Literary Criticism Of The Crucible

The fuel of “witch-hunts” is continued hysteria. This occurs because everyone is afraid of coming out against the absurdity of the hunt. In Miller’s Salem, to question reports of witchcraft was to be suspected of doubting the Bible or even serving the devil. In the 1950’s miller was inspired to write the Crucible, because many liberals had been paralysed by the fear of being identified as communist. In the essay-Why I Wrote the Crucible- Miller explains his motivation: “By 1950, when I began to think of writing about the hunt for Reds in America, I was motivated in some great part by the paralysis that had set in among many liberals who, despite their discomfort with the inquisitors violations of civil rights, were fearful of being identified as covert Communists if they should protest too strongly.” (MILLER 2) Miller wanted his play to help people realise just how dangerous and absurd it was to allow society to harm others in fear of ourselves being harmed. In modern times, this would mean for us to stand up against authority when individuals- of certain cultures, backgrounds, or races- are

he mood and situtation that he was in. At the end (Act ]I[) John Proctor was

Hook: Crucible is a book filled with mistakes and the outcomes of those mistakes. Every single action that a person commits leads to either a positive or a negative consequence, and this piece of literature provides readers with an opportunity to analyze some causes and effects.

Puritans had a strict and disciplined lifestyle that was live to achieve the grace of God. They believed that people that were sinners, liars, and adulterers were damned in the eyes of God. In The Crucible the main antagonist was Abigail. She showed tendencies to be spiteful, jealous, and vengeful.

The Crucible is a complex and intriguing novel with events, characters and themes comparable to almost every period of human history. It is common for humans to fear change and what is unknown, in the play The Crucible this is witchcraft and the devil, in more recent times it can be seen in post World War Two and Cold War United States, through McCarthyism. The themes in the crucible are as important to people in the 21st century as in Salem in 1692. These include justice, reputation, hysteria, intolerance and empowerment. All of these are common themes throughout human history. The characters in The Crucible are also important to people of the 21st century as they can teach us a little bit about people around us and their reactions when

How many people have you met in your life that is stronger because of a difficult experience they went through? Most people are because we take these difficult experiences and grow from them and become better people. This is the exact case is expressed in the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The story begins in Salem, Massachusetts 1692 right in the middle of a period of witchcraft hysteria. During this time many people were accused of being witches and wrongly convicted by judges Danforth and Hathorne. The characters in the story are struggling because of a girl named Abigail who gets caught practicing witchcraft and then starts naming and accusing others so that she doesn’t get in trouble; one of these people being a well-respected farmer, John Proctor’s, wife Elizabeth. The title, The Crucible, refers to a test, trial, ordeal, formation by fire, and vessel baked to resist heat, and the entire story is an allegory meaning it has a hidden meaning. John Proctor symbolizes a crucible by embodying the definition of one, as he went through a test and was formed by fire.

A little girl, named Sophia walker, was given a large doll by her parents. It was a gift from her great grandmother who had sadly passed on. Sophia was instantly unsettled by the doll, it had big black eyes that seemed to follow you around the room. Sophia, had the impression that she was expected to take the doll, because she was well raised and didn't want her parents to be upset by not taking it. The doll's name was Suzie, which made Sophia even more scared of it. Sophia thought to herself, “It was just a doll. There was nothing to worry about.” So she put her mind at ease.

A man 's reputation in many forms is his, life’s work. To have your reputation dismantled is like taking away one 's accomplishments and life’s work. Arthur Miller 's The Crucible is a play about justice and injustice, and how our justice system can be easily corrupted. The story revolves around a man named John Proctor, the tragic hero of this story. John Protector is a symbolic character created by Arthur Miller, because he faced the justice system head on. Proctor’s biggest flaw would be his great amounts of pride, which unfortunately led to his own death. In Arthur Millers’ The Crucible, he characterizes John Proctor as the tragic hero of the story because of all that he lost, through his relentless crusade to free his wife and exposing injustice, illustrating that no hero is perfect.

In stories set in the past such as “De Las Casas” and “An Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” witch hunts are apparent and open people's eyes to see how they are still evident in today's society. America is seen as a place for freedom, but in several cases Americans still participate in witch hunts, but they are termed today as bullying, racism, and stereotyping. In several of the stories we read, witch hunts were prevalent in the way people within them are viewed. Moreover, there is a different type of witch hunt, as narrated in The Crucible. This type of witch hunt is a classic one. The Crucible is the quintessential tale of an individual accused of witchcraft and ultimately executed. However, this is not the type of witch

“Both of you stop it right now! I can’t focus on driving when you two are fighting with each other in the backseat!”

Imagine being persecuted for something you had no control over. Ever since 1692 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts where the idea of “witch-hunts” originated, several groups across the world have been persecuted because of their race, religion, ethnicity, or other unsupported reasons. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the witch-hunts that took place during Puritan times are specifically targeted and serve as the focus point throughout the course of the story. Aside from the main plot points of the play, Miller also comments on a period in the 1950s during the Cold War when people who were thought to have been communists were persecuted against and deemed guilty without substantial evidence. These so-called “witch-hunts” stemmed from periods of fear and racism, and people were victimized with no way to prove themselves. Based on the outcome of multiple historical events throughout the course of history, “witch-hunts” are not justified or needed to achieve justice or establish order in society. One prime example of a historical “witch-hunt” is the Negro Holocaust, a period in the late 1800s and early 1900s where African Americans were lynched by white people based on their skin color.

Arthur Miller in his play, The Crucible, uses many common literary effects to infer moods and historical events in his play. Through such things as lighting, certain seasons, weather, and stage directions; Miller hopes to show more advanced motifs without outright giving them to the reader. Discussed in the paragraphs are detailed analyses of his play`s more secret inferences, and what they mean as a whole for what Miller is trying to show. The first subject is setting, and more importantly: how elements of history, geography, economics, and politics have an influence of the content of the play. Firstly, in regard to the historical aspect of the play, many historical similarities show.

Proctor. For the first and only time in the play we see Abigail as her

What comes to your mind when you hear the following words: Moses, Hitler, Jews and Holocaust? Might the word “persecution” pop into your head? Simply put, the word “persecution” is defined as continually treating someone cruelly and unfairly, especially because of that person’s idea or political beliefs. (Scholastic Reference). In the book, The Crucible, Abigail blames others to get herself out of trouble and try to get John Proctor for her. Thomas Putnam wanted land, and Reverend Hale just wanted to guide others and protect their souls. All of these people were perpetrators of “The Big Lie”, which led to “witch hunts”.

Throughout American history, no matter what time period, humans have been categorized, discriminated against, and treated according to their class, financial status, and race. Many concrete and obvious examples of this have appeared throughout the years, ranging from the Salem witch trials in the late 1600’s, all the way to the recent civil rights movements in the 1950’s and 60’s. Social history uses personal stories to show how class/status and race played a part in the way people were treated in America.