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Sister Aloysius is a middle-aged nun who serves as the principal of St. Nicholas School. A strict disciplinarian, she is committed to what she sees as the traditional ways of running a Catholic school. Consequently, she urges Sister James to be a vigilant and unyielding teacher, insisting that the young woman needs to assert her authority over her students. This, Aloysius claims, is because the nuns can’t be “complacent” when it comes to looking out for the children. In keeping with this determination to protect the students in her school, she also tells Sister James to tell her about anything that seems worthy of attention, adding that she herself has a sneaking suspicion that certain things are amiss at St. Nicholas School. After hearing Father Flynn’s sermon about doubt, for instance, she worries that the priest is having troubled thoughts. When Sister James comes to her several days later and says that Father Flynn has taken a special interest in Donald Muller, then, she is quick to act, telling Sister James that they must investigate the situation on their own, since she knows that Monsignor Benedict won’t help them discover whether or not Flynn is abusing Donald. Despite James’s hesitation, Aloysius calls Flynn to her office and confronts him about the issue. However, Flynn only chastises her for not properly following the chain of command, since she’s supposed to bring such matters up with Monsignor Benedict. Furthermore, Father Flynn denies Sister Aloysius’s accusations. Nevertheless, Aloysius calls a meeting with Mrs. Muller, but even she doesn’t want to get to the bottom of what’s happening between her son and the priest. In her final conversation with Flynn, Aloysius lies by saying that she called his previous parish and discovered that he has a history as a sexual abuser. This enrages him, but before anything bad happens to him, he calls the bishop and secures a new position as a pastor at another school—a turn of events that causes Aloysius to doubt the morality of the Catholic Church.
Sister Aloysius Quotes in Doubt: A Parable
The Doubt: A Parable quotes below are all either spoken by Sister Aloysius or refer to Sister Aloysius. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Scene 2 Quotes
SISTER ALOYSIUS: Usually more children are sent down to me.
SISTER JAMES: I try to take care of things myself.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: That can be an error. You are answerable to me, I to the monsignor, he to the bishop, and so on up to the Holy Father. There’s a chain of discipline. Make use of it.
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In this conversation, Sister Aloysius talks to Sister James about her pedagogical methods. In particular, she criticizes Sister James’s tendency to “take care of things” herself. Instead of addressing disciplinarian matters on her own, Sister Aloysius wants Sister James to “make use” of the “chain of discipline” that exists at St. Nicholas School. This advice underlines Aloysius’s commitment to the traditional way of running a Catholic school, but it also demonstrates her respect for power, order, and control. She believes that everyone at St. Nicholas School should respect the institution’s pre-existing hierarchy of power. The fact that she spells this Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaqu
I’m sorry I allowed even cartridge pens into the school. The students really should only be learning script with true fountain pens. Always the easy way out these days. What does that teach? Every easy choice today will have its consequence tomorrow. Mark my words.
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Sister Aloysius says this to Sister James during their conversation about how Sister James should conduct her class. She has just informed Sister James that William London—one of James’s students—had a ballpoint pen with him when she last saw him. Sister Aloysius reveals her fondness for old, traditional practices when she says that every student “should only be learning script with true fountain pens,” a practice that would be a bit dated even in 1964, when Doubt takes place. Nevertheless, she believes that certain forms of change and progress do nothing but offer “the easy way out.” This idea accords Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore l
SISTER ALOYSIUS: […] Do you think that Socrates was satisfied? Good teachers are never content. We have some three hundred and seventy-two students in this school. It is a society which requires constant educational, spiritual and human vigilance. I cannot afford an excessively innocent instructor in my eighth grade class. It’s self-indulgent. Innocence is a form of laziness. Innocent teachers are easily duped. You must be canny, Sister James.
[…]
The heart is warm, but your wits must be cold. Liars should be frightened to lie to you. They should be uncomfortable in your presence.
[…]
SISTER JAMES: But I want my students to feel they can talk to me.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: They’re children. They can talk to each other. It’s more important they have a fierce moral guardian. You stand at the door, Sister. You are the gate-keeper. If you are vigilant, they will not need to be.
