Running head: ETHICAL ISSUES ANALYSIS
Ethical Issues Related to the Film Doubt
EDUC 705 Frameworks for Ethical Perspectives
Donna O. Matthews
Virginia Commonwealth University
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ETHICAL ISSUES ANALYSIS
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Abstract
The featured film, Doubt, portrays numerous ethical implications or innuendos for the
viewer. The film originates in a small Catholic school for boys and girls in New York. The
priest, Father Brendan Flynn, is a friend and confidant to the boys in the school. The children,
both boys and girls alike, are petrified by the principal, Sister Aloysius Beauvier, whose strict
rules allow for no second chances. Sister Aloysius believes in order, the authority of the elders,
and in strong discipline within the Catholic school. She demands obedience from the children,
believes in her keen intuition, and her innate abilities to recognize inappropriate behavior. Her
role as administrator is most evident within the hierarchy of the school; however, she sees her
place beneath the level of priesthood as unfortunate. Due to her vast level of experience and her
dedication to her profession, she has developed a great knack or “gut” feeling for recognizing the
wrongdoings of others called into sacred priesthood. The film portrays the expectation for ethical
principles (truth, justice, honor, and a respect for others) to be taught to the children while
enrolled in this sacred school. Most importantly, the film also depicts the effects of unethical
practices on the lives of others inside and outside the realm of the organization when gossip,
threats, and doubt persist.
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Ethical Issues Related to the Film Doubt
The film unveils as Principal Aloysius becomes doubtful of Father Flynn’s personal
interest in a young, twelve year old boy named Donald Miller. Father Flynn denies her
allegations that his role in Donald’s life is anything but ethical. The storyline develops around
Sister Aloysius’ logic that becoming overly involved in a child’s life is proof of immoral wrong
doing between the priest and the boy. The film evolves into a struggle for power, hierarchy, and
attempts to demoralize the reputation of Father Flynn.
In the film, Doubt, numerous ethical and unethical principles such as harassment,
bullying, chain-of-command, position and power, coercion, abuse, and threats revolve around the
characters. These principles and struggles compose the storyline and plot between the characters
within St. Nicholas School.
Harassment is evident within the beginning scenes of the film. A student, William
London, begins to pick on Father Flynn’s anointed one, a small, black boy named Donald, and
this erupts into a struggle for attention as Donald suffers the effects of peer bullying from
William. Father Flynn does not investigate the bullying; instead, he hugs Donald to soothe him
instead of teaching Donald “how” to handle William’s abuse. Father Flynn does not discipline
William for his unacceptable behavior and harassment of Donald. The covert hugging of
Donald, along with Father Flynn granting special privileges to Donald, is seen by Sister Aloysius
as not only inappropriate but also sexual in nature. Sister Aloysius, jealous of the hierarchy
within the Catholic Church between priest and principal, uses her concerns to threaten and
blackmail the young priest to resign and move to another church school. Sister Aloysius also
bullies her teachers and spreads rumors concerning the young priest, Father Flynn. Sister
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Aloysius contacts Donald’s mother and spreads her suspicions without any proof. She tries to
coerce the parent to agree with her and demand that Father Flynn be discharged. When the parent
refuses, Sister Aloysius tries another avenue to rid her school of the priest. Her need for power
and prestige overrides her ability to see her own fault or to deal with her own demons of power
and control.
Father Flynn displays inappropriate and unethical actions: his failure to report Donald’s
use of alcohol, his attempts to befriend the students, and his gifts to students. He strives to
become the children’s friend instead of their teacher and priest. In regards to Sister Aloysius, he
is quick to preach on topics related specifically to her erratic behavior. This infuriates her and
causes more dissention among the staff at St. Nicholas School.
Donald’s mother, Mrs. Miller, is unethical as she pleads with Sister Aloysius to leave
well enough alone and condones Donald’s suspected relationship with Father Flynn. She
explains that any attention this kind man gives her son is better than the beatings he is receiving
at home (Shanley, 2008). None of the adults (the mom, the principal, or the priest) report the
beatings to the appropriate officials; therefore, leaving Donald to be abused at home and at
school with no options to cope with such behavior. And worst of all, the adults, whose primary
responsibilities are to protect the children, add to Donald’s abusive treatment by focusing on
their own personal issues of greed, hierarchy, and trust.
Sister James portrays the teacher pulled between good and bad, the light and the
darkness. She demands facts before casting judgment, but is swayed from side to side as her
novice leadership skills are tested by the roots of Sister Aloysius’ indecision, gossip, and lies.
