Doubt John Patrick Shanley Analysis

Why do people write memoirs? The most obvious answer is that to share their unique journey of life with others. However, it goes far beyond that. By writing memoirs, The writers can also reveal things in their life that they never notice before, some reminisces that become meaningful after time went by, and some decisions that were made subconsciously but profound. The memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City written by Nick Flynn tells Flynn’s arduous journey through life, having a father who never shows up and a mother who committed suicide during his time in college. The memoir consists of many fragmented sections: some are about Nick’s father, Jonathan Flynn, and some are about Nick himself. “Why I Write” by Joan Didion and “This Is How

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

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:

Doubt, a film taking place in New York during the 1960s, focuses on the accusation of a priest, Father Flynn, being a child predator by a nun, Sister Aloysius. The credibility of Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn are often brought into question throughout the film. As the evidence gathered was mostly circumstantial and created through assumptions, Father Flynn did not harm Donald Miller at any instance despite the constant pressure from Aloysius to admit his guilt by leaving the parish.

First, I believe that Father Flynn’s weird behaviors point to his guilt. Sister James shares concern for Donald with Sister Aloysius. She reports that Donald returned from the rectory with the smell of alcohol on his breath and that he just put his head down on his desk. When Sister Aloysius

In the past 5 years, He has changed parishes 3 times. He never told anyone why he changed parishes so much. In one of his sermons he expresses that, “ I’m sick. No one knows I’ve lost my last real friend. I’ve done something wrong.” (Shanley 6). Father tells the congregation that he has done something wrong but he does not tell anyone what he did. This sermon is right before Sister James finds out about Flynn and Donald’s relationship. When Sister James and Sister Aloysius confront the situation to Father Flynn, He denies everything. He says, “It was a private matter.” (Shanley 32). After all the arguing, Father Flynn threatens Sister Aloysius and Sister James starts to believe Flynn.

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. Father Flynn also tries to stop and changer direction in his conversation with the Sisters. If Flynn had nothing to hide he should have just told the Sisters the truth. Flynn stands and tells the Sisters that he does not wish to continue the conversation when in my opinion; he should try to clear his name here and now. I believe whether or not he abused the boys in the Nicholas school, he definitely had a secret to hide. Sister Aloysius lied and told Father Flynn that she had called his last parish and she spoke to one of the nuns. Flynn states that Sister Aloysius should have spoken to the pastor not the nuns in his last parish. Why does it seem like he doesn’t want Sister Aloysius to talk to the nuns? Did he really have a secret? It makes me very suspicious when he says, “You have no right to go rummaging through my past!” (Shanley 53) If you truly have nothing to hide then you should be fine with

The National Anthem was written in 1814 and was adopted by America in 1931. Years after adopting the National Anthem people are ready to fight and die for it. Recently at Harrison High School a ninth grader by the name of Philip Malloy states he had his first amendment rights taken away. Philip was supposedly singing the National Anthem at a time of respectful silence. What people did not know was that Philip was lying about being stopped for singing. Philip did not have his rights taken away because he had ample opportunities to apologize to Ms. Narwin, his actions caused her to get fired and receive threats from people in America, Philip used his college money to switch schools after she was fired then he proceeds to say, “I do not know the words.”

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a dark play full of witchcraft and foreshadowing. Lady Macbeth showed scheming qualities throughout the play which had a lot of influence on her husband, Macbeth. Because of her controlling personality, Macbeth was scared to disappoint her. She was the one who positioned the idea of Duncan’s murder into her husband’s mind where he was succumbed by her supremacies and made the ultimate mistake. It was also her idea to place the blame of Duncan’s death on the soldiers. The most prominent example, in my opinion, was that she said she could not get the blood off of her hands. In my opinion Lady Macbeth is more responsible for King Duncan’s murder, and Macbeth’s treason, than Macbeth himself.

Edith Wharton, who is an American author, states “The novelist must rely on what maybe called the illuminating incident to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of each situation” (Wharton). Tim O’Brien uses illuminating moments to show how war makes guilt ambiguous. By examining three specific moments, the reader discovers how difficult it is to deal with the ambiguities of guilt.

The biggest thing they will say is that no one really saw Father Flynn with Donald thus concluding they were along together. Sister Aloysius: “You help a private meeting with him at the rectory.” (Shanley 31) Since no one else saw them, there is no other witness to say what happened between the two of them. Though it can also be argued that since no one saw them, there is nothing to say that Father Flynn committed such an act with a child. The other big claim that could be made towards his guilt is that he left the school when Sister Aloysius stated that she called his old place of work. This could be stating that he ran because he was guilty, but if he was then chances are the bishop would have believed her and he wouldn’t have gotten a promotion. Sister Aloysius even stated at the end of it all that she had doubts. Sister Aloysius: “I have doubts! I have such doubts!” (Shanley 58) She is not sure if her own claims were the truth or not which leaves us to wonder if Father Flynn was innocent or guilty.

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. He seems almost too focused on coming up with excuses for why he is abnormally close with Donald. His actions make him seem very skeptical about his intentions and actions in regards to Donald Muller. Father Flynn then goes and talks to Sister James separately to talk with her about the accusations. By talking to Sister James alone, Father Flynn not only broke the rules but also seems suspicious. Father Flynn seems suspicious by talking to Sister James due to him taking time out of his day to go and try to convince her of his innocence. During the conversation between Father Flynn and Sister James, Father Flynn seems to threaten Sister James in a way: “You might lose your place as well” (Shanley 40). Father Flynn goes out of his way to convince Sister James of his innocence, which is very odd behavior considering she is at a lower position than himself. Father Flynn also goes and talks to Sister Aloysius against the

    In Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible’, witchcraft is the main conflict of the play.  Set in a  Puritan Massachusetts Colony in the year 1692, most anything that cannot be solved by the church or a doctor is unnatural.  The first thing that comes to mind is witchcraft, which the punishment for is hanging unless you confess. So what this entails is: you either tell the truth and deny that you have anything to do with witchcraft and be hung or tell a lie, which is a sin, and go to jail for an extended period of time.  Those accused of witchcraft are put in front of those who have accused them and the judges and do not get to plead a case.  But this was not a big problem before a group of girls started to tell

John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable takes place at the St. Nicholas Catholic Church and School in Bronx, New York, 1964. Father Brendon Flynn is new to St. Nicholas, and his contemporary take on Catholicism seems to immediately clash with Sister Aloysius’ though traditional beliefs. Sister Aloysius believes Father Flynn to be a sexual predator and wishes to enlist the wide-eyed optimist Sister James to help keep a watchful eye on him.