MovieChat Forums > The Nun's Story (1959) Discussion > I Understand Why The U.S. Marines Have T...

I Understand Why The U.S. Marines Have To Break Down Men To Make Marines

posted 14 years ago by barryfleckmann
2 replies | jump to latest

...but WHY must a religious order order a nun (Sister Luke) to deliberately fail her exams (to learn humility) in order to enable a lesser nun to return to duty in the Belgian Congo? Being a "good Catholic" is like volunteering to go back to the 12th century. I don't blame Sister Luke for renouncing her vows. The ONLY thing that shocked me was WHY a young woman with her spunk and character would WANT to join a convent in the first place. Because of a man? Hah!

[–] Molly-31 14 years ago

Nuns are, in fact, spiritual Marines. You hit that bang on.

There is another discussion about the failing exams thing on this forum. In the striving after perfection there are a lot of little and big decisions that have to be made. Even nuns do not agree, as you see in the film, another superior sister told Sr. Luke that the one who asked her to fail her exams -- even to help another sister, which is a very big thing for them -- was wrong.

Read the book, you will find that Sr. Luke had a lot more reasons for wanting to be a nun than just some guy throwing her over.

Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.

[–] movies789 10 years ago

Not to split hairs, but it was just one Reverand Mother who suggested it (not ordered), not the Religious Order as a whole. And another Reverand Mother from the same Order told Sister Luke that the first RM had been wrong to suggest it.