Doubt: A Parable

The eighth scene shows a meeting between Sister Aloysius and Donald Muller’s mother. Sister Aloysius asks how Donald is doing, and Mrs. Muller explains that he is doing well, but was upset by being removed as an altar boy. She also says that his father beat him for it, which Sister Aloysius says he shouldn’t have done. Mrs. Muller argues that Sister Aloysius shouldn’t tell her what to do, and that Donald’s father was afraid of his child attending the school for fear of trouble with the white students. That trouble hasn’t come, Mrs. Muller says, in part because of Father Flynn’s protection. She says that Donald only needs to make it until the end of the school year, when he can transfer to a good high school and have a chance at college.

Sister Aloysius finally tells Mrs. Muller that she’s concerned about the relationship between Donald and Father Flynn. Mrs. Muller asks if there’s evidence, and when told there isn’t, says that she’d prefer not to believe that anything untoward is going on, and accuses Sister Aloysius of being “on the march” (46). Mrs. Muller also insists that if anything is going on, the priest should be held responsible, and not Donald. When Sister Aloysius tells her that she believes Father Flynn gave Donald the wine, again Mrs. Muller asks why Donald was punished and not Father Flynn, eventually saying “You’re not going against no man in a robe and win, Sister. He’s got the position” (47).

Mrs. Muller, however, refuses to pursue any action, saying that even if there is something going on, it’s just until June and that Donald “doesn’t need additional difficulties” (47-48). When pressed, she says that her son is “that way” (implying that he is gay) and maybe “[wants] to get caught” by Father Flynn (48). She continues, saying that Donald came to this school because he was in physical danger in public school, his father beats him, and now the kids here don’t like him. “One man is good to him,” she says, “This priest…My son needs some man to care about him and see him through to where he wants to go. And thank God, this educated man with some kindness in him wants to do just that” (49).

Sister Aloysius threatens to throw Donald out of the school, but Mrs. Muller continues to insist that she leave him out of it, saying that her husband “would kill that child over a thing like this” (49). She leaves, and Father Flynn enters.

Father Flynn presses Sister Aloysius to “stop this campaign” against him (50), while she presses him to confess and resign. Father Flynn continues to insist that he is innocent, and that Sister Aloysius has had it in for him because of his progressive ways. Sister Aloysius tells him that her suspicions began on the first day of the school year, when Father Flynn touched William London’s wrist, and the boy pulled away.

Sister Aloysius says she called a nun at his former parish, which Father Flynn insists is not the “proper route” (53). He continues to say that she has no proof, but she says she has her certainty, and will not stop digging into his past until she has been proven correct. She insists that he transfer parishes, and take a leave of absence until the transfer is complete. The scene concludes with Father Flynn calling the bishop.

The short final scene occurs in the garden between Sister Aloysius and Sister James. They establish that Father Flynn is gone, transferred to St. Jerome’s. Sister James says that Donald Muller is heartbroken, but Sister Aloysius borrows his mother’s phrase, saying it’s “just till June” (57). Sister James continues to believe that he did nothing wrong, and asks Sister Aloysius if she ever found any proof. She says she did not, but has her own certainty. Sister James says she can’t sleep anymore, that everything is uncertain, and Sister Aloysius retorts, “Maybe we’re not supposed to sleep so well” (58).

Father Flynn, in his transfer, has been promoted to pastor at St. Jerome Church and School. Though Sister Aloysius told Monsignor Benedict what she believed had happened between Donald and Father Flynn, the Monsignor did not believe it. When Sister James asks why Father Flynn left if he was not forced to, Sister Aloysius tells her that it was because she told Father Flynn that she had called a nun at his previous parish—but she confesses to Sister James that she lied about having made that call. Still, she says, if he hadn’t had a history, that threat would not have driven him to leave. However, the play concludes with Sister Aloysius “bent with emotion” (58), crying out: “I have doubts! I have such doubts!” (58).