Crispin's Character Analysis

The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, takes place in the town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. This time in Salem, witchcraft was suspected of almost everyone in the town. Preserving one’s reputation becomes recurring concept throughout the play. The witchcraft accusations are usually made by people that have a biased view against others, which is why everyone tries to make sure their reputation looks well with the rest of the town. This concept is proven through the characters of John Proctor, Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale. These three characters go to great lengths to protect what the town of Salem thinks of them.

In Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener”, the narrator is on the hunt for a new copyist in his office. From what we can tell of our narrator, he is an unambitious, vanilla fellow but still has an air of condescension about him. He always thinks that he knows what is best for his employees, although in actuality, he knows very little. Enter Bartleby: the “incurably forlorn” and “sedate” answer to his prayers (330). Bartleby is a quiet man who gains employment at the law office of our narrator. Overall, he seemed to be a good worker who had a few kinks the narrator thought that he could iron out, but to no avail. At the end of his account, the narrator says “Ah Bartleby, Ah humanity” which suggests that he sees Bartleby as a representation of all people. This is because the narrator thinks of Bartleby and all other people as lesser than him and in need of his help.

Crispin’s identity is something that he struggles with throughout the book. At the beginning of the book, his name is Asta’s son since he lives with his mother and never knew his father. He grew up with no personal name and little dignity because he and his mother were so poor. Later, he becomes the servant of Bear and finds out he is the son of Lord Furnival, the Lord of his small village and various others throughout England. Simply because of the fact he is Lord Furnival’s son, he is sought to be silenced and killed. At the end of the book, he chooses to become what he wants to really be, a free man who decides where his own path will take him. Crispin realizes that he ultimately decides who he will serve while doing what action. The social restrictions that previously bind him are cut off and he begins his new life. The picture with the question mark in the man’s head represents the internal identity conflict.

Avi states, “I beg you to find your way to some town or city with its own liberties. If you can stay there for a year and a day you'll gain your freedom" (37). This shows how Crispin initially thought his quest was for freedom which he almost immediately fails at getting when he met Bear. During the beginning of the quest, Bear found Crispin and claimed him as his servant and took away his short-lived freedom. However, Crispin’s quest was never really about freedom, but rather self-discovery. Before he begins his quest, Crispin is not worthy of a real name and is known only as “Asta’s Son” . He also refers to himself as “nothing” (Avi 117) and that he thinks he has no soul(Avi 121). But, as his quest continues he discovers who he is and finds out he is the son of royalty. Avi states, “I was no longer nothing. I had become two people- Lord Furnival’s son… and Crispin. How odd I thought: it had taken my mother’s death, Father Quinel’s murder, and the desire of others the kill me for me to claim a life of my own.” (252). This shows how Crispin finally found out who he is, and no longer thinks he is nothing as the result of his quest. Clearly, Crispin’s journey portrayed all the elements of a quest.

In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller was based on the Salem, witch trials when the people of the town where accusing each other of witchcraft and those held for questioning would stand trial had a choice to be valor. In Miller’s portrayal of the ghastly, sickening inquiry of witchcraft many people in the 1690’s were people of the township were maintaining guard for their beliefs; while others of the community of Salem were cowards who took the easy out of the accusations they were on trial. The townspeople of Salem are going through a day people are courageous even in a way others could not be or were never suppose to be. Those characters display their courage in the town at the time of need, John Proctor is a selfless man when only stating

“The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason” (Thomas Foster). A quester may not even know that they are on a quest. A quester gains self – knowledge on a quest. Additionally, a quester’s true reason of the quest may change throughout the story. Crispin, from Crispin: The Cross of Lead by AVI is a hero on a quest due to many factors.

In the beginning Crispin is forced to leave and fend for himself in the wild. Crispin realizes that he really is alone with the help of no one. When Crispin cold and hungry he finds resources to keep him alive. While Crispin

All refugees, the circumstances notwithstanding, face immense hardship throughout their lives. In time, these hardships give way to new opportunities, dreams, and perspectives, as even in the face of suffering, one always retains their intrinsic self. Kim Ha, the protagonist in Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again, experienced this through her family’s daring escape from war-torn South Vietnam. Consequently, Inside Out and Back Again serves as a fitting title for her story.

After Crispin escaped his village he got stuck with having a master and serving him for as long as his master see fit. Also, when Crispin overheard John Aycliffe speaking with a stranger in the middle of the woods John Aycliffe started to chase him. After the steward loses Crispin the steward declares Crispin a wolf’s head making it where anyone can kill him. An example to help prove my point is “...Do you believe that someday none of us will have master's or not… no… why not… God willed it otherwise.(pg.84)” Finally the last point that shows Crispin doesn’t believe that anybody can move up in life is when his master asks him Crispin can improve his own life he said no because everybody has their own rightful places in life.

