Searching for a Truth: A Study of John Patrick Shanley's Doubt: A Parable

ABSTRACT John Patrick Shanley’s play Doubt, a Parable (2004) explores the Bronx, where he grew up. The drama is set in a Catholic, Irish, and Italian instruct neighborhood. The plot centers around Sister Aloysius, the school's principal, having a suspicion that develops into faith and eventually leads to assurance. She has no doubt that the school's only black student has been molested by Father Flynn, the priest. The play's structure is open-ended, enabling each reader or viewer to form their own opinion of the evidence conveyed, namely: Is Father Flynn a child molester, or is he the target of character assassination by a ruthless nun who doesn't like him and desires him out of her school? this paper investigates Shanley's tactics for keeping the potential for explanation release as he transforms his personal writing into various media, both on the printed piece of paper and on the big monitor.