Freudian(Psychoanalytical) Literary Analysis of Doubt
Doubt by John Patrick Shanley is about a nun who is entirely convinced that a priest had done something inappropriate with one of the students and taken advantage of the fact that the student (Donald Muller) is an African-American. Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the nun, concluded that Father Flynn, the priest, had been forcing Donald Muller to drink wine and molesting him. With the help of a naïve nun named Sister James, Sister Aloysius attempted to investigate her assumption of Father Flynn’s actions even if it meant contacting Donald’s mother. Sister Aloysius is a stereotypical splenetic Catholic School nun who believes that being an unsympathetic and oppressive person to the students is the
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Their personalities are drastically different. Sister Aloysius was shown to be the not most agreeable person. Father Flynn was considerate and wanted to have a warm and loving relationship with the students so that the school will be a welcoming environment. "I think the message of the Second Ecumenical Council was that the church needs to take on more familiar face. Reflect the local community. We should sing a song from the radio now and then. Take the kids out for ice-cream." (Shanley 47) Sister James is naïve and innocent which allows her to be easily influenced. From the way that other characters relate to Sister Aloysius, it is learned that she is a fearful person. The students are afraid of her and Father Flynn is standing up for the students. Father Flynn is the type of person who liked his nails long and sugar in his tea. Sister Aloysius is so strict and she even mentioned how Frosty the Snowman shouldn’t be performed due to the magical element of the snowman coming to life. (Shanley 44) This causes an obstacle between the relationship of Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius. The conflict was worsened when Sister James reported to Sister Aloysius that Donald Muller was called out of class by Father Flynn and came back with alcohol in his breath and was acting unsettled. (Shanley 37) Sister Aloysius presented her id impulse, for Father Flynn to leave in an acceptable way …show more content…
According to Freud’s New Model of Mind, it was indicated that, “... the Id (the essentially biological element), the Ego (the socializing element), and the Superego (the dispenser of rewards and punishment) interact dynamically.” (Landow) As shown in the play Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn’s different personalities used conflicts between them due to the fact that their morals were contrastive. Ergo, Sister Aloysius suspected that Father Flynn had been molesting Donald Muller, which was based on her own judgements and inability the point of view of Father Flynn. Even though instincts are controlled by societal standards, they can become unmanageable and disorderly if the desires are too
Another scene where gender conflict arises is in which Father Flynn wields his power suggesting a “leave of absence” towards Sister Aloysius after being questioned about his “talk” with Donald Muller (33). It is clear that Father Flynn is outraged and his natural defense is to hold his power in a threat towards the sisters. As Sister Aloysius doubts Father Flynn, she sees him as personifying these doubts and believes that only by eliminating him can she regain her religious conviction, staking her entire way of life on her
In Doubt by John Patrick Shanley is a short play that takes place in a catholic school. The main characters of this play are Father Flynn t the priest at the school. Sister Aloysius Principle of the catholic school and the head nun. Sister James a young nun and teacher at the catholic school. Lastly Donald Muller the first black student to enter the catholic school. The conflict that arises is if Father Flynn is having sexual relations with Donald Muller. Sister James is worried when Donald Muller arrives back to class after Father Flynn called him to the rectory. Donald seems uneasy as if something happened to him and sister James said his breath smelled of alcohol.
Sigmund Freud’s theories on the construction of the mind are simple, but fundamentally changed the field of psychology. He proposed, among other things, that the human mind is composed of three parts: the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The preconscious consists of information, such as a telephone number, that is “accessible to consciousness without emotional resistance” (Schellenberg 21). In Freud’s estimation, the unconscious is the most important area of the mind. The information stored within it has “very strong resistances” to becoming conscious (Freud 32). Residing in the unconscious is the id, which “contains everything…that is present at birth… – above all, therefore, the instincts which originate from somatic organization” (14). From birth, all action is instinctual, from the id. The id recognizes and entertains no desires but its own and is impatient to have its needs met. This phase lasts until a part of the id changes “under the influence of the real external world” (14). This changed portion b...
In the preface to “Doubt: a Parable,” John Patrick Shanley describes a significant factor to consider when reading his play: “I’ve set my story in 1964, when not just me, but the whole world seemed to be going through some kind of vast puberty” (Shanley viii). During that period in time, America experienced vast growth across all areas of life- from the home, to schools, to politics. Even the Catholic Church seemed to be embrace this time of change with the new attitudes developed from the Second Vatican Council. The Church set out to break from the old, rigid structures of the past and take on a more relatable and approachable presence for its surrounding community. In spite of welcoming these radical changes, a big part of the old order within the Church structure was more than firmly rooted and, to this date, has not undergone much change- the Catholic Church has continued to operate under a strict patriarchal hierarchy. In Shanley’s play, Sister Aloysius holds a position of power being the principal of St. Nicholas School, but within the church structure, that power is relinquished to the men based upon the mere detail that she is a woman. When Sister Aloysius encounters a predicament that she doubts will be dealt with appropriately under the established patriarchal hierarchy, she is driven to go beyond the limits of the structure in order to prove her suspicions right, trespassing against herself and her convictions in the process.
John Patrick Shanley creates a movie as a whole I feel was more informative than the play. In the play you have 4 characters Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn, Sister James, and Mrs. Muller. While the movie introduces a few other characters, for instance the children. For me the children made a difference because they for one made me understand what kind of kids Sister James was dealing with. I really thought that being able to see the way Father Flynn interacted with all of the young boys including Donald Muller was really helpful when trying to draw your conclusion of Father Flynn versus when reading it your left to imagine for instance; what some of the kids are like. The way the book sets you up your left leaning to Father Flynn being exactly what Sister Aloysius accuses him to be. We also get to see how sister James interacts with the kids and how Sister Aloysius influences her to change the way she deals with and teaches her class.
