Doubt By John Patrick Shanley

False accusations can ruin someone’s life and their reputation. In the short story Doubt, written by John Patrick Shanley, a nun, sister Aloysius, accuses a priest, Father Flynn, of sexually abusing a young boy named Donald. It is never confirmed whether the accusations are correct. I believe that this accusation of Father Flynn’s sexual abuse is not true. The author persuaded readers that Flynn is not guilty because Flynn is confused by the accusations, Flynn is trying to protect Donald, and readers could also say that Flynn is guilty because, he had past parishes from other churches for unknown reasons and when he touched a boy’s wrist he flinched.
Father Flynn is not guilty; because when sister Aloysius first accuses him of sexually abusing

Flynn left the school due to Sister Aloysius accusing him of sexual abuse. He must have feared that these allegations could ruin his reputation and the way people around Flynn would see him. Some people might be doubtful about whether or not he committed the awful crime of sexual abuse. After the accusations were made he states, “I stopped talking to him for fear of it being misunderstood. Isn’t that a shame?” (Shanley 39) Flynn is sad that he can no longer talk to Donald even though he cared about him. He did not want people to assume that he was sexually abusing this young boy just because he was talking to him. He wants to protect Donald and not harm him. He exclaims, “ It’s me that cares about that boy, not her” (Shanley 40). Flynn believes that he cares about Donald a lot more than Sister Aloysius. Flynn shows that he cares more in numerous ways. He protected him from being kicked out of the altar boys. He was going to get kicked out, because he was caught drinking the alcohol. Flynn claims that he never brought up this punishable thing that Donald did so Donald could stay on altar