A 13-year-old boy named Crispin changes throughout the book as he finds out his real self. The author, Avi, wrote Crispin The Cross of Lead to illustrate Crispin as a boy who starts off as someone with just the name “Asta’s Son”. To his own knowledge he was a nobody who ends up at the end of the book finding out the truth about himself that he has a lot more to his knew than he previously knew. Though unfortunately he gets held up with other circumstances which he overcomes and is able to walk away happy with his only friend, Bear.

In Crispin: The Cross Of Lead the quester is Asta’s son, later known as Crispin. In order to gain his freedom he sets out to a village or town that has its own liberties which represents a place to go. He must find a place with its own liberties because he has been declared a wolfs head. On his journey to find freedom Crispin swears an oath to a man named Bear, which prevents him from being a free man. Along their travels together, Crispin lacks self confidence and comes to face with life threatening encounters with John Aycliffe and his men. In addition to gainning his freedom, Crispin became self confidence, learned about the world and gained almost a father figure or a friend. In the beginning of the story, Crispin viewed himself as irrelevant and believed he had no worth, however as the story continued Crispin gained self confidence from a man he believed took away his chance at freedom. Throughout their journey, Crispin and Bear became close and developed a caring bond for each other that ultimately was tested when Bear was captured by John Aycliffe. Their bond was strong enough that Crispin risked his life like Bear had done on their travels. Crispin was able to save Bear and escape Great Welxy. In doing so, Crispin left behind his true identity and finally had a father figure in his life. As you can see, Crispin is a hero on a quest in Crispin: The Cross Of Lead by

Many of the character’s choices affected the development of Crispin. But he, himself, also made choices that affected his development. Crispin is a serf, also known as a servant under the Lord Furnival. With his mother dead and he, himself, being claimed a wolf’s head, he eventually travels along with a man named Bear. Throughout his travels, Crispin develops from a very timid boy to having a very brave and determined character.

"A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt, or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway"-Christopher Reeve. In this book,"Crispin: The Cross Of Lead" by Avi, 13 year old Crispin, who has lived in poverty his whole life, due to the recent death of his beloved mother,had just become an orphan. When finding out he is being searched for,after being accused of stealing and murder, he is then forced to escape from his village hoping to not get caught because he was declared wolf's head. Crispin was set out on a hunt for a better life, that provided freedom and fairness. It takes a great deal of strength and courage to leave your past behind and develop a new beginning, in a new environment.

However, despite the uncommitted crime, Crispin has no control over the issue since to Aycliffe, Crispin is nothing more than an object–causing Crispin to be powerless. In addition to being powerless, being serf has also caused Crispin to become very cautious of others. He’s often treated as an object, and doesn’t receive much respect. He, “…had few friends and none I completely trusted. As ‘Asta’s son’, I was oft the butt of jests, jibes, and relentless hounding” (Avi 13). Crispin and his mother are both serfs, and are looked down upon. Many people dislike Crispin mainly because of the relation he has to his mother. As a result, many people often taunt Crispin and alienate him–causing him to have difficulty in trusting people, and to be very cautious. For instance, Father Quinel instructed Crispin to meet him at Goodwife Peregrine’s house. However, while on his way, Cerdic comes and tells him that there was a change in plans, and that Father could no longer meet him. This left Crispin at disbelief and was, “not certain I should trust the boy, but unsure what to do, I stood where I was” (Avi

Crispin: The Cross of Lead is an exciting story of a thirteen- year old boy who fled from his village in hopes of not being caught and killed by John Aycliffe and his soldiers. Along the way Crispin meets new people and has some frightening encounters. In the beginning of this novel, Asta's son is described as a poor village boy who lost their mother and father. Soon after Crispin's mother died he found out he was accused of a crime he did not commit, and was pronounced a “wolf's head”. In fear of dying Crispin fled from his village, and soon finds out more about himself than he had ever imagined. After being called Asta’s son his whole life, it is revealed that his real name is Crispin. As the story progresses he soon meets Bear, a juggler, with nowhere else to go he becomes a servant of Bears’. Though being Bear’s servant, Bear doesn’t want harm to come to Crispin, so he protects him against his enemies and the wild. Closer to the end of the story Crispin is lead into his enemy's’ fortress, and to protect himself and Bear, he must change everything he had just come to find out about himself. Throughout the book, the author helps the reader understand the government, led by nobles, the political views and economic factors during these medieval times and how they affected the characters and plot of the story.