The Nun’s Story: Questions for Reflection
By On · 21 Comments
The Nun’s Story is about the possibility of achieving perfection. What would it mean to be a perfect human being? Would your version of a perfect human being resemble the woman Sister Luke attempts to become?
Should human beings aspire to be perfect? Should Christians aspire to be like Christ? Are either of these possible?
Why must Sister Luke shed her personality and her memories in order to achieve perfection?
One critic has written that unlike other films about religion, “this film does not treat the audience as the choir that will receive the preaching.” How does The Nun’s Story treat its audience?
The Nun’s Story has been compared to a war movie – “the near military discipline of the novices, trained to proclaim their guilt for breaking the rules and abase themselves in penance, has the psychological reality of enduring boot camp.” Is this a fair comparison? How is violence conveyed in this film? Does the movie embrace religion? Attack religion? Is the religious life “against nature”?
Is Sister Luke fighting her own nature in order to be a nun?
Consider Audrey Hepburn’s performance. How does it differ from other Hepburn performances? Is her Sister Luke sentimentalized? Ennobled? Do we understand why Gabriele has chosen this life? Do we need to understand her reasons in order to appreciate this film?
The editor of one of Fred Zinnemann’s later films wrote that the director “loved it when actors bumped into the furniture, when they were not yet familiar with the scene and didn’t know where they were going. He loved that kind of randomness. He said, in life, events are always happening for the first time, they’re not happening for the seventh time.” Do we see evidence of his love of randomness and improvisation in this film?
One critic has written that “the typical Zinnemann film reaches a climax when a clock ticks away the seconds while the protagonist struggles with the enemy within, and somewhere close by there’s a locomotive coming. In his body of work there are notably few guns but many trains, remarkably little romance or outright comedy, but much searching for consequences and externalizing of interior dramas.” How appropriate is this as a description of The Nun’s Story?
“The Nun’s Story” didn’t necessarily resonate with me, nor did I necessarily enjoy it. However, it did point out a number of things I didn’t know about nuns. I never knew about the process of becoming a nun, or the realities of life inside a nunnery, or the types of jobs that nuns did, whilst being ordered around by their superiors. It was, to me, and educational experience, albeit a subpar film.
I actually hated the striving for “perfection” that happened in the movie. None of us are perfect, nor can we ever make it there. I understand and agree that Christians should strive to be “Christ-like,” coming from a Christian background myself. However, I don’t think Audrey Hepburn’s character achieved anywhere close to perfection, and I disagree with her model of perfection. I don’t think that’s anywhere near how Christ acted. That kind of needless control—not even being able to walk in a noticeable manner, being punished for even drinking a glass of water, and having to ask a superior first before proceeding to carry out work that you see as your life’s true goal—is not close to the example Christ set while on earth.
Instead, I do see the process to becoming a nun comparable to boot camp, hazing in Greek life, etc. If you go through a long, hard process to get into a group, you will more than likely have strong conformity, groupthink, and agreement with that group’s ways. If you willingly subjected yourself to something hard, you’re always going to think it’s for a greater purpose. Through humiliating punishment, you can feel so psychologically debased your own identity fades and the group’s identity takes its place inside you. I think that’s what was going on with Sister Luke in this movie. She is clearly not cut out for life in a nunnery from the start, which the audience clearly knows; however, it takes her years and a two and a half hour film to realize the same.
The Nun’s Story examines the possibility of achieving perfection using the example of circa-WWII nuns. For me, being a perfect human being would very much resemble the woman Sister Luke attempts to become, though perhaps not so lifeless. I disliked very much how she had to shed her personality and her memories in order to achieve perfection. That’s not what God wants at all. We should, perhaps, leave our Earthly folly behind but not our very souls. God blessed each one of us with a special and unique personality. That is one of his many gifts to us. He expects us to use that gift to go out into the world and touch lives. Even the negative aspects in our personalities are something. They provide an obstacle to be overcome. This builds character, inspires others, and I think it could be argued, helps us draw closer to Christ. As for our memories, they should be cherished too. I felt that part of the equation was counterintuitive. They were, in essence, telling the girls to forget all that the Lord had blessed them with. I believe we should all aspire to be selfless, forgiving, kind, loving, and servants of our fellow man and of God. I think of the way the eyes of those whom she was helping lit up whenever she entered the room. I think of how she forgave the man who murdered her friend. I think of her hard work, long nights, and diligence. Those are all good things. Those are great things. That’s something to be proud of, no matter how difficult it can sometimes be.
