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Character Analysis: Doubt By John Patrick Shanley

547 Words3 Pages

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 …show more content…

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

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(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!”

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Jeremy Fink has a big fear of change. This shows that he doesn’t really like to try new things and he is not really a risk taker. Jeremy, a 12 year old, has been living without his father for five years now and that has been tough on him. That is one of the reasons he doesn’t like change, because the biggest change he can remember is living without his father. Another example is Jeremy’s food choice.

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Julia Alvarez, author of In the Time of the Butterflies, expresses Minerva’s dilemmas through the use of symbolism to emphasize the struggle of choosing to prioritize her family or fighting in the country’s revolution. Having been apart from her family for so long, Minerva, the second daughter amongst four, wishes to live a normal life with her family and to see her children grow up. But the responsibility she holds as the country’s savior weighs heavily on her and becomes a grave issue for her. After she is released from prison, Minerva feels as if the house arrest is a blessing in disguise: “But to tell you the truth, it was as if I’d been served my sentence on a silver platter. By then, I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more than to

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Proctor doesn’t want his name to be nailed to the church he has already confessed. “ I have confessed

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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.

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1256 Words | 6 Pages

In the scene where Sister James and Father Flynn are speaking in the garden, Sister James tells Father Flynn that she has “one bad dream” (38) and she has not “slept right since” (38). Since she cannot sleep she is supposed to be good according to the epigraph, this is juxtaposed against Father Flynn who says “I can’t sleep on occasion” (38). Since he can’t sleep on occasion this means that he is mostly bad and has very little conscience that can keep him

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1486 Words | 6 Pages

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!

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1169 Words | 5 Pages

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

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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).

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Although Sister James felt like Sister Aloysius was just trying to destroy her spirit and love for history it is actually nothing like that. Sister Aloysius is trying to teach her how to strong in this world that oppresses women to dial down their intelligence and to bow at the feet of men. As displayed through the conversations before between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius, Sister Aloysius stood up against him acting as if she was questioning her authority and she was the boss or they were on the same level. She is one of those women who would stand against a man and question him without feeling threatened or

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1181 Words | 5 Pages

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.

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The Radicalized Mind Joesph Strorm is a loyal brute, an extremist. He is an unwavering leader to Waknuk and the Repentances. He would sacrifice anything for his religion. Joseph is the kind of character that will do what he believes in with asking anyone one else. He is very cantankerous and hard to deal with and is a huge threat to David.

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So, in all the moment where reads his last rule that lets him lie makes him wonder if all the adults have lied to him his entire life even though he’s been taught all these years to do the opposite because it was such an integral part of precise speech. I

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1094 Words | 5 Pages

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.

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835 Words | 4 Pages

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. Sister Aloysius is displayed as old fashioned and spiteful towards change. Her denial of change stems from the smallest and pettiest of objects: ballpoint pens and Christmas songs.

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