The power of belief shapes events into hardline certainties and creates situations where opinions will define the term success. In John Patrick Shanley’s story Doubt: A Parable, Sister Aloysius forms doubts about Father Flynn’s actions and diligently tries to expose Father Flynn based off of negligible evidence. A Catholic school in the Bronx is stuck at the crossroads as a rigid disciplinarian nun and the liberal parish priest share different views pertaining not only to their religion. The principal, Sister Aloysius, accuses Father Flynn of having inappropriate relations with the school’s first black student. She goes on a personal crusade to expunge Father Flynn from St. Nicholas without a fragment of validation expect her moral certitude. I believe Father Flynn is innocent because of Sister Aloysius’ paranoid demeanor and he has reasonable explanations for everything he is accused of. …show more content…
First off, Father Flynn is being victimized by the fixated principal Sister Aloysius. She accuses him of inappropriately having relations with a child. Every action Father Flynn makes, Sister Aloysius seems to have a certain reprisal for his decision. Sister James, the history teacher for the 8th graders realizes that Sister Aloysius is adjudging Father Flynn’s opinions and calls her out on it:
You just don’t like him! You don’t like that he uses a ballpoint pen. You don’t like that he takes 3 lumps of sugar in his tea. You don’t like it that he likes “Frosty the Snowman”. And you’re letting that convince you of something terrible, just terrible! Well, I like “Frosty the Snowman”! And it would be nice if this school weren’t run like a prison! And I think that it’s a good thing that I love to teach history and that I might inspire my students to love it too! And if you judge that to mean I’m not fit to be a teacher, then so be it! (Shanley
Sister Aloysius; she 's in charge of the other nuns, as well as head of the school. Sister James; who is a young an inexperienced nun and teacher. Father Flynn; the head priest. Mrs. Muller and Donald Muller; who are a black mother and her young son. The over all plot follows a controversy between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius.
In John Patrick Shanley’s play, Doubt: A Parable readers ponder whether or not Father Flynn had a sexual encounter with Mrs. Muller’s son. Throughout Doubt: A Parable, Sister Aloysius continuously tries to find various ways to get Father Flynn to confess that he has had sexual relationship with the alter boy, Donald. However, Sister Aloysius already has a close eye on Donald Muller because of his continuous confrontation “with being bullied, criticized, and taunted by the other boys at school and has not a single friend to comfort him” (Doubt - Essay on Ap). Therefore, this one of the reasons why Donald Muller spends time with Father Flynn and well as time spent being associated with the alter boys.
We must be committed to holding on to nothing but the truth. We must decide that if the truth inside us can burn a belief, a family structure, a business, a religion, an industry - it should have become ashes yesterday.” the belief that if something could destroy a relationship as monumental as faith or family than it should have already been left behind is not one that can be related to by the majority of readers. This belief could be related to by many readers if they separate their goals from the accomplishments of Glennon Doyle, and if they keep in mind the consequences of the risks associated with “burning the old.” All over the world people are forced into relationships, religions, or industries that may not have
His flaws have started to prevail over his mind but he holds strong This is a serious burden as father Flynn struggles to meet the criteria for being good. Throughout the movie, the nun named sister Aloysius constantly views Father Flinn as a curse to her church. Flynn shows his attentiveness to the church by preaching to the people and connecting with the boys. He’s a mentor and coach
In the play Doubt: A Parable, by John Patrick Shanley, Sister Aloysius is a representation of traditionalists as she constantly resists change and progression. Her traditionalist values are highlighted in her scene two conversation with Sister James. She says, “I’m sorry I allowed even cartridge pens into the school. The students really should only be learning script with true fountain pens. Always the easy way out these days” (9).
