User blog:NerdWithAKeyboard/PG Proposal: Sister Irene

What's the work?
The Nun is a 2018 horror film, and the first film chronologically in The Conjuring franchise, a series of horror films and short films, the former of which are based on the true-life accounts of the late Edward "Ed" and Lorraine Warren.

Who is Sister Irene? What has she done?
As a girl, Irene was plagued with terrifying visions, all of which would end with her remembering the phrase "Mary points the way". Her father believed her to be mentally unstable, but Irene was taken in by the church, who helped her not only to control her visions, but convinced her that they were a gift from God. Irene aspired to devote her life to the church that had helped her in her time of need, eventually becoming a nun in novitiate.

After a nun is found dead at the St. Carta monastery in Romania, apparently from a suicide, the Vatican believes that Sister Irene's visions may be helpful in investigating the case. They send Father Burke as the main investigator, who goes to get Irene.

Sister Irene is teaching children at a school, explaining that there can be harmony between the worlds of religion and science, when Father Burke meets her. Sister Irene accepts the task, and goes to Romania.

The two are met by a man named Frenchie, who found the nun's body. He flirts with her until he finds out that she is a nun, and she forgives him for and laughs off what he calls his "impure thoughts" towards her. They make their way to the monastery and investigate the body, retrieving a key from it and giving her a proper burial. They then meet with the Abbess, who informs them that the nuns have taken a vow of silence for the night, but offers them to stay in the convent next door. Sister Irene feels that Father Burke is on edge and asks him about it, to which he reveals that he once performed an exorcism that went wrong, which he feels guilty for. Irene comforts him, using her visions as an example of God's plan.

That night, Irene sees a shadowy figure and investigates it. Even when the darkness begins to break holy statues before her and attack, Irene continues investigating. Father Burke is attacked by the same entity and buried alive. Sister Irene hears the commotion, and when she finds out what happened, does not hesitate to grab a shovel and dig Father Burke out.

The next day, Irene returns to the abbey and talks with a nun named Sister Oana, who reveals that the monastery used to be a castle owned by a Satanic worshiper. This man summoned a demon that could only be sealed away with the actual Blood of Jesus Christ, which a crusade of knights managed to do, but bombings during World War II reopened the rift. To restrain the evil, the nuns had to pray all day and all night, taking shifts.

It is then that it is revealed that the evil, a demon named Valak, is loose. Wanting to hold back the evil, Sister Irene prays with them. Even when Valak attacks her by brutally carving a pentagram into her back, Sister Irene keeps praying to protect herself and the other nuns. It is only after this that she finds out that all the other nuns were a vision, and that Valak had killed all of them, including the Abbess and Sister Oana. Irene puts together that the nun who killed herself did so to prevent Valak from possessing her, and that the key will unlock a chamber holding a vial of the Blood of Christ. Before she goes to look for the vial, she takes her vows, becoming a professed nun.

Sister Irene, Father Burke, and Frenchie go down to the reliquary, fending off Valak's attempts to kill them, until they come across a statue of the Virgin Mary, and Sister Irene remembers "Mary points the way". They follow where the statue's hand is pointing to a keyhole, which they unlock to find the vial of the Blood of Christ. However, Valak lures Irene away from the rest of the group and into a pentagram, where it gains the ability to take over her body, even as she fights it.

Frenchie manages to save her and cast Valak out, and while Valak is distracted, Irene pours the Blood into her mouth. Valak tries to drown her, but Irene pulls through and spits the Blood onto the demon, defeating it and sealing the rift. Upon defeating the demon, Sister Irene immediately runs to the injured Frenchie and Burke's aid to help them.

Irene gives all of the nuns a proper burial, and blesses them for their sacrifice. She then goes off to resume her career as a professed nun, unaware that Valak has possessed Frenchie and will return twenty years later in America.

Admirable Standard
As a nun, Sister Irene vowed selflessness and forgiveness. She is extremely grateful to the church for helping her, and goes about her way to be as kind and friendly as she can to everyone she meets. The other nuns, while noble, are bound to tradition. Irene lives by their tradition, but expands herself to include tolerance and humility. She is not easily offended, and forgives people's transgressions towards her. Though the other heroes are helpful and wanting to do the right thing, Irene goes further by completely devoting herself to helping and educating others, and will not hesitate to ward off evil or save a life, even risking her own pain or even death.

Mitigating Factors
Irene is, at one point, possessed by Valak. However, this was not consented or a willing corruption, and with a little help, she was able to quickly break free and immediately go back to fighting Valak again. The only time she has resorted to "physical violence" was by spitting the Blood of Christ at Valak to defeat it.

Despite doing everything she can to protect the other nuns and stop Valak, she ultimately does not succeed; the nuns she tried to protect die, and Valak manages to possess Frenchie before she seals the rift. However, even if she was not ultimately successful, it is still admirable that she risks her own safety and continues to try, even after her failures are revealed to her.

Verdict
Considering she fights through pain and the risk of death to stop Valak, tries to save everyone she can, and presses on even after being informed of her failures, as well as her kind and forgiving nature, I'd say yes.