Gender Struggles in Doubt a Parable

1040 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The roles of women in the Contemporary Catholic Church

Gender Struggles in “Doubt: a Parable”

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.

The patriarchal hierarchy order of the Church places nuns at the bottom of the order so while Sister Aloysius plays a prominent role at the school, she is foremost seen as a nun and is therefore required to submit to the authority of all other clerical po...

... middle of paper ...

...’ accusations/suspicions. Sister Aloysius holds power in title only, for her authority within the church is diminished when her male colleagues come into play.

Dilema at the end: her accusations may have driven away a well-liked potential leader, but if she was right, Father Flynn is a sexual predator and lying to drive him away justify her means.

It is evident at the end of the play that Sister Aloysius strongly felt paralyzed by the constraints placed over her as a woman within the strong patriarchal society of the Catholic Church.

She’s irritated by the lack of discipline reflected in Flynn but she’s more frustrated by the conclusions she’s reached about her place within the hierarchy. She needs the structure, but it’s turning against her.

Works Cited

Shanley, John Patrick. Doubt: A Parable. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2008.

Print.

Show More
Related

  • False Accusations in Doubt by John Patrick Shanley

    687 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley began with a sermon by Father Brendan Flynn, a well liked and enlightened neighborhood priest, who says, "Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty". (Shanley 6) Sister Aloysius Beauvier is a strict traditional nun, who was declared to protect and secure St. Nicholas Church School. Father Flynn seems to be the protagonist in the play and Sister Aloysius is the antagonist. The whole play, sister Aloysius Beauvier suspected Father Flynn of molesting a 12-year-old boy named Donald Muller, who is the first African-American student in the St. Nicholas Church School. I think that Sister Aloysius’s overreacting, because Father Flynn is innocent. In the middle of these two characters, Sister James is a young and innocent teacher who wants to be neutral between the conflict of Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn.

    Read More

  • Abuse of Power in Doubt, by John Patrick Shanley

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    A reputation can be so well established that if one person in power does a wrongdoing people will not believe it. For example when Mrs. Muller says, “Let me ask you something. You honestly think that priest gave Donald that wine to drink?” (47). Donald’s mother is questioning sister Aloysius because she does not believe Father Flynn would do something like that. He has a reputation of being a great priest and his reputation is better than Sister Aloysius’. Mrs. Muller states, “You’re not going against no man in a robe and win, Sister. He’s got the position.” (47). Just by Father Flynn being a male he has a higher reputation than a nun, which he knows and can accumulate for his actions. In the hierarchy of the Church, the head male priest is the most dominant. Therefore, nobody questions what he is doing; he has a reputation of being this influential priest who gives great sermons. He knows that he has the power to do what he wants and has his fellow Monsignor and other men in the ...

    Read More

  • Breaking the Assumptions in Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women by Caroline Walker Bynum

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of Holy Feast and Holy Fast, Bynum provides background information on the history of women in religion during the Middle Ages, highlighting the different statuses of men and women in society during that time. It is important to understand the culture of the Middle Ages and the stereotypes surrounding men and women to appreciate Bynum’s connection between status, accessibility, and piety. As an example, Bynum mentions that there appear to be basic differences between even the lives of holy women and the lives of holy men, which was because “women lacked control over their wealth and marital status” (Bynum p. 25). Men are clearly construed here as having more power in their daily lives than women—this is a simple, but major, distinction between the two genders which provides reasoning towards their divergence in practices. Women’s s...

    Read More

  • Theme Of Margaret In Much Ado About Nothing

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing is, on the surface, a typical romantic comedy with a love-plot that ends in reconciliation and marriage. This surface level conformity to the conventions of the genre, however, conceals a deeper difference that sets Much Ado apart. Unlike Shakespeare’s other romantic comedies, Much Ado about Nothing does not mask class divisions by incorporating them into an idealized community. Instead of concealing or obscuring the problem of social status, the play brings it up explicitly through a minor but important character, Margaret, Hero’s “waiting gentlewoman.” Shakespeare suggests that Margaret is an embodiment of the realistic nature of social class. Despite her ambition, she is unable to move up in hierarchy due to her identity as a maid. Her status, foiling Hero’s rich, protected upbringing, reveals that characters in the play, as well as global citizens, are ultimately oppressed by social relations and social norms despite any ambition to get out.

