MovieChat Forums > Doubt (2008) Discussion > Contrasting mealtimes in closeup

Contrasting mealtimes in closeup

posted 10 years ago by thepooles-1
10 replies | jump to latest

The priests' meals were a sybaritic feast while the nuns' meals were bland and humble. It was a powerful way to show gender privilege within the Catholic church.

[–] larpine 10 years ago

Bland, humble and full of gristle. The priests would also partake in Alcohol, where as nuns could drink Milk or water.

It's explained in the Blu-Ray commentary reel that the butchers at the community markets would actual save the best cuts of meat for the priests in the local parish.

More over, the nuns took a vowel of silence whenever they were within the convent where as dinner was obviously a very social occasion for the men.

[–] Great_Gazoo 9 years ago

I wonder if things still work that way...?

__
Long ago men competed on a show to date a woman who competed on a show to date Flava Flav.

[–] Horse_Caulk 8 years ago

"the butchers at the community markets would actual save the best cuts of meat for the priests in the local parish."

Damn right!

You gonna eat that gristle, nuns!

..and like it!

[–] velcronewsletter 10 years ago

i noticed straight away. nothing i didn't expect but it was highlighted well

[–] mariasrt 9 years ago

Yes, the whole representation of gender privileges (as you greatly put it) was superb and super-interesting...

[–] Trax-3 8 years ago

It's not gender privileges. It's that the nuns are nuns but the priests are not necessarily monks. And even if they were: not all orders are equally strict.
I'm pretty sure that some are so strict, or at least used to be, that the members are not even allowed to speak.

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

Except that women aren't allowed into the role of priest with all its benefits, the only official role for women in the Catholic hierarchy is the self-abnegating life of a nun. Sure, men can choose to live that life as monks, but they have other option as available if they want to lead a life of faith.

BTW, speaking of the benefits of the priesthood... I once saw a magazine for Cagholic parishoners, and there was an ad for a seminary in it. The slogan they used to draw young men to train for the priesthood was... wait for it...

...

"EAT FREE IN ITALIAN RESTAURANTS".

[–] chambers112 8 years ago

Yes, and it wasn't only the food, but the conversations at the two tables were so different. Father Flynn was a straight out pig.

meg.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I took the underlying message to show that the nuns were more devout and in control of carnal temptations than the priests, or at least Sister Aloysious saw it that way. Mealtime for her was an opportunity to be pious, humble and display moral superiority while the weak priests sinfully indulged in their Bacchanalian feast. Sister Aloysious wants power in a system designed to suppress women, so she tries to “out-Catholic” everyone else to feel above them so can judge them.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Because the Nuns were part of an order that took vows of humility and poverty I bet. If you are just a regular priest you don't take such vows.