The world in which people live today is composed of hungry predators, forcing the innocents to shield by any giving power they get. In the play by John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, the principal of St. Nicholas school, Sister Aloysius, is trying to protect a fellow student from the hands of a possible sexual predator who is believed to be Father Flynn. Sister Aloysius feels worried about the situation and tries confronting Father Flynn but the lack of authority she has in the parish motivates her to break her vows in order to protect the student, Donald Muller.
Often times a struggle for power causes people to go against their own moral standards and negatively affects others. In the play Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, the characters Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn engage in a power play seeking the upper hand in the Catholic Church in which they are clergy. Sister Aloysius is more clever and effective than Father Flynn in their constant struggle for power.
As told by John Patrick Shanley in his play, Doubt: A Parable, doubt requires more courage than conviction does, and more energy; because conviction is a resting place and doubt is infinite (Stanley ix). Doubt: A Parable is about a priest named Father Flynn who is being shamed by Sister Aloysius for sexually assaulting a young boy, Donald Muller. Donald Muller is black and also gay. The play causes the reader to question whether or not Father Flynn is guilty. Based on the evidence in Patrick Shanley’s play, I conclude Father Flynn is innocent because Sister Aloysius is stubborn and lacking evidence, as well as the fact that Father Flynn is a good man and well-liked by the congregation.
One reason Father Flynn is innocent is because he is a kindhearted man. First, he is not guilty of an improper relationship with Donald Muller because priests are supposed to care for others. If somebody is in need of advice, people should trust the priest and be able to go to him for words of wisdom. However, Sister Aloysius questions the extent of the priests kindness and follows strict church
Father Flynn tells Sister Aloysius, “Even if you feel certainty, it is an emotion and not a fact.” I think he means that without concrete evidence, you cannot rely on your emotions for the truth. In Father Flynn’s sermon he discusses doubt and truth. He says, “Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty.” Sister Aloysius treats her doubt as the truth, and ignores any uncertainty she has. Throughout the story, Father Flynn denies and wrong doing and cites that there is no evidence of any misconduct. Doubt becomes battle with two viewpoints. When questions are asked, they are answered with more questions, leading to more
“What do you do when you’re not sure?” (1.3). In an incredibly powerful play written by John Patrick Shanley, the character of Father Flynn begins his Sunday sermon with these words; words can easily sum up the entire play with their context. Father Flynn is the priest of St. Nichols church and school, in 1964. Flynn is a dynamic member of his school and community. Even taking special time with his students in sports and education. However, Flynn might have a secret that could potentially lead to his demise. Can one woman’s fortitude change the face of a man that appears so sure of everything in life?
The basis of this approach is that psychological factors play a major role in determining behaviour and shaping personality. Freud argued that personality is composed of three major systems the id, the ego, and the superego. The id (biological part of personality) is present at birth and consists of inherited instincts and all psychological energies. The id operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking to reduce tension, avoid pain and obtain pleasure. The ego (executive part of personality) is conscious part of the mind, the “real” us.
Sigmund Freud believed that adults seduced children and this is where their problems came up in adulthood. As for all things, many people did not agree with Freud’s theory. “Freud believed that people could be cured by making conscious their unconscious thoughts and motivations, thus gaining insight” (McLeod, “Psychoanalysis”). According to Freud’s Psychoanalytical Theory, there are three elements of personality the id, ego and superego. The id is an individual’s inner child.
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory was based on the belief that human personality is made up of three components: the id, ego and superego. These three components are arranged in a hierarchy order with the id at the basal end, the ego in the middle and the super ego at the pinnacle. The id at the base, seeks instantaneous pleasure and fulfillment, driven by the pleasure principle. The id wants what it wants, when it wants it regardless of whether or not it is possible to satisfy that particular want or need. The presence or logic of reality or societal behavior has no effect on the id. For example, if an infant is thirsty and sees a bottle of water, he will take the bottle and drink even if it belonged to someone else and he did not have permission to drink, all that matters is that the needs have been met.
“Psychological - or more strictly speaking, psychoanalytic -investigation shows that the deepest essence of human nature, which are similar in all men and which aim at the satisfaction of certain needs... [are] self-preservation, aggression, need for love, and the impulse to attain pleasure and avoid pain...” At its simplest form, this quote perfectly explains Sigmund Freud’s theory on human nature. Human beings, according to Freud, are in a constant state of conflict within themselves; trying to satisfy their animalistic instincts, while also maintaining a socially appropriate life. Freud termed these animalistic tendencies that we have, the Id. The Id is essentially our unconscious mind, it is the part of us that has been there since the day we were born and is what drives our life’s needs and desires. The Id simply aims to satisfy our sexual or aggressive urges immediately, without taking into account any further implications. On the other hand, Freud used the term, the Superego, to describe man’s conscience and sense of morality. It is the Superego’s job to keep the Id in check by combatting the desire to satisfy urges with the feeling of guilt or anxiety. Finally, the Ego, is the conscious representation of the constant battle between the Superego and the Id. It must work to satisfy human’s instinctual tendencies while taking into account their conscience and doing what is rational and acceptable. Freud argues that these internal process that are constantly at work in our mind are what shape humans to do the things that they do. Thus, he believes, the goal of human nature is to satisfy our basic aggressive and sexual desires while adhering to cultural and social standards.