    Read More

  • The Border Patrol State

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ontradicting herself, and pointing the finger. Although she most likely has experienced these acts of unjust treatment, she seems to put the reader in the position to doubt the credibility of what she has to say time and again.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Hypocrisy In The Scarlet Letter

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    For an attempt to purify a religious community of sin, the Puritans in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, have numerous faults due to their blindness of their own hypocrisy. Starting at the beginning of the text, women begin gossiping about Hester. The women talk about how Hester will cover her letter, how they wouldn’t take mercy on her as the magistrates have and how Reverend Dimmesdale,”her godly pastor, takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation” (Hawthorne 53). So because they also enjoy elaborate things, the children and virgin women do very un-Puritan like things, and how Dimmesdale himself is a hypocrite all show hypocrisy within the Puritan Society; however, children learn by how their parents act and what they do, so the Puritans within the text are following their

    Read More

  • John Patrick Shanley's Doubt

    2373 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...der further than what we have in front of us. We want to impose our opinion on everything. We want to relate to it in a way that can only be done through out imagination. So, due to this, when we are not given the flexibility, then the context no longer becomes entertaining. The viewers do not want to be told how to think. Given these points, if they are influenced to believe that Sister Aloysius is a cruel individual like the movie portrays, then at the end of the movie and book when Sister Aloysius says, “ I have doubts! I have such doubts!” they will take that as a confession from her, and be further lead to believe that the accusations against Father Flynn are false. I think John Patrick Shanley chooses specific diction to create a conflict that has no precise resolution,he wanted the reader get lost in story and enter into their own story manifested within.

    Read More

  • representation of women in much ado about nothing

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    (Essay intro) In the modern day, women have the luxury of belonging to themselves but unfortunately this was not always the case. During his life, William Shakespeare created many positive female characters who defied the traditional gender roles and brought attention to the misogynistic patriarchy of Elizabethan England. One of these true feminist icons is ‘Much Ado about Nothing’s. Beatrice. The women in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ defy traditional gender roles. Beatrice represents a brave and outspoken woman who defies the oppressive, traditional gender roles for the female sex. Her cousin Hero, however, represents those women who were successfully oppressed by the patriarchy and accepted the traditional gender roles without much complaint.

    Read More

  • Measure for Measure Essay: Isabella’s Moral Dilemma

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play, Claudio has been sentenced to death for getting his fiancee pregnant (his crime was not so much getting her pregnant, but having sex with her at all). Claudio's sister, Isabella, who is in the process of joining a nunnery, feels that Claudio has done wrong, has sinned and committed a crime, but she feels that the sentence--death--is too strict. So, she goes to the ruler of the city, Angelo, to plead for her brother's life. The previously virtuous Angelo falls into lust with Isabella, and he propositions her to save her brother by having sex with him (Angelo). Now, remember that Isabella is in the process of becoming a nun. She, of course, rejects this propos...

    Read More

  • Othello

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare illustrates the injustices done to women by demonstrating the treatment Desdemona and Emilia received after having been framed of adultery. Because both women are though of cheating on their husbands, they no longer fit in society’s model of an exemplary wife. Despite having proved their affection for their husbands countless of times, not having a pure image led to Iago and Othello mistreating of the women they once loved. Once both women began to stand up for themselves and challenge the authority of their husbands, the repercussions of their bravery were both women’s death. Which shows, women’s only source of authority was their reputation as a wife. Once they lost that status, they no longer held any form or respect in society or with their husband’s.

    Read More

  • Patriarchy Of Women In Othello Essay

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    Othello serves as an example to demonstrate the expectations of an Elizabethan society, the practice of privileges in patriarchal marriages and the suppression and restriction of femininity. According to Elizabethan beliefs, women were vassals for both marriage and breeding, seen as passive subordinates in comparison to the patriarchy of male domination. Patriarchal rule justified women’s subordination as the natural order, because women were thought to be psychologically and physiologically inferior to men In terms of Othello, representations of women clearly conform to the expectations of an Elizabethan society. For instance there are three female characters in Othello: Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca, with each of these characters behaving and conducting themselves in ways that are linked to the ideological expectations of men. This is demonstrated through the character of Desdemona who as Othello’s wife is the embodiment of passitivity and vulnerability. This is illustrated through her submissive nature, which represents her as passive throughout, regardless of whether she has done wrong or not. For example her use of language defines her passive nature, where she states ‘ I am obedient’, reflecting her subservience to masculine rule ( act 3 scene 3 p.g. 89). Alternatively it could be argued that the use of the pronoun ‘I’ is authorative suggesting that the sentence has a double meaning ; she is obedient yet an individual in her own right. It infers that although she does fit the stereotypical convention of a passive female, she will also stand up for herself when it matters. However a critique of this viewpoint is that throughout she continues to conform to masculine rule and is faithful, even when she is being victimized...

