The Role of 'Belonging' in Film and Print Essay

Miller, Proctor, and Giles Corey, another important role in The Crucible, are similar in that they all admitted to their “crimes,” but refused to blame others. Miller was expelled from a script-writing project in New York because he had communist relations. He was questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee, or the HUAC, about his political beliefs. Miller admitted that he had attended a few informal Communist Party meetings a long time ago, but when the HUAC asked him who else had participated in the meetings, Miller refused to give names. He was charged, tried, and convicted of with contempt of Congress in 1957 (InfoTrac). Although an appeal overturned this conviction a year later, these events show that Miller was willing to stand up for what he believed was right. In The Crucible, Proctor and Corey have the same trait.

In the book, John Proctor says, “I speak my own sins, I cannot judge another.” (Act IV pg. 141). In this quote, John Proctor refuses to condemn others as witches. He states that he can only speak for himself, and cannot judge another. Just like in The Crucible, people (including Miller) were accused of being communists, without any substantial evidence. Many of the accused confessed others as being communists, yet there were a few who refused to give out other names. In both the Red Scare and The Crucible, those who refused to give names of others’ faced punishment. This is an obvious illustration of the similarities in both The Crucible and the during the Red Scare in Miller’s life.

American playwright Arthur Miller, in his play The Crucible (1952) displays to us that which hunt still exists in American society. Miller supports this claim by drawing parallels between the Salem Witch trials and the senator Joseph McCarthy. His purpose is to warn his readers of the dangers of mass hysteria. He uses emotional appeals and logic to convince the readers that mass “hunts” are still a danger to Americans today. The crucial way however, that Miller achieves his supreme objective of revealing the risks of reputation vs. integrity is through a fascinating character, John Proctor. John is an example of an internally conflicted character because he had a huge argument with Elizabeth over Abigail, Proctor also had an affair with Abigail, and lastly John had a choice between life and death at the end of the play.

Also influenced by mass hysteria, the corrupt essence of politics fuels the injustice and oppression that the people experience. In the Crucible, Miller highlights that people in politics uses tools such as fear and corruption of truth to maintain or gain power as reflected by John Proctor. Though he is flawed in that he committed adultery, he becomes the face of moral decay in a theocratic world where justice has ceased to exist, as highlighted when he exclaims “I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!” The exclamations and Proctors violent tone reflects his struggle

People have the longing to belong and to be accepted by a group or community. A sense of Belonging can emerge from the connections and acceptance we have with other people, communities and the larger world. These ideas of belonging are represented in texts which explore aspects of belonging and an individual’s potential to challenge or improve a community group. The film ‘Strictly Ballroom,’ directed by Baz Lurhman, the film ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ directed by Kate Woods and the exaggerated true story of an African American youth’s fight to belong in the song “dance with the devil” by immortal technique all represent ideas of belonging formed by life experiences.

To belong is to be, or have the feeling of being accepted or included by a certain group, person, place or community. While initially an individual may belong to a community or group, speaking their opinion can seclude them, and cause them to become an outsider. Belonging to a community or group can be very beneficial, and not belonging can cause an individual to face consequences. Hysteria and fear can be caused throughout a community by outsiders who don’t belong. We are able to view these experiences of belonging and not belonging through the use of characters and events throughout a variety of texts. Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” and Armin Geder’s picture book “The Island” display how an individual can belong and not belong at

Within both texts, Miller and Douglass explore the aspects that separate Proctor and Douglass from their communities. Specifically, Proctor's willingness not to submit to the demands of those above him and Douglass' determination to be a free man. Miller reveals Proctor is identifying with himself when he chooses not to sign the written confession. "Because it is my name! … I have given you my soul, leave me my name" (4.910-916). Miller creates a desperate tone to emphasize Proctor's reason for not signing the written confession. Being that Proctor's sense of identity lies within his name, Miller wants the

In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible it is clear that the development of the play is about John Proctor’s tragic condition. Miller uses this aspect to compel the audience to see why Proctor did what he did and to develop a sense of empathy for him. John Proctor overall is both flawed and honorable. He has a complete reversal of fate brought upon by his own flaw. John Proctor is a tragic hero because he contains all of the characteristics of a tragic hero, such as catharsis and hamartia, despite not being born into nobility, he has many noble characteristics.

