Father Flynn's Doubt

In the play Doubt, a Parable written by John Patrick Shanley, it explains how doubt can lead to certainty and how an individual assurance can lead back to doubt. The relationship between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius is a back and forth conflict between certainty and doubt. While Father Flynn knows for a fact that he has not done anything to Donald Muller, Sister Aloysius does not believe that Father Flynn is innocent, and it is her doubt that makes her act out from her position. Throughout the play, Shanley demonstrates how Father Flynn’s sermon’s relates to the relationship between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn. Father Flynn’s sermons talk about doubt, intolerance, and gossip have their own message that illustrate the relationship between

This last sermon transmits back to the relationship between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn on how Sister Aloysius gossiping could affect Father Flynn career as a Priest. In his sermons, Father Flynn says, “Now I want you to go back and gather every last feather that flew out in the wind… It cannot be done father. I do not know where they went; the wind took them all over” (Shanley 36). The feather represents the gossip and how when the feather is released into the wind, no would know where the feather went or to whom the feather reached. Father Flynn explains how it is impossible to take back your actions once you have committed to them by giving the example of a feather from his sermon. 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). This phrase that Father Flynn states in his sermon is referring back to how he feels towards Sister Aloysius. Her gossip had scared Father Flynn to a point where he would avoid Donald Muller. Because of what Sister Aloysius started gossiping Father Flynn feared that he would only make things worse if he continued talking to Donald Muller thus trying to save his reputation and his status, but by avoiding