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In this passage, Sister Aloysius spells out why she thinks the nuns should be so strict with their students. When she criticizes Sister James’s kind and warm approach to teaching, Sister James is taken aback and says she was under the impression that Sister Aloysius was “satisfied” with her. In response, Sister Aloysius says that “good teachers are never content,” insisting that it would be “self-indulgent” of Sister James to be “innocent.” In keeping with this, she wants Sister James to be a “vigilant” watcher, someone whose “wits” are “cold.” She champions this kind of pedagogical approach because she thinks Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Vol
Look at you. You’d trade anything for a warm look. I’m telling you here and now, I want to see the starch in your character cultivated. If you are looking for reassurance, you can be fooled. If you forget yourself and study others, you will not be fooled.
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Sister Aloysius says this to Sister James after telling her that she needs to embody a stricter, more fearsome presence when dealing with her students. Sister James eagerly tells her that she will do her best to adopt a cold and unforgiving attitude, but Sister Aloysius chastises her for trying so hard to please her. “Look at you,” she says. “You’d trade anything for a warm look.” Although Sister James is just trying to please Sister Aloysius, Aloysius scolds her for caring too much about what other people think. This is because she believes that a person who’s in desperate Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corru
Scene 4 Quotes
SISTER JAMES: I’ve been trying to become more cold in my thinking as you suggested . . . I feel as if I’ve lost my way a little. Sister Aloysius. I had the most terrible dream last night. I want to be guided by you and responsible to the children, but I want my peace of mind. I must tell you I have been longing for the return of my peace of mind.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: You may not have it. It is not your place to be complacent. That’s for the children. That’s what we give them.
SISTER JAMES: I think I’m starting to understand you a little. But it’s so unsettling to look at things and people with suspicion. It feels as if I’m less close God.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: When you take a step to address wrongdoing, you are taking a step away from God, but in His service. Dealing with such matters is hard and thankless work.
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This exchange takes place after Sister James reveals that Donald Muller was behaving strangely in class after spending time alone with Father Flynn in the rectory. Although she’s the one to relay this concerning information to Sister Aloysius, James is hesitant to jump to conclusions about what might have happened in the rectory. Consequently, Aloysius urges her not to feign ignorance. In response, Sister James admits that she has been making a concerted effort to “become more cold in [her] thinking.” She has done this, she explains, because Aloysius wants her to embody a strict and discerning presence in the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: Eight years ago at St. Boniface we had a priest who had to be stopped. But I had Monsignor Scully then . . . whom I could rely on. Here, there’s no man I can go to, and men run everything. We are going to have to stop him ourselves.
SISTER JAMES: Can’t you just...report your suspicions?
SISTER ALOYSIUS: To Monsignor Benedict? The man’s guileless! He would just ask Father Flynn!
SISTER JAMES: Well, would that be such a bad idea?
SISTER ALOYSIUS: And he would believe whatever Father Flynn told him. He would think the matter settled.
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In this conversation, Sister Aloysius explains why she can’t make use of the Catholic Church’s standard “chain of discipline.” Although she has dealt with situations similar to the one she now faces regarding Father Flynn, she has always had the support of an attentive monsignor. Now, though, she can’t trust Monsignor Benedict to actually look into whether or not it’s true that Father Flynn has molested Donald Muller. This implies that Monsignor Benedict will protect Father Flynn no matter what, indicating that the power structures of St. Nicholas Church and School enable immoral people to avoid taking responsibility for their Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Do
Scene 5 Quotes
FLYNN: […] I think a message of the Second Ecumenical Council was that the Church needs to take on a 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.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: Ice Cream.
FLYNN: Maybe take the boys on a camping trip. We should be friendlier. The children and the parents should see us as members of their family rather than emissaries from Rome. I think the pageant should be charming, like a community theatre doing a show.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: But we are not members of their family. We’re different.
FLYNN: Why? Because of our vows?
SISTER ALOYSIUS: Precisely.
FLYNN: I don’t think we’re so different.
