Father Flynn Innocent

Madi Landsberger
Mrs. Wenshau
Doubt
Innocent until proven guilty Everyone knows what it is like to be accused of something. In the play doubt written by John Patrick Shanley the reader questions whether or not one of the main characters Father Flynn is innocent or guilty. Father Flynn is accused of sexually harassing a student. The students name is Donald Muller; he is the only African American child at his school. I believe that Father Flynn is innocent. I believe he is innocent. There is plenty of evidence to back up Father Flynn’s innocence, and there is none to prove that he is guilty; therefore I believe he is innocent. Sister Aloysius seems to have it out for father Flynn before she even heard the accusations. Father Flynn unlike
sister Aloysius seems to be more involved in modern things, such as when he suggests they should use the song frosty the snowman in their winter pageant, and sister Aloysius says they cannot because it involves magic and magic is evil. “ “Frosty the Snowman” espouses a pagan belief in magic. The snowman comes to life when an enchanted hat is put on his head. If the music were more somber, people would realize the images are disturbing an the son heretical” –Sister Aloysius (Shanley, 29. Sister Aloysius believes that song from frosty the snowman presents evil because it talks about a magic hat that brings a snowman to life. I believe that Sister Aloysius not only thinks the magic in the song is evil but also that father Flynn who suggested the song is evil as well and that is why she was so quick to shut down the idea. Sister Aloysius is so quick to judge father Flynn on the accusations made because of the way William London reacted when father Flynn touched his hand.
There is no solid evidence to back up sister Aloysius’s belief that father Flynn is guilty. “I have not done anything wrong. I care about that boy very much” -Father Flynn (Shanley, 55) Donald Muller is the only African American in his school, father Flynn recognizes that, he may need some guidance and a helping hand so he helps out. Donald gets caught with wine and Sister Aloysius tries to blame that on Flynn and I believe she is only accusing him of being guilty because she does not like him or what he does and she wants him gone. In the story Father Flynn does quite a few things that make the reader question his innocence, for example he leaves after Sister Aloysius’s calls the nun at the school father Flynn worked at previously. “I did not speak to the pastor, I spoke to one of the nuns” –Sister Aloysius (Shanley, 53) Sister Aloysius did not actually call one of the nuns nor a pastor because she believes if she lies and father Flynn falls for it and leaves then she will have been right, and if it doesn’t work then she is wrong. Sister Aloysius isn’t really giving father Flynn a fair shot because he also could have had a different secret he didn’t want to get out and that is why he left. I believe that Father Flynn is innocent because there is no solid evidence to prove that he is guilty. Flynn does do some things that
may make the reader question his innocence but that does not mean he is guilty.