(Fitzgerald 141). This shows the audience the importance of the relationship between Tom and Myrtle in Tom’s life, and how his
Throughout John Patrick Shanley’s play Doubt, Sister Aloysius tries to expose the truth about how Father Flynn could be having an inappropriate relationship with Donald Muller. Sister Aloysius becomes aware of this possibly inappropriate relationship after Sister James tells Sister Aloysius that Father Flynn had a private meeting with Donald. Then, Sister Aloysius talks to many people to see if her speculations are true, and by doing that, she hopes that the truth will cause Father Flynn to leave St. Nicholas. After reading the play Doubt, I believe that Father Flynn is having an inappropriate relationship with Donald Muller because of Father Flynn’s behaviors and Sister Aloysius’ conversations with many
“Charles” by Shirley Jackson is a realistic fiction cliffhanger about Laurie, his adjustment to kindergarten, and a kid Charles, who seems to be a dreadful influence on the kindergarteners. The story is set in Laurie 's home and at his school. Laurie, his mother, his father, and Charles are the characters in the story. The lesson in the story is that lying leads to more problems than it solves and the author uses foreshadowing and word choice to show the lesson.
Reflecting back to his situation with Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn knows that the damage has already been done and ignoring it would no longer be an option he had to prove his innocence, but Sister Aloysius doubt is so strong he is uncertain that he would be able to change her mind on what she thinks of him. When someone’s doubt is as clear to them as certainty they act without rationalizing the situation. This scene occurs after Sister Aloysius had accused Father Flynn of conducting inappropriate things with Donald Muller. In his sermon, Father Flynn says, “You ignorant, badly brought- up female! You have borne false witness against your neighbor, you have played fast and loose with his reputation you should be heartily ashamed” (Shanley 35).
Sister Aloysius and Sister James talk to Father Flynn who soon becomes very defensive. Father Flynn was asked about why he and Donald had a secret meeting after gym class. Flynn states, “It was a private matter.” This statement is concerning in the Sister’s eyes, because what can a private meeting be about with a 12 year old boy. This exemplifies that Father Flynn has something to hide because why would he hide the fact that a 12 year old kid drank he church wine from the principal.
(Shanley 32). After all the arguing, Father Flynn threatens Sister Aloysius and Sister James starts to believe Flynn. A common argument against this position is that Father Flynn was really trying to help Donald be successful in school. Father Flynn may have been helping the only Negro in the school. Flynn says, “That back boy needs a helping hand or he’s not going to make it here!”
Comparison between nuns James and Aloysius The film “Doubt” is set in a Catholic school in the 1960’s and centers in the goings-on of the children that attend the school and their caregivers. It follows the story of a nun, which is helped by another Sister to confront a priest, whom she suspects has abused a student. In the course of the film it’s shown how very opposite individuals interact towards a same topic; even though they both have the same vocation and work in the same place, they react in a different manner to the issue of suspicious. Although Sister Jane and Aloysius, both main characters of this drama, are two devoted nuns who are passionate for education, these two characters differ in their personalities, the ways of educating children and how they interact with people.
Father Flynn works very hard to defend himself when he was getting accused. Sister Aloysius and Sister James called Father Flynn for a meeting about the winter pageant, but they have an underlying cause. Sister Aloysius brings up the suspicions she has about his relationship with Donald Muller. Father Flynn gets very offended and defensive of his actions to the sisters. He goes on about how he is different when it comes to discipline compared to the iron fist of Sister Aloysius.
Humans are unlike any other creature on this planet, as we are able to think and reason. These two abilities have created the most powerful minds ever known such as, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Plato. These abilities have also lead to some powerful arguments one of such being our beliefs. Some philosophers believe that all beliefs must be justified, while others believe that only some of our beliefs must be justified. W.K. Clifford argues that it is morally wrong to act or believe without sufficient evidence.
Topic: What elements existed or were created within the Church to allow fathers to have power over the sisters in Doubt, a Parable? Discuss. Doubt, a Parable by John Patrick Shanley is a successful and immortalized drama. The play is an open-ended construct, allowing each reader or spectator to build his own interpretation of the facts implied. In this article, the elements existed or were created within the Church to allow fathers to have power over the sisters in the play will be deeply analyzed and explored.