Shanleys Doubt By - Book Report/Review Example

Based on her interaction with people, Sister Aloysius reveals to be a distrustful person especially to men and that is why she thinks that Father Flynn is guilty of a pedophile. She is a very strict person who thinks that teachers who are not doubtful are naïve. When a boy nose-bleeds in class, she concludes that he induced the bleeding to get out of class. She shows how strict and doubtful she is when she makes such utterances as; “There is a chain of discipline. Make use of it.” (p.8), “Every easy choice today will have its consequence tomorrow.

” (p.9), and “The best teachers do not perform, they cause the students to perform,” (p.11). When Sister James tells her that Father Flynn has always paid more attention to Donald Miller since he became an altar boy, she is certain that the Father has always had a sexual interest in the boy or worse that the boy has already been violated by the priest. Despite all the barriers preventing Sister Aloysius from finding the answers she is seeking, she still pushes the argument of Father Flynn too far as she is torn between her personal emotions and her role as a school principal.

She wants to straighten the wrong which she perceives the priest is creating in the school. However, she does take it too far in her pursuit of the truth. When she says: “In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God. Of course, there’s a price.” I believe she stepped “away from God” by relying on her personal speculation to lie and contradict the same rules she is trying to safeguard. She feels immature and selfish at the end of the parable due to her blind rampage as she declares “I have doubts!

I have such doubts!” (58). This shows that she is so doubtful until she is even doubting herself and has to suffer guilt. There is a very strong conviction that Father Flynn’s move to ask for transfer was because he was already tired of the scandal which was looming after Sister Aloysius’ accusations. Even though there was no evidence to prove his guilt, Sister Aloysius would not let him be, and therefore, making it very difficult for both of them to co-exist peacefully. He's asking for transfer is a way of keeping his reputation intact and avoiding shame.