Human beings should aspire to be perfect. That is not to say that they should hold their every action to the standard of perfection, but they should at least make an effort to get as close to perfection as they can. If every person at least attempted to be perfect, the world would be a much better place. And it doesn’t matter if you fail to be perfect, which you will. You’ll make leaps and bounds of progress just by trying. For a Christian, aspiring to be perfect is aspiring to be like Christ because he is perfection. Christians should absolutely, positively, one-hundred-and-ten-percent aspire to be like Christ. That’s a huge part of the religion of Christianity. That’s walking the walk in addition to talking the talk. The religion teaches that one should aspire to be like Christ, but that it is okay when one fails, which he/she inevitably will, because Christ Jesus has already paid the price on the cross. Sister Luke is fighting her own nature in order to be a nun, but in almost every case, sin is our nature. We have to overcome sin with the aid of Christ, and thus we overcome our own flawed nature.
It’s interesting that The Nun’s Story has been compared to a war movie. I would absolutely agree that becoming a nun is akin to going through boot camp. That may sound humorous, but it’s true. They even cut your hair. It’s self-sacrificing service in both cases, and there’s a complete breakdown and remolding of one’s personality in each situation.
Watching this film, I continually felt that Sister Luke’s life in the convent was being depicted in a negative light. I suppose that was really the point of the film. But, I did not feel that it attacked religion specifically. It seemed to more attack the Catholic church and convents and nuns. It never said you shouldn’t help your fellow man, not love them, and not help them. It didn’t attack scripture or Jesus Christ. It only seemed to frown upon the rules the nuns had set for themselves, none of which is in the Holy Bible.
I think religious life is against nature, but paradoxically, is nature. When tremendously wonderful or tremendously sorrowful things happen, humans have always looked to ones who had a view of the greater scheme of things to curse or thank. Whether it be the Norse gods, the Greek and Roman gods or the Lord himself, human beings seem to need that superior and holier being to turn to for help and comfort. Even the most secular people in the face of disaster turn to a deity either to curse or ask for help. It is against nature because it can inspire us to fight our darker and more violent urges in the name of good.
After viewing this, I can absolutely see why Audrey Hepburn picked this film as her favorite of her work.
Pride. Obedience. Discipline. Law. Christ. These words can all stand alone. However, in the Catholic Church, often times these are the words most likely found woven together. First and foremost, Audrey Hepburn is incredible in A Nun’s Story. She captures the internal battle between individuality and uniform “perfection”. Being a perfect human being is a nearly impossible task to aspire to because no single person should be the deciding factor as to determining what exactly it is to be perfect and flawless. Everyone has to make mistakes because without making mistakes you can’t learn from them.
In my opinion, Sister Luke was a great nun because of her intelligence and immense determination to becomming the best and most loyal nun she could. There almost seemed to be an underlying competition between herself and the other nuns which is why I believe she refused to fail the medical exam. Yet is this not commedable rather than punishable?
The audience is not treated as a choir being preached to as critics have said. Rather this film is relaying both sides of religion. First there is the respectable teachings to strive for perfection, discipline and obedience, etc. which can all be things that will turn a person’s life around in a positive manner as boot camp does with soldiers. However, theres the latter side that resdies in Hepburn’s character showing this may not be the best way to live be identified as an individual. Both sides are considered and questioned which leaves the audience to decide for themselves.
I completely agree with you and found the film to unveil a high level of hypocrisy embedded deep within the Catholic Church. Nuns are expected to shed themselves of worldly desires, live in poverty, and reach a level of humility that will allow them to maintain constant communication with God. The Church takes a nun’s ability to achieve this inner transformation as the ultimate sign of perfection and holds it above all other pursuits. Therefore, it appears that in order to serve humanity, a nun must first deconstruct what it means to be human.
From a religious aspect, I can see why the Church would demand a nun reach their understanding of perfection, because it will allow them to serve in an unbiased manner. Or rather the Church believes any other type of personality would be a potential risk that could lead a nun astray and compromise their religious service to God. A foreign audience would find the requirements towards becoming perfect, as defined by the Catholic Church, to be extreme and unnecessary. In this case, anyone outside the Church would be considered an outsider, for their lack of “understanding” comes from their lack of desire to be in such a strong communion with God. The film does an excellent job pitying scenarios of Gabriele’s disobedience in the traditional sense, against instances where the audience would look past such behavior, but the nature of the Catholic Church cannot tolerate such conduct.
