Character Analysis: Doubt By John Patrick Shanley

While Fr. Flynn is fighting for his innocence, he stumbles upon multiple obstacles along the way. John Patrick Shanley describes Flynn’s situation with a very edgy tone in the book “Doubt.” Fr. Flynn is a priest at St. Nicholas school, he has been kicked out of three previous schools , but we do not know why he was expelled from them. I think Flynn is guilty has molested Donald Muller because of his past and further evidence. Flynn is guilty of molesting him because he has tried to become closer and a better friend. Flynn feels very close to Donald to the point where he tells Flynn he doesn’t have any friends and that his father beats him, “ Flynn: Did you know Donald’s father beats him? Sister: Yes. Flynn: And might that not account for the odd behavior Sister James noticed in the boy?” ( Shanley 52). That shows how trusting Donald was for Flynn; to come up and tell someone something like that is tremendously hard. This isn’t

He tells them to call the nun that had worked with him a different time and ask, “ Flynn: Call the pastor and ask him why I left! It was perfectly innocent… And there is nothing in my record to suggest otherwise” ( Shanley 53). Even though he is not trying to keep either of the Sisters to calling the pastor, he will not tell them why he had left. He is trying to deny the fact he has given Donald any wine during their confession, he tries to avoid the question Sister Aloysius, “ Sister A: Now, did you give Donald Muller wine to drink? Flynn: Have you ever done anything wrong? Sister A: I confessed it! Did you give Donald Muller wine to drink? Flynn: … As have you! We are the same!” ( Shanley 54). It takes multiple times for Sister to ask him before he finally answers the question with just a simple no; Donald’s breath had smelled on wine earlier before Sister confronted