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When Sister Aloysius meets with Father Flynn in her office, she pretends that she wants to discuss the Christmas pageant. In truth, she wants to ask him about his relationship with Donald Muller, but he doesn’t know this, which is why he begins by suggesting that the choir should sing a secular song at the pageant. Demonstrating just how fundamentally different their opinions are when it comes to tradition and change, Sister Aloysius immediately takes issue with the idea of presenting secular music at a religious event. In response, Flynn references the Second Vatican Council, a meeting that took place Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliqui
FLYNN: Well. I feel a little uncomfortable.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: Why?
FLYNN: Why do you think? Something about your tone.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: I would prefer a discussion of fact rather than tone.
FLYNN: Well. If I had judged my conversation with Donald Muller to be of concern to you, Sister, I would have sat you down and talked to you about it. But I did not judge it to be of concern to you.
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Once Sister Aloysius reveals to Father Flynn that she called him to her office to talk about his relationship with Donald Muller, he tries to dodge her underhanded accusation that he has sexually abused the boy. She doesn’t immediately tell him that she thinks he has molested Donald, which is why he begins his defense by simply saying that he feels “a little uncomfortable” about her “tone.” Not wanting to let him off the hook, Sister Aloysius says that she would “prefer a discussion of fact rather than tone,” a statement intended to force him into speaking more specifically about Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic temp
SISTER ALOYSIUS: No. If the boy drank altar wine, he cannot continue as an altar boy.
FLYNN: Of course you’re right. I’m just not the disciplinarian you are, Sister. And he is the only Negro in the school. That did affect my thinking on the matter. It will be commented on that he’s no longer serving at Mass. It’s a public thing. A certain ignorant element in the parish will be confirmed in their beliefs.
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After Sister Aloysius tells Father Flynn that Sister James smelled alcohol on Donald’s breath, the priest claims that Donald was caught drinking altar wine on his own. According to this story, Flynn decided not to say anything because he didn’t want Donald—the school’s first and only black student—to be kicked out of the altar boys. Now, though, he has no choice but to remove Donald, since word has gotten out about the wine. By making these claims, Father Flynn tries to make Sister Aloysius feel guilty for investigating what happened between him and Donald Muller. “A certain ignorant element in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferend
Scene 6 Quotes
So she went home, took the pillow off her bed, a knife from the drawer, went up the fire escape to the roof, and stabbed the pillow. Then she went back to the old priest as instructed. “Did you gut the pillow with the knife?” he says. “Yes, Father.” “And what was the result?” “Feathers,” she said. “Feathers”? he repeated. “Feathers everywhere. Father!” “Now I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out on the wind!” “Well,” she says, “it can’t be done. I don’t know where they went. The wind took them all over.” “And that,” said [the Father], “is gossip!”
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Father Flynn says this while delivering a sermon about the nature of gossip. He tells a parable about a woman who unfairly speaks disparaging words about a man she hardly knows. When she goes to confession and admits that she was wrong to say such things, the priest tells her to go home and cut a pillow open on her rooftop. Confused, she follows his instructions and then returns, at which point he suggests that taking back gossip would be like trying to collect all of the feathers that flew out of the pillow on the woman’s rooftop. Using this Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi e
Scene 7 Quotes
FLYNN: There are people who go after your humanity, Sister James, who tell you the light in your heart is a weakness. That your soft feelings betray you. I don’t believe that. It’s an old tactic of cruel people to kill kindness in the name of virtue. Don’t believe it. There’s nothing wrong with love.
SISTER JAMES: Of course not, but...
FLYNN: Have you forgotten that was the message of the Savior to us all. Love. Not suspicion, disapproval and judgment. Love of people.
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In this passage, Father Flynn tries to convince Sister James that she shouldn’t adopt the “cold” and strict worldview that Sister Aloysius has foisted upon her. “There are people who go after your humanity, Sister James,” he says, subtly implying that everything Sister Aloysius stands for is at odds with the kind of person Sister James has always tried to be. By telling her that Aloysius’s strictness is “an old tactic” that people use to “kill kindness in the name of virtue,” Father Flynn tells Sister James exactly what she wants to hear—namely, that it’s perfectly acceptable to be warm Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque
Scene 8 Quotes
Why you need to know something like that for sure when you don’t? Please, Sister. You got some kind a righteous cause going with this priest and now you want to drag my boy into it. My son doesn’t need additional difficulties. Let him take the good and leave the rest when he leaves this place in June. He knows how to do that. I taught him how to do that.
