The_History_Of_The_Nun

The History Of The Nun The Affects of a Broken Vow Aphra Behn’s The History of the Nun illustrates the importance of decision making and keeping vows, particularly the “Sacred Vow, made to God only,” through the life of the main character Isabella (Behn). The reader witnesses the perfect, simplistic nature of Isabella changing as she attempts to conquer the misfortunes that accompany her broken vow to eternally “serve him [God] with all Chastity and Devotion” (Behn). It is through Isabella’s interactions with other characters that she acquires more realistic qualities. From beginning to end, this virtuous woman is just another victim of a sinful world. Isabella’s upbringing in a nunnery influences the woman she becomes. As a young girl, she is exceptionally civil and affable as the nuns teach her everything possible; however, she only sees a nun’s perspective of life. The nuns mold her view of the world, causing the secular outside to become less appealing to her. In the nunnery, she is an ideal person with perfect virtures and is full of knowledge. Her character, in this stage of her life, is too innocent and righteous. Her first big mistake occurs as she enters the henault, behn, isabella, vow, life, after, personality, nun, isabella’s, decision, two, through, perfect, even, character, becomes, another, while, killing, broken, breaking, being, world, vows, villenoys, sin, shame, sacred, people, nunnery, misfortunes, make, love, keeping, herself