Father Flynn's Fingernails
One day during basketball practice, Father Flynn teaches the young male students about grooming habits. He draws attention to his fingernails, and although they are long, he confirms that he keeps them extremely clean. Later in the principal's office, both Sister Aloysius and Sister James comment on the length of Father Flynn's nails. The reactions of both of the nuns indicate that it is atypical for a grown man—let alone a priest—to make such daring grooming choices. Though the film seems to suggest that this detail indicates Father Flynn’s repressed femininity, it may also merely indicate that Father Flynn values his individualism and feels entitled to make his own choices.
The Eye of God
After Father Flynn is confronted with the allegations brought against him, he enters a school building and looks up to find an image of the eye of God engraved in a stained glass window. This image symbolizes Father Flynn's conscience, awareness, and powerlessness. The audience is reminded that although many of life's events may remain ambiguous or uncertain among humans, it is impossible to fool God.
The Dinner Scenes
The organized and immaculate dinner plates of the nuns reveal their proper and serious behavior. In contrast, the priests' plates are bloodied with rare steak. As the nuns eat in silence, the priests rowdily smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. These stark differences reveal the polarizing expectations for men and women within the Catholic church.
The Bird in the Chapel
As Father Flynn delivers his sermon, we follow the gaze of young Donald Miller. As he looks towards the stained-glass ceiling, we see that the boy sees a bird flying above the congregation. Though the bird is flapping its wings, it is unable to escape into the outdoors. This bird simultaneously signifies the possibilities and restrictions on Donald's freedom. Though he is uplifted by the church's rituals and the priest's sermons, Donald is continuously reminded of his identity and ostracism within the church.