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Mrs. Muller says this to Sister Aloysius when Sister Aloysius informs her that there might be something inappropriate going on between Father Flynn and Donald. Rather than worrying, Mrs. Muller chooses to ignore the situation. This reaction unsettles Sister Aloysius, who believes that adults have a responsibility to protect children and therefore can’t simply turn away from ugly matters. However, Mrs. Muller insists that finding out more about this situation will only invite more trouble for Donald. “You got some kind a righteous cause going with this priest and now you want to drag my boy into it,” she says. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti n
SISTER ALOYSIUS: But I have my certainty, and armed with that, I will go to your last parish, and the one before that if necessary. I will find a parent, Father Flynn! Trust me I will. A parent who probably doesn’t know that you are still working with children! And once I do that, you will be exposed. You may even be attacked, metaphorically or otherwise.
FLYNN: You have no right to act on your own! You are a member of a religious order. You have taken vows, obedience being one! You answer to us! You have no right to step outside the Church!
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After Mrs. Muller leaves Sister Aloysius’s office, Father Flynn enters and yells at Sister Aloysius for talking to her behind his back. This sets off an argument, in which Sister Aloysius informs him that she will go to his previous parishes and find people willing to speak out against him. Father Flynn sees this as her “step[ping] outside the Church,” an idea that recalls the institution’s clear-cut chain of command, which Sister Aloysius has blatantly circumnavigated. “You have no right to act on your own!” Father Flynn yells, trying to frame her as a renegade. Above all, this is a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate
Scene 9 Quotes
SISTER JAMES: I wish I could be like you.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: Why?
SISTER JAMES: Because I can’t sleep at night anymore. Everything seems uncertain to me.
SISTER ALOYSIUS: Maybe we’re not supposed to sleep so well.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
This exchange takes place between Sister Aloysius and Sister James shortly after Father Flynn is given a position as a pastor of another parish. Sister Aloysius has just told Sister James that, though she failed to prove to the greater public that Father Flynn is a sexual abuser, she proved it to herself. In response, Sister James says, “I wish I could be like you,” going on to indicate that she admires Sister Aloysius’s certainty and convictions. She, on the other hand, finds it difficult to sleep now that “everything seems uncertain.” Because Sister James is a kindhearted person who Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus q
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Sister Aloysius Character Timeline in Doubt: A Parable
The timeline below shows where the character Sister Aloysius appears in Doubt: A Parable. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Scene 2
Sister Aloysius, the principal of St. Nicholas Church and School, sits in her office one day shortly...
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Turning her attention to Sister James’s teaching style, Sister Aloysius asks if she’s “in control” of her class. She also notes that most of the...
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Sister Aloysius asks Sister James about a student named Donald Muller. When Sister James says that he’s...
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Sister Aloysius tells Sister James to sit down, saying she has plenty of time before she needs...
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Eventually, Sister Aloysius suggests that Sister James isn’t “working hard enough” because she isn’t strict enough with her...
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...that she wants her students to feel comfortable talking to her. “They’re children,” replies Sister Aloysius. “They can talk to each other. It’s more important they have a fierce moral guardian....
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...in the school who conduct the “specialty” classes (like Music and Art, for instance), Sister Aloysius asks what Sister James thinks about Father Flynn, who teaches both Physical Education and Religion....
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“I’m a little concerned,” Sister James says after Sister Aloysius pauses for a long time. Leaning forward, Aloysius asks, “About what?” However, Sister James merely...
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Scene 4
Sister James finds Sister Aloysius in the garden, where the older woman is bent over a rosebush. She tells Aloysius...
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Changing the subject, Sister Aloysius says that she used to spend quite a lot of time in the garden. Now,...
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Moving on, Sister Aloysius asks Sister James how Donald Muller is doing, wondering if anyone has hit him yet....
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Sister James wonders if she shouldn’t have told Sister Aloysius about Father Flynn’s “special interest” in Donald Muller, but Aloysius doesn’t listen. “I knew once...
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...James says that she yearns for “the return of [her] peace of mind,” but Sister Aloysius informs her that she “may not have it.” “It is not your place to be...