    Read More

  • Feminism In Othello Essay

    1641 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ps their characters to function with adjusted roles in culture. In his novel Othello, William Shakespeare reveals Desdemona and Emilia’s courage through situations involving conflict to portray the ability for women to stand up for themselves as he exhibits his idea of feminism through their actions. The courageous attitudes of these women and their passionate voice grew stronger throughout the play as they eventually died staying true to their beliefs. This transformation parallels the rights of women over history, as the female population progressed very slowly towards a more equal position in society. With Shakespeare being an advocate for women’s unheard voices during the Elizabethan period of time, he is able to use Desdemona and Emilia’s characteristics to contrast what the world was like during that era, and how he viewed and wished the world would function.

    Read More

  • Isabella as an Independent Female in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    It seems rare in a Shakespearean play to find a female character to whom women in this new millennium can relate. Modern women are expected to be strong, independent, educated and intelligent, and in control of their own destinies. Women are also considered to be on equal footing with their male counterparts in regards to abilities, privileges, and rights. Although these ideals may not be completely realistic in the real world, in general, these are the ways in which a twenty-first century woman is perceived. In the time period Shakespeare was writing in the abilities and roles expected of women were very different. For women in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, there are extremely limited roles women can fulfill and all of them centre around sexuality and serving men sexually. A woman is either chaste or unchaste, a wife or a whore, and there is very little differentiating the two. A wife is subservient to, and dependent upon, her husband for her care and well-being. A prostitute relies on a man's lascivious appetites and good will to survive. Even a virginal maid is only so long enough to secure a respectable marriage or to fall into the disreputable world of prostitution. As a nun, promised to God, and with no male figure directing her life, Isabella exists outside society's narrow boundaries and creates conflict for the male characters of the play. In act 2 scene 2 Isabella demonstrates just how independent and strong she is and the reader can see how her failure to fall neatly into one of Angelo's expected categories for women creates problems for him. This scene demonstrates how clearly comfortable and confident Isabella is in herself and how uncomfortable Angelo is with her.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Hosanna And Top Girls

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    They had to sacrifice their motherhood in some form or another in order to gain success in other aspects of their lives. Joan, a young girl wanted to have an education and so she ran away from home under the disguise of a boy to gain higher knowledge which was not an option for a girl in her time. Joan stated, “I dressed as a boy when I left home”… “I was only twelve. Also women weren’t/allowed in the library. We wanted to study in Athens” (8). Joan having to disguise herself as a boy, showed that women were not allowed to have an education; they had limited opportunities. However, under the disguise as a male, Joan was given the opportunity to be a pope, a role generally reserve for a man. Nevertheless, it was discovered that she was a female when she gave birth in public and hence, she was stoned to death. Even other women who did not have to choose between motherhood and career, were unable to get promoted even if they were more qualified than men. This is due to the gender gap and the historical male domination. Louise, who came for a job interview at Marlene’s employment agency stated, “Nobody notices me, I don’t expect it, I don’t attract attention by making mistakes, everybody takes it for granted that my work is perfect” (52). This illustrates that even though the feminist movement had made significant advances in gender equality, there are still limitations in inequality concerning

    Read More

  • The Social Construction Of Gender

    3360 Words  | 7 Pages

    Gender is such a ubiquitous notion that humans assume gender is biological. However, gender is a notion that is made up in order to organize human life. It is created and recreated giving power to the dominant gender, creating an inferior gender and producing gender roles. There are many questionable perspectives such as how two genders are learned, how humans learn their own gender and others genders, how they learn to appropriately perform their gender and how gender roles are produced. In order to understand these perspectives, we must view gender as a social institution. Society bases gender on sex and applies a sex category to people in daily life by recognizing gender markers. Sex is the foundation to which gender is created. We must understand the difference between anatomical sex and gender in order to grasp the development of gender. First, I will be assessing existing perspectives on the social construction of gender. Next, I will analyze three case studies and explain how gender construction is applied in order to provide a clearer understanding of gender construction. Lastly, I will develop my own case study by analyzing the movie Mrs. Doubtfire and apply gender construction.

    Read More

More about Gender Struggles in Doubt a Parable

Open Document