Doubt Sister James Character Analysis

In Doubt Sister James is the character who is full of the most doubt out of everyone in the play; Sister James doubts herself, Sister Aloysius, and Father Flynn all in a very short time span. At the beginning of the play when Sister James is having a conversation with Sister Aloysius it is clear that a single word from Sister Aloysius could completely shatter Sister James’ confidence and make her doubt her abilities. Sister James takes the advice of Sister Aloysius but after she does she says to Sister Aloysius in another conversation “I feel. Wrong. And about this other matter, I don’t have any evidence. I’m not at all certain that anything’s happened” (Shanley 1025). It seems to be a common theme for Sister James to not be certain she is constantly questioning herself and what she believes and going back and forth on things particularly whether or not Father Flynn is molesting one of her students.

After Sister Aloysius confronts Father Flynn and he denies any wrongdoing Sister James says “Well. What a relief! He cleared it all up” (Shanley 1029). It takes almost nothing to get Sister James to not only doubt her original suspicions and those of Sister Aloysius but to completely disregard those suspicions. Soon after that Sister James goes from doubting Sister Aloysius’ suspicions to doubting Sister Aloysius herself after a conversation with Father Flynn. During this single conversation with Father Flynn Sister James both that “It’s not for me to be convinced, one way or the other” and “Oh, I don’t know what to believe” (Shanley 1031). These two simple statement by Sister James illustrate how she is practically a personification of doubt throughout the entire play doubting one thing after another from start to