Doubt : A Parable By John Patrick Shanley

This case was one of truth and justice. It becomes evident when the Juror 9 says to Juror 10. ‘Do you think you have a monopoly on truth?' [Juror 9, page 8] The fact is, nobody really knows what the truth is, and at the end of the play, still nobody does. The boy may have been guilty, but as Juror 8 pointed out, who were they to make that assumption? Most of the Jurors had taken for granted that what the prosecution had told them was the truth. Through much discussion the Jurors realised that this may

Seeing his chance, he is firmly set on this boys guilt, seeing his own son's guilt in the accused. But it does not stop there.

Both The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Empties by Jess Row are apocalyptic stories that describe the state of human civilization after the annihilation of civil society. Whereas in The Road civil society is destroyed and remains defunct after the apocalypse, The Empties tells of a people who are able to bounce back and reestablish their society. Many people today live their lives aimlessly, squandering their time day by day, partaking in life’s pleasures, and living for their own selfish reasons. McCarthy and Row bring attention to the selfishness and self-absorption that plagues today’s teens by showing two different possible scenarios following an apocalyptic event, resulting from a fundamental difference

In the parable Doubt, Father Flynn’s innocence is very debatable. Sister Aloysius suspects that he is a child molester. He denies it when confronted but there is some evidence that points to his guilt. Sister James does not want to believe his guilt but is unsure as Sister Aloysius is so determined. Father Flynn is clearly guilty for several reasons, for one because of his actions early in the story, and also because of his decision to leave St. Nicholas Catholic School.

In “The Parable of the Sower”, author Octavia Butler realistically describes the dystopia of the U.S that is currently ruled by poverty, crime, and chaos. Lauren, the main protagonist, evolves and goes on a physical and emotional journey to create her own beliefs and prepare for life behind the wall. Lauren lives in the community of Robledo that is guarded by a wall that is meant to protect them from crime although it often fails to do so. Being the daughter of a Baptist, Lauren is challenged to conform and participate in the religious passivity of the community. Not having enough water, food, and safety prevents and angers Lauren to try to address her problematic reality immediately. Through the eyes and actions of Lauren it is clear she

“A person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.” In the play Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose, a 19-year-old is on trial for the murder of his father. After many pieces of evidence were presented, the three that are shaky include the height of the father, the woman who saw from the el train, and the old man who saw the boy running down from the stair. Based on these, the boy is not guilty.

It is difficult to make the decision if Father Flynn is innocent or guilty. In John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt; a parable, he eclipses the truth very well. The scenes about the toy, the camping trip and the undershirt cause much confusion; causing the audience to go back and forth in their minds and doubt Father Flynn. Law says that people are innocent until proven guilty although; realistically, everyone knows that people are guilty until proven innocent. It is very possible that Father Fynn is only helping Donald, because he is less fortunate than the other students at his school; and it is also very possible that he is hurting the child by molesting him. The decision is left to the audience as the jury.

When one’s unquestioned reputation is being attacked one often feels obligated to make a plan to cover up accused actions to save their reputation. When Sister Aloysius first accuses Father Flynn of having an inappropriate relationship with Donald Muller he responds, “Happened? Nothing happened. I had a talk with the boy.” (32). Finally, Father Flynn says he did have some interaction with Donald after denying it for a while, but he still clearly states nothing happened. Father Flynn ends the conversation by saying, “I don’t wish to continue this conversation at all further. And if

Through these arguments it is often thought of that Father Flynn is guilty. A reason as to why Father Flynn could be guilty is that he spends a lot of time with Donald Muller. For example, Father Flynn held a special meeting with Donald in the rectory and is often seen walking around the grounds with him as well. This is something that is noticed by many, especially Sister Aloysius. While Sister Aloysius is meeting with Father Flynn she states, “You yourself singled the boy out for special attention. You held a private meeting with him at the rectory” (Shanley 31). In this quote it is clear that Father Flynn has a relationship with Donald Muller that is more than just a mentor. While reading this one can understand that Father Flynn pays attention to Donald Muller to the point of even having a private meeting with him, which is suspicious. However, this position is flawed because Father Flynn is just looking out for Donald due to the fact that Donald sticks out like a sore thumb. Furthermore, Donald is bullied at school because he is different. Donald is bullied, beat on by his father, and the only person he really has there for him is Father Flynn. While meeting with Sister Aloysius, Mrs. Muller acknowledges Father Flynn’s behavior and states, “You know, Father Flynn, Father Flynn. He looks up to him. The man gives him his time, which is what that boy needs. He needs that”

In John Patrick Shanley’s 2005 play, Doubt: A Parable, the principal of a Catholic school believes one of the teachers is making sexual advances on one of the boys. Shanley argues through this text that sexism in the Catholic Church in the 1960s placed children in danger. He does this by establishing a positive ethos, or ethical appeal, of one of the four characters, Sister Aloysius Beauvier, and then proceeding to limit her ability to protect her students because she is a woman.

There are many ways to decide what makes a man guilty. In an ethical sense, there is more to guilt than just committing the crime. In Charles Brockden Browns’ Wieland, the reader is presented with a moral dilemma: is Theodore Wieland guilty of murdering his wife and children, even though he claims that the command came from God, or is Carwin guilty because of his history of using persuasive voices, even though his role in the Wieland family’s murder is questionable? To answer these questions, one must consider what determines guilt, such as responsibility, motives, consequences, and the act itself. No matter which view is taken on what determines a man’s guilt, it can be concluded that

Another reason Fr. Flynn is innocent is because there is very little evidence against him as well as all of his actions can be perceived differently. Evidence is very important when trying to prove your point, although, Sister Aloysius has no evidence as she stated it to Mrs. Muller. “I’m concerned about the relationship between Father Flynn and your son … I’m concerned, to be frank, that Father Flynn may have made advances on your son.

The novel “Doubt; A Parable” by John Patrick Shanley, creates doubts and mystery in readers minds that have us turning the pages, curious of what will happen next. “Doubt” creates a lot of different opinions and perspectives, and raises a lot of important discussions. You see that values play a big part in the way that we think, and the way that we see others. It blocks our perspective on people, and makes things seem very one-sided, in order to live life to it’s fullest potential you need to not just look at your own beliefs but others as well. It creates doubt in readers’ minds whether or not Father Flynn is guilty by showing us different sides of characters and making us feel uncertain about our beliefs.

The parable of the Lost Sheep indicates the shepherd left ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost sheep. Why would Jesus teach to leave ninety-nine sheep for only one lost sheep? Was there another shepherd in-training to look after the ninety-nine or how long was the shepherd gone? Questions our mere mortal minds of 2017 try to answer using current culture ideals. Too often, this generation of believers get bogged down in the details and not the message of the parables. Jesus taught using parables to draw the listener to His message about the kingdom of heaven and can best be understood looking through a scriptural lens and not beyond what the Word provides.

The accusations against him, brought by Briony Tallis, held him responsible for the violation of her cousin Lola. Robbie reflects on this, as Briony plans to refute her statement to the police, “The intricacies were lost to him, the urgency had died. Briony would change her evidence, she would rewrite the past so that the guilty became the innocent. But what was guilt these days? It was cheap. Everyone was guilty, and no one was. No one would be redeemed by a change of evidence, for there weren’t enough people… to…gather in the facts.” (188) Robbie’s loss of security and his future took away the childlike carefreeness he displayed before the accusation. Briony’s conscience weighs heavily on her as she moves from a naïve implication to the realization of the consequences.