For example, Gabriele explains that she wants to fulfill her duties as a nurse the best she can, before she says anything about her obligations as a nun. The films make special mention of this and even though Gabriele places 4th in a class of 80, her many weakness as a nun prevent her from traveling to the Congo. However, we aren’t able to interpret the faults of Gabriele seriously, until she opens the door to give the “Arch Angel” a glass of water and hesitates for a moment before doing so. This pause is an indication that Gabriele has recognized her disobedience by opening the door alone, since she was instructed never to do so, yet she continues regardless. Gabriele risked the safety of others by trying to work alone and later admits to succumbing to her pride when dealing with the Arch Angel, indicating to the audience how the convent was right not to send Gabriele right away. As an audience, we can clearly see how dealing with the mentally unstable poses a high threat towards ones safety and how Gabriele explicitly committed an act of insubordination. It is only after this scene, that we can begin to understand Gabriele’s previous discrepancies mentioned by the Church as something serious.
For instance, what if when in the Congo, Gabriele disobeys another order because her talents as a nurse are well above those around her. What if she truly believes the actions of the other nurses are incorrect and acts against her instruction? While she may have the foundation to base this claim on, she lacks any real experience; as such, Gabriele then has the potential to jeopardize the safety of her patients because she lacks the humility stressed by the Church. Now I am not totally sold on this logic, but as an outsider, this film uses rational examples to exploit Gabriele’s faults as a way to bridge the gap between how the secular and the religious cite problematic behavior.
This film addresses a struggle many people experience, especially in this day in age. Sister Luke struggles to be a perfect nun, but she finds that she is constantly falling short. This is because it is impossible to be perfect. Unrealistic actions are constantly being asked of her, but the truth is that the nature of her being clashes with these expectations. Sister Luke’s story is an example of how it is impossible to achieve perfection, no matter how hard one tries. However, it does not mean that a person shouldn’t try to be the best that they can be. It was clear throughout the film that Sister Luke was not meant to be a nun. It’s not like the other nuns were perfect, but seemed to fit in better with the lifestyle. Sister Luke, by nature, has a unique outlook on life. This doesn’t mean that she is better than the other nuns, nor does it mean the other nuns are better than her. It simply means she is meant for something else. We witness Sister Luke having an identity crisis because of the way she is trying to force herself to be someone she is not meant to be. She cannot devote herself to unhood because deep down there is something else she wants out of life.
“A beautiful thing is never perfect.” Throughout Fran Zinnemann’s film The Nun’s Story, this unfortunate proverb seemed to loom over Audrey Hepburn’s character. However, Sister Luke’s resolve never softened. She strove to attain perfection throughout her journey in the convent. While her father, Dr. Van Der Mal, and mentor, Dr. Fortunati, thought it was crazy, to her it was a calling.
What is perfection, and is it attainable? When Gabrielle entered the convent and became Sister Luke, her vision of perfection was to fulfill her calling to God. However, the nuns had a very different view. The smallest of missteps was a sin: looking in a mirror, talking to a fellow sister, having “impure” thoughts. All of these seemingly unavoidable everyday actions required a public confession and penance. And no matter to what extent Sister Luke progressed, she always felt like she failed, and she never caught a break. She suffered from tuberculosis, was sent home, and had to be on-duty in a dangerous mental ward. What justice was this, and, after these seeming failures, was it even worth it anymore?
At the end of the film, Sister Luke leaves the convent. And, admittedly, I cannot blame her. But does it mean that perfection is unattainable? I do not think so, if for no other reason that recognizing its impossibility gives us a reason not to strive for it. Granted, we will never be impure. But I think that perfection comes from the fight to become the best we can be: to become more perfect. I think that is the overriding message of the film: never to give up. Yes, the nun’s did see faults at every turn, but that did not stop them from loving Sister Luke. In fact, when she was leaving, they did all they could to get her to change your mind.
Ultimately, The Nun’s Story conveys the message of the very personal aspect of religion. We all approach life, God, perfection, beauty, hope, anything really from different angles. Gabrielle did not leave the convent because it wasn’t right; she left it because it wasn’t right for her. We too must recognize the best means for us to achieve perfection, and never stop striving for it once we do.
“A beautiful thing is never perfect.” Throughout Fran Zinnemann’s film The Nun’s Story, this unfortunate proverb seemed to loom over Audrey Hepburn’s character. However, Sister Luke’s resolve never softened. She strove to attain perfection throughout her journey in the convent. While her father, Dr. Van Der Mal, and mentor, Dr. Fortunati, thought it was crazy, to her it was a calling.
