Essay Questions

Why are the nuns distracted from their primary objective of going to the Himalayan Mountain?

The main characters in the ‘Black Narcissus (1947 Film)' are the Anglican nuns whose primary goal is to serve God and humanity. As the nuns go to the Himalayan Mountain, their primary goal is to set up a missionary school to help the local children acquire education and learn more about God. However, these nuns' objective is distracted by their desire for the seductive local men. The nuns are unmarried, and they took a vow to serve God and preserve their religious bodies till the end. The nuns conclude that the local men are using charms to sway them because they cannot resist their moves. Consequently, the nuns fail miserably to attain their missionary goals in the Himalayan Mountain.

Should nuns get married for them to execute their duties flawlessly?

Being a nun or a priest in the traditional Anglican Church setting is a pure call from God. Therefore, the clergymen and nuns have to make a personal decision before taking celibacy vows. Therefore, if one decides to be a nun, she should first consult her feelings before moving forward. Those who think that they might be tempted in the future should quit the missionary and get married. Consequently, a married nun can easily be distracted from her missionary duties by family issues. For instance, a married nun will be more concerned about her children and husband instead of fully concentrating on doing God's work.

How is narcissism a central theme in the film 'Black Narcissus'?

The Himalayan Mountain people already have their self-established religious order and norms that guide their daily lives. For instance, the Himalayan people believe in Hinduism and have their set of rules that govern society. When the nuns from the Anglican Church arrive to set a missionary school, they fail miserably because the local people are not interested in Christianity. The reader realizes that Christianity and Hinduism are not mergeable because of the various beliefs. Ironically, instead of the nuns converting the local people, they are charmed to forget their celibacy vows and end up falling for the seductive men.