The Crucible was written in the 1950’s, at a time when many people were McCarthyists. McCarthyism was a belief that the United States should be purified of all people who were involved with Communism. Anyone who was suspected of being communistic could have been arrested. Miller wrote The Crucible at this time to show the American people the ignorance of their acts. The Americans in the 1950’s were behaving almost exactly like the 17th century townspeople in The Crucible. Miller made his point by demonstrating to the Americans the absurdity of their actions using the ridiculous witch-hunts. One difference between Proctor and Dimmesdale is that while Proctor’s actions were purely lustful, Dimmesdale and Hester committed their sin because they were in love. At the time that Proctor had committed adultery, his wife had been sick. He had sex with Abigail Williams entirely out of lust. Hester had never loved her husband, so Dimmesdale was the only love

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many rhetorical elements illuminate the meaning behind the text. Examples of rhetorical elements in The Crucible are tone, author’s purpose, and the overall mood. During the closing scene and its final lines the tone might be described as suspenseful and melancholy, while Miller’s purpose relays the events in Salem to the accusations of Communists in 1950’s America. However, in the end of the play, the audience should feel pensive about the death of Proctor and what Proctor’s motives truly are.

The novel, The Crucible was written in 1953 by Arthur Miller, which was based on the Salem Witch Trials existing in the late 1600s. In the play, Abigail and several other young women accuse innocent citizens of Salem for the action of witchcraft. During the trials, many individuals were unfairly persecuted; such as John Proctor. This event in history may be associated with the Red Scare, in which individuals were tried for their questionable influences of communism in the United States. When Miller compares the character of John Proctor to himself, the reader is able to relate the similar experiences that both men faced. The Crucible demonstrates the struggle against corruption involving the court, which lead to the death of many innocent individuals in Salem. The Crucible generates an allegory for Arthur Miller’s struggles with McCarthyism because of his similar experience relating to John Proctor’s battle against the Salem Witch Trials, and the relation between the actions of the court in both situations. Arthur Miller uses several writing methods in order to convey The Crucible as an allegory for his struggles with McCarthyism. Miller demonstrates how the Crucible represents an allegory for his conflict with McCarthyism by relating his experiences with the plot of the novel. Miller relates the novel to his struggles by stating, “Should the accused confess, his honesty could only be proved by naming former confederates.” (Are You Now… 34) Miller is explaining how the court

In The Crucible, Miller too created a character that would stand against authority; John Proctor. When Proctor is questioned as to why he has not been to church in so long, he admits that he has ill feelings towards Parris and the way that Parris gives sermons. Proctor does not like authority, and since Parris talks as though he is an authority figure, Proctor has an issue with this. Proctor is very critical over representatives of authority. Proctor changes from a timid character held in bondage by his sin, to a strong, righteous man who will die for the truth. This drastic change in his character is the basis of his significance to the outcome of the play. When faced with the prospect of either confessing to something he didn’t do, or dying, he tells judge Danforth that he cannot have his confession and name nailed to the church door because it would betray his friends who have already died for the truth. When Danforth refutes this, John says, “Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence!” (143). Proctor seizes the power back from those who are misusing it, simply by refusing to be a part of the false confessions. The unyielding faith of Proctor’s wife, the influence of the people who share his beliefs and his triumph over an inner struggle help him make a decision that he believes will finally set him free from his past.

Miller introduces a complex character. John Proctor, in the directors notes, comes across as a well respected person to the puritan community of Salem Massachusetts. Although would he be if they knew he was harbouring a secret? He is a guilt ridden character who has defied the laws of 17th century Salem.

Proctor holds no high rank or status in Salem Village, also he is no different than most of the other men in his community. John proctors normalcy as the” common man” allows the readers of the crucible to relate themselves to him in ways that would not be possible if he held much more importance in the play. In final analysis, Miller uses his conventions of the common man and the tragic night to show how a common man like John Proctor, through self-recognition, has finally “[realized] himself” (Tragedy and the Common Man).

Both my partner and I had two vastly, differing opinions on Millers political motivations. However with lengthy discussion and productive debating we ended up with the conclusion that ‘political motivation in The Crucible may be ambiguous, but control and reason is the ultimate goal’. It was exciting to discuss our ideas of changing political perspectives throughout the play and how positions of power and authority were critiqued in accordance to Millers context of 1950’S America. By working on the speech I was able to reflect deeper on how Miller challenged the social models of his time, and how he shed light on the moral corruptness that government officials/HUAC leaders like Senator Joseph McCarthy were committing under the appearance of their supposedly ‘beneficial’