What is perfection, and is it attainable? When Gabrielle entered the convent and became Sister Luke, her vision of perfection was to fulfill her calling to God. However, the nuns had a very different view. The smallest of missteps was a sin: looking in a mirror, talking to a fellow sister, having “impure” thoughts. All of these seemingly unavoidable everyday actions required a public confession and penance. And no matter to what extent Sister Luke progressed, she always felt like she failed, and she never caught a break. She suffered from tuberculosis, was sent home, and had to be on-duty in a dangerous mental ward. What justice was this, and, after these seeming failures, was it even worth it anymore?
At the end of the film, Sister Luke leaves the convent. And, admittedly, I cannot blame her. But does it mean that perfection is unattainable? I do not think so, if for no other reason that recognizing its impossibility gives us a reason not to strive for it. Granted, we will never be impure. But I think that perfection comes from the fight to become the best we can be: to become more perfect. I think that is the overriding message of the film: never to give up. Yes, the nun’s did see faults at every turn, but that did not stop them from loving Sister Luke. In fact, when she was leaving, they did all they could to get her to change your mind.
Ultimately, The Nun’s Story conveys the message of the very personal aspect of religion. We all approach life, God, perfection, beauty, hope, anything really from different angles. Gabrielle did not leave the convent because it wasn’t right; she left it because it wasn’t right for her. We too must recognize the best means for us to achieve perfection, and never stop striving for it once we do.
I don’t think perfection is a realistic goal in human life, but I also don’t think that the nuns in A Nun’s Story were really aiming for perfection as much as they’d believe. If the nuns perceive pride to be a sin, which they do, then every action is to some extent sinful. The nuns might convince themselves that they are not proud, even of their successes within the pursuit of godliness, but if they do not place some value on their own actions, why do they do them? One might argue that this is a stretched definition of pride, but I argue that the nuns, by denying themselves outright of such basic human emotions, stretch the definition of what it means to be righteous.
The religious life is, in my opinion, against human nature. With regard to the value of religion, this idea is both positive and negative, however, depending on perspective; a non-religious person might take it at face value, but a religious person might argue that human nature is sinful and so it is good to work against it. I thought A Nun’s Story showed a different aspect that is often forgotten in heated religious debate: discipline. Regardless of belief in the existence of a god, the nuns perform their daily prayers and penances as a form of self discipline, which is shown through a few different scenes. The point of the movie is about what they are doing more so than why they are doing it; it shows discipline to be a valuable component of morality, if not the single most important element.
Sister Luke is fighting her nature in order to be a nun, but this is not inherently wrong of her. There is a good chance that she did learn valuable moral lessons from her time in the cloth, even if those lessons were about her nature. Sister Luke is the most human character in A Nun’s Story because she is the only one who recognizes that human nature cannot always be overcome. She views the world realistically rather than through the lens of the binaries of the Catholic Church. By attempting to reach perfection, she comes to realize that the actual attainment of such a state is impossible, and probably not even desirable. The nature of perfection is such that we can never reach it, nor should we be able to. If perfection is reachable, what is there to improve? If a person already exists in their highest state, then they lose the driving force of improvement. Without something to work for and want, can you even call such a person human?
I think that this film tries to show that their is perfection in being imperfect. In many ways Sister Luke was among the most imperfect of the nuns, and it became evident from the beginning that she would not make it the whole way and be a nun at the end. Yet despite these imperfections that the other sister’s seemingly didn’t have, Sister Luke was in many ways the best of the nun’s in some ways, she lived to make lives better, even if it was against what she should have done, in other words she always went with her heart. IN the end we have great sympathy for Sister Luke because she is the most relatable of all the characters in the movie. We understand the struggles that she is facing, because many of us probably face similar things in our life. We all strive for more perfections, and we all come up short in some ways like Sister Luke did, yet in coming up short we all make great strides as well. Sister Luke really is fighting her own nature in her attempt to become a nun. She can see the vision of herself being like some of the older nuns, but in reality her personality will always keep her from ever getting there. Sister Luke was a great person, just not a great nun, had they shown her life after leaving the convent I would guess she went on to make a difference in a great number of peoples lives.
