The Importance Of Reputation In The Crucible

In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem, Massachusetts prove time and time again that they care more about their reputations than the events that are taking place and how these events are affecting the people around them. Having a good reputation can be a good thing but when being concerned about your reputation clouds your judgement, that is when it becomes a dilemma. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses having a good reputation, the character of Parris, and how reputation and The Crucible tie into modern life to enlighten the reader that even though having a good reputation is great, it should not cloud one’s ability to see the harm they are doing to others.

“It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently” (Warren Buffett). Arthur Miller was a well known American playwright, essayist and a very important figure in the American theater. Arthur wrote some very important plays throughout his life and The Crucible was one of them. The Crucible is a very well written play about the Salem Witch Trials and how the people chose their own reputation rather than telling the truth and having a consequence for it. Having a good reputation in a small town like Salem is very crucial. This is evident throughout the acts in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. John Proctor,

Reputation is a social phenomenon for individuals in every society. Every one of us cares how we are viewed at some point, and everyone else provides that view. Reputation has transformed largely over the centuries, and we can see a large theme of it in Puritan-based literature such as Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. In the Puritan lifestyle, reputation was among the utmost importance to citizens. Keeping a good name through correct moral conduct was a very critical social aspect for Puritans. In The Crucible there is a strong theme of the importance of reputation which directly applies to John Proctor, Abigail, and Reverend Parris.

As we all know reputation is a really big deal in today’s society. Hardly any kid can be themselves because they are so scared they won't fit in or be popular. Many adults feel the same way. If there neighbor buys a boat, they feel like they should buy one to just fit in. In “The Crucible” it is the same way reputation is very important to them and they don’t want to ruin there reputation even if it is gonna sacrifice them being alive, they want to make sure they keep their good name in the community. In this novel there were a bunch of characters who cared about their reputation. Parris, Abigail, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor. The main two who cared about their reputation would be Abigail and John. Many characters in “The Crucible” are concerned about their reputations. Two of the main characters especially concerned with the betrayal of their reputations are Abigail and John.

Reputation; what significance does this one word have that a Spanish proverb states, “He who has lost his reputation is a dead man among the living”? According to the townspeople in theocratic Salem, an individual was to become prestigious and sacrifice everything for a good name. There was no such thing as private moralities, instead, a person’s reputation was a public matter showcased for the town to judge and discern. Nothing is more unimaginable than having to lose an influential position. Throughout the play “The Crucible”, individuals base their actions on safeguarding or earning a standing. Miller uses the characterization of Reverend Parris and John Proctor to demonstrate that when one exclusively focuses on the preservation of their reputation, one is more likely t o use outrageous actions and deception to hide one’s faults.

Socrates once said, “Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of -- for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again”.In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Miller utilizes the Salem witch trials as inspiration for a parable of McCarthyism of the 1950’s in which the HUAC would decimate one’s reputation on the grounds of suspicion as a communist. Miller reflects this in his story of trials of townspeople suspected of witchcraft. Miller develops the theme of the importance of reputation in society through the contrast in characterization of his characters Reverend Parris and John Proctor, who are most concerned with their good name in the eyes of their community and god, respectively.

One’s words have many meaning and can change shape by different people. Reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. Thomas Paine a famous English-American political activist, the philosopher born in 1774 best describes Reputation as, “what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.” Applying that one true identity lies beyond human vision but only truly seen by the god. This message is repeated in ‘The Crucible’ as many characters are challenged between telling the truth to risk their lives to keep their reputations rather than do the right thing. Whether it be, by lying about one’s action,

Proctor rips up his confession for his family. At first Proctor confessed so he would be able to live but then he realized it wasn’t worth it. “I have given you my soul; leave me my name” (143). If Proctor would let them have his confession then the whole town would think he was associated with the Devil. Proctor did not want anyone to think differently about him or his family. “I have three children-how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends” (143). John did not care about his life anymore, he wanted his kids and his wife to have a good life. If John would have signed the confession then people could have judged him and his family. John also does this because he wants to do something good for once. “I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor” (144). Proctor knows that he has made mistakes in his past and he regrets them. He had to tell the court about his affair and had to lie. By doing this John Proctor believes he is finally doing something good for himself and his family. This shows how courageous John Proctor is because all he wanted was for his family to have a good life. He did not want his kids to suffer and everyone look at them

Keeping up a respectable reputation has been affecting people since 1692 and still plays a role in the current mindset. The Crucible, a nonfiction play, is an example of this exact scenario. Written by Arthur Miller, this play twists the ideas of humanity as a result of pride in the Puritans. In a sense, this scenario of how pride blinds reason is exactly like today’s society, because society is remarkably focused on individual wellness. The characters in The Crucible were blinded from the truth because they wanted to hide personal and degrading secrets. It is quite ironic how this example went to the extremes it reached, even with the Puritans. Alarmingly, this same thing is happening in today’s society.

he Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, tells a story of the Salem Witch Trials in

John Proctor is a man of integrity who stands for his reputation. He cares about his reputation till the fullest measures. It was proven when it was stated that “Confessing a lie is the new institutionalized type of social adjustment as well as a safeguard for life. Those opposing it are inevitably endangering their lives, and Proctor's courage lies precisely in his rejection of a society which institutionalizes falsehood. For him his 'name' does not only mean reputation, but truth to oneself and others. When he refuses to give away other people's names it is because he 'likes not to spoil their names'; and when he refuses to 'sign his name', it is to save his

One's reputation is important but it does not come over the truth. In The Crucible people may want to keep a good reputation because it is in the time of witchcraft and it would be very easy to be accused of witchcraft, but the one thing the characters don’t take into mind is that they may have a good reputation but they may be lying and sooner or later the truth will come out.

It takes a good character to build a reputation, but one mistake leads to the downfall of reputation. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about the Puritans living in Salem, Massachusetts who are going through a sweep of hysteria in the form of witchcraft trials. Many girls have been caught practicing witchcraft, one being Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty Parris, which makes Reverend Parris accuse others of witchcraft, causing trials on innocent Puritans. In The Crucible, the Society of Salem reflects its positive and destructive measures through how they view reputation in the community. Therefore, John Proctor and Reverend Parris are two characters who act and rely on

Self reputation is an important part of keeping pride and moralities in a person’s life, but self absorption can eventually develop from an outstanding care for reputation. Self absorption is a negative trait found in all people sometimes and it can end up causing things to go very wrong for yourself and others. Once someone is purely focused on keeping their reputation and worrying too much of what others think of them, they are overwhelmed by the thought of hiding all mistakes and always making themselves feel superior to others. Throughout Arthur Miller’s The Crucible self reputation is a major motivation felt by Abigail Williams and Reverend Parris, which results in Abby accusing innocent people of witchcraft and Parris not helping his people in a time of need; leaving the town in complete disorder and chaos.

Before I start, what is reputation to you? Well, the definition of reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. In the story “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller they express a theme of reputation between characters. The characters that Arthur Miller expresses the theme of reputation are Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Parris. All three of these characters are trying to keep or change their own reputation about themselves.