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...his breath after spending time with Father Flynn in the rectory. Deep in thought, Sister Aloysius considers what to do, noting that she once dealt with a similar situation at a...
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“Well then tell the bishop,” Sister James suggests when she grasps that Sister Aloysius can’t tell Monsignor Benedict about her suspicions. However, Aloysius reminds her that the Catholic Church...
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After a long conversation, Sister Aloysius finally convinces Sister James to help her confront Father Flynn. “If I could, Sister James,...
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Scene 5
Sister Aloysius sets up a meeting with Father Flynn on the pretense of discussing the Christmas pageant....
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Sister Aloysius begins to argue against Father Flynn’s ideas regarding the Church taking on a “more familiar...
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...Muller seemed off in class after spending time with him in the rectory. Nevertheless, Sister Aloysius asks him to explain why this might be the case. “Hmmm,” Flynn says. “Did you...
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Once again, Father Flynn takes issue with Sister Aloysius’s “tone,” but she says that such matters are beside the point. “You know what I’m...
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Father Flynn stops and tells Sister Aloysius that she shouldn’t have brought up the alcohol on Donald’s breath. He then claims Donald...
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Just before Father Flynn leaves, he tells Sister Aloysius that he’s “not pleased” by how she “handled” this situation. “Next time you are troubled...
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Scene 6
Father Flynn delivers a sermon shortly after his conversation with Sister Aloysius. He tells a parable about gossip, saying that a women once spoke badly about a...
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Scene 7
...was “directed at anyone in particular,” and he insinuates that it was aimed at Sister Aloysius. Changing the subject, Sister James tells Flynn that she just received news that her brother...
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...Monsignor Benedict if he weren’t so worried that it would “tear apart the school.” “Sister Aloysius would most certainly lose her position as principal if I made her accusations known,” he...
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...to defend himself, Father Flynn claims that he cares about Donald’s wellbeing more than Sister Aloysius does. “That black boy needs a helping hand or he’s not going to make it...
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...message about love, “not suspicion, disapproval and judgment.” He then asks if she finds Sister Aloysius to be a “positive inspiration,” and she’s forced to admit that she does not. “She’s...
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Scene 8
Mrs. Muller visits Sister Aloysius’s office. She is hesitant and clearly afraid that Donald has gotten into trouble. She admits...
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...about Father Flynn at home, saying that the “looks up to him.” “Mrs. Muller,” Sister Aloysius cuts in, “we may have a problem.” Immediately, Mrs. Muller says that whatever is wrong,...
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...points out that whatever is happening between Father Flynn and Donald isn’t Donald’s fault. Sister Aloysius agrees with this, believing that Father Flynn should get in trouble, not Donald. However, Mrs....
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Mrs. Muller tells Sister Aloysius that Donald doesn’t need “additional difficulties.” “Let him take the good and leave the rest...
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Appalled by Mrs. Muller’s reaction to Donald’s alleged abuse, Aloysius threatens to throw the boy out of school just to protect him. “It won’t end...
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Just as Mrs. Muller leaves Sister Aloysius’s office, Father Flynn comes barreling forward and asks if he can enter. “We would require...
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Father Flynn suggests that Sister Aloysius has been suspicious of him long before this incident, and she admits that this is...
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Sister Aloysius says that Father Flynn has a “history” as an abuser, pointing out that St. Nicholas...
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Once again, Father Flynn insists that Sister Aloysius has “no right to act on [her] own.” “You are a member of a religious...
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Father Flynn continues to deny that he abused Donald. “Very well then,” Sister Aloysius says. “If you won’t leave my office, I will. And once I go, I will...
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“Where’s your compassion?” Father Flynn asks when Sister Aloysius refuses to pity him. “Nowhere you can get at it,” she replies. “Stay here. Compose...
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Scene 9
One sunny day, Sister James and Sister Aloysius see one another in the garden. Sister James has just gotten back from visiting her...
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“I wish I could be like you,” Sister James says, and when Sister Aloysius asks why, she says, “Because I can’t sleep at night anymore. Everything seems uncertain to...
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“So you did prove it!” Sister James says, but Sister Aloysius tells her that she was lying when she claimed to have called Father Flynn’s former...
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