Her ethics become tested as she allows herself to side with the wind, a symbolism in the film for
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“gossip”, which Father Flynn denotes as the “wind that takes us though our lives” (Shanley,
2008).
Characters’ Response to Ethics
Sister Aloysius is intimidating and manipulative. This in itself is ironic as she views
herself as compassionate, knowledgeable, and patient. She fails to report the parent’s abuse of
Donald and the suspected abuse from the priest. Her goals to handle the problem result in her
exasperated efforts to have Father Flynn leave her school, but ironically, he does not leave the
profession of priesthood. Because of her actions, she displays a woman so obsessed with
climbing the career ladder that she leaves not only her ethics, but she leaves the children behind
in the process. All the while lying to Father Flynn, she views her attempts to persuade Father
Flynn to come clean with his past as admirable rather than deceiving.
Father Flynn believes he is helping the children as he allows them to break rules, engage
in inappropriate behavior (drinking wine, smoking cigarettes, and using ballpoint pens), and
covers for Donald when he drinks the alter wine (Shanley, 2008). Symbolically he tells them to
look at his clean hands and nails, demonstrating the cleanliness of the outer person, never
mentioning the need for cleanliness of the inner body or the need for inner truth (Shanley, 2008).
He believes he is an ethical man and that his demonstration of compassion towards the children
is admirable. He does not report the parental abuse, thereby allowing Donald to be beaten by his
father, over and over. At the expense of Donald, he hides his own inappropriateness as an effort
to protect his position and title.
Mrs. Miller is unethical and responds to the issues of her husband’s abuse towards
Donald as acceptable. She tells Sister Aloysius that her son’s attendance at the school will be for
a short while until he can get into a better school (Shanley, 2008). She justifies the reason for her
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husband’s abusive tendencies and rationalizes the beatings, suggesting Donald is “different”, and
implies Donald has homosexual tendencies.
Sister James allows an elder to influence her in ungodly ways. She goes against her vows
to love, to trust, and to resist the temptation to gossip. In doing so, she adds to the deformation of
Father Flynn’s character by adding doubt and concern over the intent of his actions with the
children. Her character is portrayed as so indecisive that it seems to sway like a tree in the wind,
leaving the viewer with unpredictable outcomes as she chooses sides with whoever is in the
room at the time. Sister James’ character exemplifies the underlying theme as spoken by Father
Flynn, “Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty” (Shanley, 2008). Sister
James experiences the ups and downs of leadership and learns the true meaning of sin and the
responsibility that comes from sowing feathers (gossip) in the wind. Each feather representing an
undocumented truth so deceptive and out of context, that the mere repeating of such a truth
defies the odds of truthfulness (Shanley, 2008).
Implications
Johnson (2012) discusses that ethics can be framed within the shadows or in the light. As
we grow in leadership, this light helps us focus our energy to produce positive results within our
profession. Johnson (2012) states, “Determining whether a leader is casting light or shadow may
depend on where you stand as a follower” (p. 23). Shanley’s (2008) featured film, Doubt,
ironically demonstrates this statement. Basing your leadership on facts, not gossip, will allow
you to stay within the light and out of the shadows that will come your way. As a novice
administrator and employee, seeking to avoid “incrementalism”, which is the process of leading
“new members up the ladder of corruption” which serves to rationalize unethical behavior, is a
difficult process (Johnson, 2012, p. 61). In fact, Johnson (2012) states, “Leaders and followers
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may have strong personal moral codes that regulate their personal lives but act much less
ethically while at work” (p. 61). Leaders must seek the truth and avoid the feelings to belong at
all costs.
In his sermon, Father Flynn figuratively describes gossip as a pillow which has become
gutted, allowing the feathers to blow in the wind, and symbolizing leadership colored by the
unethical practice of gossip; He describes these “feathers” floating in the wind, demonstrating
how gossip spreads (Shanley, 2012). As professionals refrain from the gossip trap, avoid the
dirty politics, the hierarchy pitfalls, and the stair climbing, for the sole purpose of advancement,
they avoid the shadows of leadership. Leaders may choose to lead or to follow: they may choose
to grow or to become stagnant. Leadership that remains tolerant to change while remaining
intolerant towards injustice will allow leaders to grow in the light.
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References
Costas, C. (Producer), & Shanley, J. P. (Director). (2008). Doubt. [Video/DVD] United States:
Miramax.
Johnson, C. E. (2012). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow
(4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.