Within the small and somber courtroom, wandering eyes search for their victims; fingers of vengeance fly at the innocent with sufficient speed to free themselves of the accusations. Hear the anguishing voices of the dead, feel the fury of the falsely accused, see the pain of the convicted, smell the scent of a paradox authority, and taste the bitterness of societal repression. John Proctor devotes himself to saving his wife and bringing justice to the backward court that rises in his society. The authority makes efforts to repress his outspokenness with questions meant to steer him towards admitting to immoral deeds. Pressure builds on him as he becomes accused and forces him to live a life-threatening test. Similarly, Libby is given the challenge to succeed in the white dominating society while not betraying her own culture. Feeling repressed by teachers and students because of her color, she is torn between the decision to adopt the white world and fit in, or struggle to maintain her identity but at the same time, succeeding. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Black Ice by Lorene Cary, societal repression unfolds to be a troubling situation for them, however with their promising traits, they carry on towards their goal without hesitation.
To start off, a comparison between the two protagonists would be their determination and ambition. After Proctor's wife is arrested, he confidently states that "my wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me" (Miller 76). To reach his goal, Proctor vows to surpass any obstacle thrown his way until he is able to prove his wife's innocence. This vigorous determination gives him the encouragement to carry on towards his goal to bring justice to the court, and prove that they, the innocent but accused, has indeed been truthful to God. Meanwhile for Libby, her ambition works her toward higher standards and goals, refusing to be stereotyped because of her color. Feeling unsatisfied with her warning grades, she announces "I wanted skills it took years to learn, experiences I would never have" (Cary 125). Libby feels that she hasn't been getting the most out of this opportunity at St.Paul's. Being good was not enough, she had to be great. While Proctor uses his determination to directly reach for his goal, Libby uses her ambition indirectly. By succeeding in school, she brings a higher perspective to her race, therefore staying true to her culture.
The second comparison would be how they are both strong-valued, continuing to support their beliefs no matter what someone else says or does. Because of Proctor's affair with Abby, he feels that he has lost his honor, and that he must gain it back with this second chance he receives in the court:
"HALE: Man, you will hang! You cannot!
PROCTOR: I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor" (Miller 133).
Proctor rips apart his "confession" in a surge of fury because he refuses to betray his friends. By succumbing to the court, he will also be betraying himself, and his honor once again. So he decides this time that he will not lie to God and give in to what he believe is wrong, but would rather hold onto his values and die an honorable man. As for Libby, her value is to hold on to her heritage and not 'sell out'. "Indeed my black and their white heritage was not a starting point for our relationship, but rather was the outer boundary. I could not cross it, because there sprang up a hard wall of denial impervious to my inexperienced and insecure assault." (Cary 83). Feelings of denial towards adopting the white world, forms the base of that hard wall she has built. She fears that if she knocks down this wall, the white world will come in like a tide and engulf her. Maybe this tide will bring the white customs that she needs to adopt to fit in, or on the contrary, assault and rejection even with her new adopted customs. Whichever way the tide comes in, the result will be the same, having betrayed her heritage. Therefore, she upholds that wall and will not abandon what she values, her black heritage. Instead, she clings on to her heritage and reaches towards that goal to skate on black ice.
Finally, a contrast between the two protagonists would be Proctor's ability of independent thinking and Libby's fickleness. Ricky easily influenced her to change her mind to sleep in his bed. Because of this weakness, she is easily influenced into changing her decision. However, this experience also makes Libby stronger and brings a period of maturity. "I vowed when I dropped the letter into the box that I'd never let myself get trapped again. I tried to congratulate myself on my new maturity and assertion." (Cary 185). Her newfound maturity gives her the ability to make advantageous decisions while her assertiveness encourages her towards unbounded knowledge, gaining her the respect of the people around her. With this respect, she is asked to serve as part of St.Paul's, finally bringing her the realization that she can succeed in white world without abandoning her culture. So fortunately, this weaker trait of Libby's actually ends up being a significant spark towards her maturity and assertion. In contrast, Proctor is known for his independent thinking, with thoughts unable to be easily penetrated or influenced by pressure. "I mean it solemnly, Rebecca; I like not the smell of this authority." (Miller 29). Despite the fact that there are many others present in the room, who does not share his view, he is not intimidated and continues to be up front with his thoughts. Utilizing this trait in the courtroom of false accusations, he does not become absorbed into the hysteria and start accusing others also. This trait is perseveres him to continue his effort to bring actual justice to court.
At last, the lights go out in the courtroom and it is once again dark and empty, filled with only the presence of those spirits who were brave enough to die rather than succumb to the falseness of the authority. John Proctor is dead, but he is buried with the honor regained from trading in his life. With determination, strong-values and independence, Proctor makes his voice heard and does not succumb to the unjust authority, and because of that, he grasps in his hand the triumph of overcoming societal repression. As for Libby, she finally understands she does not have to be repressed to succeed in the white world, but instead, she can balance both her identities. She will take advantage of the privilege she is offered in the white world while she can easily slip back into her back skin at other times. So Libby overcomes societal repression as well with ambition, strong-values and fickleness, allowing her to at last skate on the black ice she has heard so much about.