Perfection is subjective. It is a relative term that is assumed to have a general definition that is understood when spoken about. Yet, what is this definition? Is it really something that we all agree on or can even articulate? A nun’s ongoing struggle for perfection is measured by their everyday manner: walking quietly down the halls, only speaking when allowed, or forgetting that their past life existed as an individual. These are their goals and standards when wearing that black and white robe. Yet, is perfection fulfilling these standards every minute of every day? This is when perfection becomes defined by the mind of the individual. Sister Luke’s approach to perfection was all or nothing; any slip-up and she had failed. Thus, for her, perfection was a finite state, the top tier of her struggle in which when reached, the struggle would seemingly cease, and she was the perfect nun. Yet, through the other sisters in the Congo and even in the convent, perfection to them was constant. They allowed themselves mistakes and forgiveness sometimes or else they couldn’t make it. Without directly saying it or advising it to other nuns, mistakes were unavoidable and inevitable. However, it is the mentality behind the mistake and the will to repent and carry on that allows this ideal of “perfection” to still be conceptualized. Without those who still believe in the undying desire for embodying those perfect ideals, flawlessness could not remain as this vague term that it is because consequently, mistakes would not exist. Mistakes would not be considered breaking some sort of moral or written code that attempts to define an existence without mistakes. So, Sister Luke, in my opinion, was destined for failure because she did not believe in perfection for herself but as a term that failed to relate to her. She was forcing herself in a mold that could never fully fit her because, either subconsciously or consciously, she never really believed that belonging to that mold was permanent. Instead, she was consumed by a concept that she thought was bigger and stronger than her, that she was too weak for this perfection. Yet, what she didn’t grasp from the other nun’s and their advice is that perfection was within her the whole time; behind every “mistake” she thought she made. It is the will to keep trying.
Perfection is subjective. It is a relative term that is assumed to have a general definition that is understood when spoken about. Yet, what is this definition? Is it really something that we all agree on or can even articulate? A nun’s ongoing struggle for perfection is measured by their everyday manner: walking quietly down the halls, only speaking when allowed, or forgetting that their past life existed as an individual. These are their goals and standards when wearing that black and white robe. Yet, is perfection fulfilling these standards every minute of every day? This is when perfection becomes defined by the mind of the individual. Sister Luke’s approach to perfection was all or nothing; any slip-up and she had failed. Thus, for her, perfection was a finite state, the top tier of her struggle in which when reached, the struggle would seemingly cease, and she was the perfect nun. Yet, through the other sisters in the Congo and even in the convent, perfection to them was constant. They allowed themselves mistakes and forgiveness sometimes or else they couldn’t make it. Without directly saying it or advising it to other nuns, mistakes were unavoidable and inevitable. However, it is the mentality behind the mistake and the will to repent and carry on that allows this ideal of “perfection” to still be conceptualized. Without those who still believe in the undying desire for embodying those perfect ideals, flawlessness could not remain as this vague term that it is because consequently, mistakes would not exist. Mistakes would not be considered breaking some sort of moral or written code that attempts to define an existence without mistakes. So, Sister Luke, in my opinion, was destined for failure because she did not believe in perfection for herself but as a term that failed to relate to her. She was forcing herself in a mold that could never fully fit her because, either subconsciously or consciously, she never really believed that belonging to that mold was permanent. Instead, she was consumed by a concept that she thought was bigger and stronger than her, that she was too weak for this perfection. Yet, what she didn’t grasp from the other nun’s and their advice is that perfection was within her the whole time; behind every “mistake” she thought she made. It is the will to keep trying.
The Nun’s Story really delves into the pursuit of perfection in human life, particularly in reference to one’s religious life. I am not sure, however, that perfection is truly attainable because perfection is defined differently for everyone. This is a topic that comes up pretty frequently in my field of study, foreign language education. We often discuss the pros an cons to strive for what has always been regarded as the perfect model of language use- the native speaker status. And that, similar to the phenomenon that occurs in this film, is actually very difficult, arguably impossible, to achieve because it requires the person in question to be a regular cultural being that language’s world. In this film, the assumption is that the nun must become as holy as God, yet without actually being God, which interestingly enough seems to be something unfavorable in Christianity (“there is only one God, therefore you can’t be him”), then perfection cannot be achieved.
Regardless of this contradiction, I think that it is important to bring some other points that put Sister Luke in some ethical middle ground. First, throughout the film we see that there is an emphasis placed on religious perfection as opposed to medicinal or knowledgeable perfection. All that I could think about during these conversations was that if I had a nurse, I’d want her (or him) to be perfect in the medicine not in religious devotion. It was a little disheartening to hear that care of patients didn’t really matter as much as stopping for prayer. In this regard, I have a similar viewpoint as Dr. Fortunati.
