said, a sacrifice may often feel unfair or too valuable (especially for the party making the sacrifice) and does not guarantee violence, but instead only guarantees a resolution such that revenge is impossible.  Viridiana may have become more selfish, but she is no longer conflicted about whether to act for the benefit of others or for her own incentives.  In this way, I feel that Viridiana supports Freytag's pyramid as it possesses all of the parts and presents a central conflict which is later resolved.

Although the sacrifice is largely internal, two things in the plot serve as symbols to further demonstrate the ritual of sacrificing piety: Don Jaime's house and the treatment of Viridiana's religious objects.

Don Jaime's house can represent secular thinking.  It appears at the beginning of the film when she leaves the convent.  It is badly taken care of, just as Viridiana is not a secular person.  It remains this way for most of the film.  During the climax of the film, the homeless residents of the other building come in
nd drastically rearrange the interior while having a riotous banquet, just as Viridiana's ways of thinking are drastically changed.  At the end of the film, it is starting to improve and gain electricity, and there is a popular song playing in the background, just as Viridiana is now in a much more secular mindset.

Viridiana's religious objects can represent her pious mindset.  They are treated with reverence at the beginning of the film, as they are placed upon a cloth that she is sitting/kneeling in front of. 
They are very precious and private to her, as she takes them out only in her room.  Later during the film, Jorge "walks in on" her while the objects are out.  She places them, hidden, in her drawer, but none too gently, as she seems to be having trouble holding on to her beliefs.  At the end of the movie, the crown of thorns is seen burning away in a fire.