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The Doubt: A Parable By Patrick Shanley

685 Words3 Pages

Doubt Based on the evidence in Patrick Shanley’s play, The Doubt: A Parable, Father Flynn is innocent because there is no tangible proof of sexual assault and Sister Aloysius is only trying to hurt Father Flynn for being different. The whole parable is about the term, doubt. It has readers flipping back and forth between the notion of Father Flynn guilty of committing sexual assault, and not being guilty. The end of the parable offers no precise verdict in the case. It leaves its readers confused, and demanding of an answer. To begin, throughout the whole parable, no concrete evidence is found. The whole prejudgment is based off a conception created trough dialect with the sisters. As Sister Aloysius and Sister James are discussing school topics, Donald, the first African-American to attend this school, is brought up. Sister James is worried about his odd behaviors and she states: “He look frightened and … he put his head on the desk in the most peculiar way. And one other thing. I think there was alcohol on his breath” (Shanley 22). From this, the idea of Donald being raped is born, yet it was created with no distinct evidence. Secondly, Sister Aloysius even announces that she has no evidence. If …show more content…

Aloysius tells Flynn she called a nun from his past, and: “found out his prior history of infringements” (Shanley 58). This causes Father Flynn to leave the church, which shows some doubt in the case between purity and wrongdoings. This position is flawed not only because she was lying, but also the made up infringements could just be other mistakes. Again, there is no evidence that his histories of violations are sexual assaults. Instead, they might be relationships with nuns, breaking of the Church Laws, or just a speeding ticket. Because Aloysius admitted: “I was lying. I made no such call” (Shanley 58), there is no reason to believe that Father Flynn committed sexual

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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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Along with wanting to give Donald a person to look up to, he may want to just give Donald a support system. Sister James and Sister Aloysius were talking about how they were worried about him being isolated, but then Sister James brings up how he has someone looking out for him : “He has a protector. . . Father Flynn” (Shanley 19). Father Flynn might just want Donald to feel accepted and welcome in his own school. Nevertheless, I still believe Father Flynn is guilty.

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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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In Susan Glaspell's play “Trifles,” there is a difference between the men and women’s way of perceiving evidence to Mr. Wright’s murder case. The men spend most of their time searching for solid evidence upstairs where Mr. Wright's murder takes place. However, the women spend most of their time in Mrs. Wright’s kitchen. Instead of seeking tangible evidence, they inspect the condition of the items and acknowledge how they have been muddled around. Different perspectives lead to a variety of discoveries such as the women’s way of perceiving evidence.

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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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Also, the main theme that is underlined by the playwright of Doubt: A Parable is the abuse of the power. Shanley suggested an up-to-date topic, considering several scandals about the Catholic Church’s priests who had had sexual relations with young parishioners. This play with no proofs and it ends with an open-ended. Although in the play Sister Aloysius and Sister James try to judge whether the priest –

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He said a few times in the story that it would be better for this not to get out so Sister Aloysius can save her job. Father Flynn might actually be looking out for Sister Aloysius and trying to help her keep her job as the principal. Another reason Father Flynn could be innocent is maybe he was just trying to give Donald Muller a friend. Donald is the only black kid in school and has no friends. In the conversation with Donald’s mom and the principle it is known that Donald gets beat by his father.

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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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However, his true morals are revealed when the narrator shows signs of guilt like “My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears.” The narrator’s transition from superiority to guilt represents the reality that the acknowledgement of wrongdoings can either be done consciously or unconsciously, and that the latter has considerable negative

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In Alice Munro’s story “Wild Swans”, Rose is imagining things that may confuse people into thinking that she is being sexually harassed. Rose is a young girl who rides on a train for the first time and is seated next to an old man. She feels the old man 's hand on her leg in a disrespectful manner but it is all in her head. It is proven that Rose was only imagining the old man’s hand on her leg in a sexual manner in the since of: her own desire of wanting pleasure, the old man 's kindness and age shows that he is blameless, and lastly pressure shows that what she was feeling was a ten dollar in her pocket not a hand. Rose wants to be “Pounded, pleasured, reduced, exhausted”.

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