I also thought that it was interesting to hear about the removal if all thoughts and memories in order to achieve religious perfection. To me, that is the removal of humanity (which I guess is the point of it). Our thoughts and memories are what makes us uniquely human. I think that the nuns should be bridging the gap between God and the general public, not increasing it. In order for that to happen, in my opinion, thoughts an memories are necessary. This is the internal struggle that Sister Luke deals with throughout the film. And then we see another dilemma for her when she is asked to fail her examination. I found this to be highly contradictory. They are basically told to be perfect all the time, except when it conflicts with God and religious superiority (then it is fine to fail).
While I am not a religious man, which probably leads to my fairly harsh critique of the plot in this film, I think that it was done very well. (That last sentence should further drive home how differences in perspective lead to differences in the idea of perfection.) Overall, I found this film to be very revealing, interesting and thought provoking. This is definitely a classic film that petiole should watch to further investigate ethical dilemmas.
The constant struggle for perfection in the life of a nun struck me as ironic throughout the film. Perhaps this is due to all images of ‘womanly perfection’ floating around in today’s society, the stay-at-home mom who is pretty and in perfect shape but not too smart as to threaten male dominance. It seems like everywhere we go, women are pressured to maintain perfection. In recent years, we have seen resistance towards this school of thought, but it remains an uphill battle.
You would think that a great place to escape the pressures society places on women would be a convent, with few men and no ideals for beauty. However, as the movie shows, the convent is even more judging and inflexible than the outside world. Although there is no physical standard to live up to, the women in this world must adhere strictly to a guide of perfection of the soul in order to be deemed worthy in the eyes of the Church. The nuns are always finding faults with themselves, and stress the importance of being a perfect human being. By the end of the film, as a woman, I feel completely depressed by this thought. The religious world, which has a reputation for being a sanctuary, an escape from the sins of the outside world, is just as uncompromising as everywhere else, although not in the same manner. It’s the same crap in a different packaging. With the way this movie paints the world of the Church, and the way society holds women, there just seems to be no room for a woman to be less than perfect.
The Nun’s Story provides a highly unrealistic strive for self perfection. It is impossible to be perfect, and if we tirelessly attempt to become perfect, one could go mad. That is not to say, however, that we should not strive for continuos improvement. I think it is a shame that Audrey Hepburn’s character, Sister Luke, had to compromise her true character only to get continuously knocked down and disrespected. It is made clear that Zinnemann is a fan of randomness, because I found the entire film to be random. A free spirited girl becomes a nun, has minimal dialogue the first hour of the film, then hops from job to job in Belgium to Congo to Holland, has sexual tension with a surgeon then a war breaks out, and (big surprise!) Audrey Hepburn just isn’t cut out to be a nun? I felt the plot was weak, and for a two and a half hour movie, not much had happened at it’s conclusion. To be completely honest, I found the film to be anti-climactic and largely disappointing, and I am confused as to why it was such a success. I have such a respect for Audrey Hepburn, and I am a fan of many of her movies, but in my opinion, The Nun’s Story was just painful to watch. I love to see Audrey Hepburn as the sassy and bold young woman that everyone falls in love with in films like Breakfast at Tiffany’sTwo For The Road, who just cannot be tamed. To see all this personality stifled in the role of a nun was a huge disappointment.
The Nun’s Story presents an interesting view of how one can strive to be perfect and the conflicts that result. Sister Luke strives to be perfect, but the key in her case is that this perfection is defined by another, in this case the Catholic Church and her order of sisters. It seems to me that true perfection can only be attained when one sets the guidelines themselves. For example, Sister Luke disagreed with the sisters’ rule that at the sound of the bell, they needed to stop what they were doing. She thought that it was more appropriate to continue her tasks, especially if she was helping another. Here, Sister Luke’s version of “perfect” is in in direct conflict with the sisters’, and I do not think that she would have ever been able to achieve anything close to their expectations because of this basic difference. The other novice, who left the order before taking her vows, also seemed to disagree with the rules for perfection that the sisters established. For her,the restrictions on talking and socializing were the point that she was unable to accept fully. If Sister Luke had set her own rules about being a sister or about being a nurse, I think that perfection would be much easier for her to meet. Additionally, I don’t think that perfection necessarily has to mean flawlessness. The goals to meet perfection, if set by a person and considering their limitations as a human, may still be achievable.
I think that Christians should aspire to be like Christ, in the form of modeling his kindness, compassion, and dedication to the faith. However, I think that many Christians would argue that no one can be truly perfect apart from Christ. With this in mind, I think that most Christians strive to get close to perfection, keeping in mind that humans are flawed and must seek forgiveness from God.