Summary
After talking with Mrs. Miller, Sister Aloysius gets caught in a storm. Upon returning to her office, she is greeted by Father Flynn. After the priest asks why Sister Aloysius was speaking with Donald’s mother, the two get into a heated argument. Father Flynn accuses Sister Aloysius of preventing the church from reforming progressively. Meanwhile, Sister Aloysius insists that the priest confess to abusing Donald and resign.
Father Flynn argues that Sister Aloysius has been “out to get him” for a long time. In an effort to defend his innocence, the priest mentions that Sister James believes that the accusations are false. Father Flynn grows increasingly aggravated, and he demands that Sister Aloysius provide him with concrete evidence that supports the allegations brought against him. After she replies that she saw the priest grab another student’s wrist, Father Flynn responds that he will have Sister Aloysius removed from her position at the school.
As Father Flynn pens the note advocating for the principal’s dismissal, Sister Aloysius explains that she took the initiative to call a nun at Father Flynn’s last parrish. Father Flynn becomes angry at the fact that Sister Aloysius spoke to a nun rather than the pastor, as it deviates from institutional protocol. Sister Aloysius tells the priest that she has been informed of his past relationships with children. Father Flynn grows angrier, proclaiming that the nun has deviated from the church’s vow of obedience.
Father Flynn then asks Sister Aloysius if she has ever done anything wrong. After she replies yes, the priest aims to demonstrate that they are absolved from guilt as long as they have confessed their wrongs to the Lord. Although Father Flynn attempts to highlight the similarities between himself and Sister Aloysius, the nun maintains her beliefs. After she threatens to leave the office, Father Flynn attempts to pacify Sister Aloysius. However, the nun demands the priest’s immediate resignation.
The following Sunday, Father Flynn uses his sermon to announce his resignation. As Donald Miller cries from the pews, Father Flynn leaves his podium and mingles with the congregation to signify his departure. Time passes, and snow covers the church grounds. It is Christmas, and Sister James has returned from visiting her brother. She is happily greeted in the courtyard by Sister Aloysius.
As the two sit on the bench, they discuss what has transpired during the time that Sister James has been away. Sister James tells Sister Aloysius that she believes that Father Flynn was innocent. Sister James then asks if Sister Aloysius “proved” the allegations to anyone other than herself, to which Sister Aloysius replies no. Sister James explains that she feels guilty about her involvement in the matter.
Sister Aloysius then explains that following his resignation, Father Flynn was promoted as a pastor at another congregation. Although Sister Aloysius alerted a church authority of her suspicions, they were ignored and negated. Sister Aloysius tells Sister James that Father Flynn left after she told him that she spoke to another nun at his previous parish. However, Sister Aloysius explains that this was a lie—she never made such a call. While Sister James is mortified at her elder’s dishonesty, Sister Aloysius argues that Father Flynn’s resignation was his confession. Sister Aloysius then breaks into tears, admitting, finally, that she has “many doubts.”
Analysis
The motif of weather reappears in these closing scenes. The visible seasonal change indicates how the film uses weather as a narrative device to depict how relationships have withered as winter approaches. The film’s thematic focus on religion prompts the audience to consider the nostalgia and tradition associated with the winter holidays. However, despite the cheery Christmas songs that non-diegetically score the closing scenes, the audience is reminded of the darkness that surrounds the allegations against Father Flynn.
As Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius argue, we understand that they are both aiming to assert their autonomy by disenfranchising the other. Although their aims are the same, the methods that they use to assert their power differ dramatically. As they argue in the principal’s office, it becomes clear that Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn function as foil characters. When Sister Aloysius calmly asserts her beliefs, Father Flynn grows explosively angry and threatens the nun in a variety of ways. Father Flynn’s behavior then switches drastically—when Sister Aloysius raises her voice, the priest expresses himself as sensitive and empathetic in order to draw attention to the nun’s brutality.
Throughout the scene in the principal’s office, it is increasingly difficult to understand each character’s honesty, morality, and motivations. In this way, the audience once again becomes implicated in the film’s central dilemma. Is Sister Aloysius a traditionalist who is threatened by Father Flynn’s progressive changes within the church? Is Father Flynn’s anger demonstrative of an underlying aggressive and domineering personality? Has Father Flynn’s right to defend himself been misconstrued as manipulation?
In addition, the trajectory of the argument between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn allows the audience to understand a bit more about the politics of the church and the institution’s enforcement of gender roles. Throughout the film, Father Flynn discusses various progressive ideals. He aims to make Donald Miller feel accepted in a racist environment, and he encourages the nuns to incorporate secular songs in the traditional Christmas Pageant. Although Father Flynn preaches compassion, tolerance, and change, he becomes particularly angry that Sister Aloysius took it upon herself to call a fellow nun at his previous parish. Instead, he argues that Sister Aloysius should have spoken to the pastor. While Father Flynn defends himself by claiming to protect Donald Miller during a particularly turbulent year for civil rights, we begin to question his genuineness when he continually discriminates against Sister Aloysius on the basis of her gender.
In the film’s final scene, we further see how the institution of the church reinforces and rewards men. Despite the allegations brought against Father Flynn, we learn that he has been promoted to a more distinguished position at another parish. Although we are unable to see first-hand how the aftermath of the allegations have impacted the priest, we are able to evaluate how Sister Aloysius and Sister James have changed throughout the story. Sister James, once naive and trusting, has become terse, outspoken, and jaded. Sister Aloysius has also changed dramatically—when she cries and proclaims that she is not as confident as she has portrayed herself to be, she admits to feeling vulnerable and grapples with the inevitable feeling of doubt that haunts humanity.
