The Crucible and Ann Hutchinson The American weakness in times of trouble is the instinctive act of finding a scapegoat. Stemming from the Calvinistic religious beliefs of the Puritans who immigrated to America, anything that strays from the predestined lives of these puritanical people is the result of sin. The ideas of "original sin" and "predestination" are at the heart of Calvinism. Thus, the Calvinist Puritans have their lives planned out for them by God before birth and anything that disrupts that plan must be eradicated. It was on the basis of this stringent religious way of life that the witch-hunts on 1692 came about. The accusation of people, beginning in Salem, Massachusetts and quickly spreading throughout the Puritan community began because the Puritans needed a scapegoat for their problems. The Puritans accused people of being a witch for actions that were hardly considered illegal and usually had to do with a threat posed to the church. Webster's Dictionary defines a "witch" as 1. A woman practicing the black arts; 2. A charming or alluring woman; 3. An ugly old woman; 4. One supposed to possess supernatural powers with the devil or a familiar. The last definition being the only applicable definition here is hardly pertinent. The phenomenon of the witch-hunts in Puritan New England rose out of flawed theory, sexism, and fear as seen in John Winthrop's account of the trial of Anne Hutchinson, the actual transcript of the trial of Anne Hutchinson, and Arthur Miller's The Crucible. The argument over "Covenant of Works vs. Covenant of Grace" is, in the Puritan community, of greater importance than the argument over the separation of church and state. The idea behind the two covenants is that in the covenant of works, one can do good deeds and, thereby, get him or herself saved in the eyes of God. The covenant of grace is the belief that people are predestined to be saved or damned and there is nothing that can be done by those damned individuals to change that. The Puritans believe the latter, though some members of the community believe the former. The idea that people were chosen by God, predestined, to join God in heaven was the foundation of the Puritan religion and furthermore, the Puritans believed that God made it obvious which of these people were preordained to live eternally in heaven. Thus, these chosen people, somehow marked by God for "saving" were the constituents of the Puritan community. Anne Hutchinson radicalized that theory when she stated that she had a divine revelation during which God told her she was saved. Her claims of self- sanctification outraged John Winthrop and led him to the belief that she was a witch. This idea of a flawed theory, the disparaging ideas of sanctification vs. justification, preached by the Puritans and refuted by Anne Hutchinson is exemplified in John Winthrop's account of the witch trial of Hutchinson. In the Winthrop account of the trial, it explains Hutchinson's theory as "1. The person of a Holy Ghost dwells in a justified person. 2. That no sanctification can help to evidence to us our justification" (50) Winthrop's document refers to Hutchinson's idea of religion, antinomianism, as, in effect, steps on the road to abandonment and something that would lead to ethical anarchy. It becomes clear in his final paragraph that it was indeed his flawed theory that was one cause of the witch-hunts when he says, "Indeed it was a happy day to the churches of Christ here, and to many poor souls who had been seduced by her who, by what they heard and saw that day, were brought off quite from her errors and settled again in the truth." According to Winthrop, Hutchinson was led astray by her flawed theory, when in fact, it was his own flawed theory that gave rise to the witch-hunts, and caused deaths of innocent people. A large part of the accusation of witches in Puritan, New England was the idea that women were more likely to be witches than men were. In the example of Anne Hutchinson, she was only accused of, and tried for, holding "illegal" meetings at her home after church to discuss the sermons. It was because of this idea that more women than men were brought to trial, found guilty, and killed. Women, once accused of witchcraft, were almost certain to burn at the stakes because once accused publicly, a woman entered into a "modern" day lose-lose situation. If she sits idly at her trial and makes no attempt to refute the evidence presented against her, she is presumed guilty because she cannot prove herself innocent. However, if she defends herself, she is considered to be possessed by the devil for acting out of her sex. This was the case in the infamous trial of Anne Hutchinson. It is clear from the transcript that Winthrop was accusing Hutchinson of minor wrongdoings and had already set his mind on destroying her. Gov.: You have maintained a meeting and an assembly in your house that hath been condemned by the general assembly as a thing not tolerable nor comely in the sight of God nor fitting for your sex, and not withstanding that was cried down you have continued the same. (156) Further down in his opening speech to the court, the governor states, "if you be in erroneous way we may reduce you that so you may become a profitable member here among us, otherwise if you be obstinate...the court may take such course that you may trouble us no further" (156). The governor plainly states yet another cause for the rise of the Puritan witch hunts in New England, sexism. It was not fitting for women to hold meetings independent of men. In the actual transcript, Hutchinson takes it upon herself to defend her case in court. For example, in a dialogue between Hutchinson and Mr. Winthrop, her responses reveal her "true sex", Mrs. H: I am called here to answer before you but I hear no things laid in my charge Gov.: I have told you some already and more I can tell you. Mrs. H: Name one sir. (156) The nature with which Hutchinson responds to the Governor displays disdain and portrays Hutchinson as "non-woman." No woman who knows her place would dare to defend herself in such a manner, responding with quips that match, if not surpass, the intelligence of the governor. It was her superior intelligence that first flagged her as a potential source of sin in the community. She spoke her mind regarding the sermon of the day at the meetings she held at her home and proved herself to be smarter than the ministers delivering the sermons when she provided a much deeper insight or another way of looking at something. It was this threat that scared the church and provoked the rise of witch-hunting in the community. Moreover, in the immediate reading of the text of Hutchinson's trial, it is clear that Winthrop is threatened and caught unprepared by her remarks. These characteristics, exhibiting manly qualities, led many of the Puritan witch hunters to assume women were witches. It was the threat posed to them by these innocent people that gave rise to the witch-hunts and the murders that occurred. Yet another cause of the terror reigned in Puritan New England in the form of witch-hunts was fear. The cold-blooded fear of something different, something that went against the grain of society proved too much for Puritan society in 1692 and, perhaps, American society again in 1950. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a crude stab is taken at the fear felt by all Puritans at the time of the witch-hunts. The Crucible is in response to a "red scare" started by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. Due to a deep seeded fear of communists, McCarthy accused political officials of being communists, when communists were a threat to the United States. These accusations struck Miller to be very similar to the crying out done by accused witches in Salem 1692. Thus, it is proved in Miller's captivating account of the witch trials in Salem, that fear was at the heart of all of the accusations. The Crucible chronicles the accusations and trials of accused witches in Salem, Massachusetts. John Proctor, humble, honest, and kind is the type of man every little boy wants to be. He witnesses several of the young ladies of the town practicing dark magic in the forest. Though he resists accusing them, he cannot wake his daughter, who had been among them that night. Thus, out of human fear that embedded itself in his heart, out of worry for his daughter, and out of a desire to keep his home the way he knew it to be, he gave birth to one of the most infamous trials in America's history. Thus, it is fear of the opposite sex, fear of a greater knowledge, fear of change that drives the witch-hunters and the judges who try them. Miller proves that this fear does not leave the hearts of Americans because the same sequence of events occurs 258 years later. The rise of the witch-hunts can be attributed to any number of things, but fear is at the heart of it all. When examined from the point of view of a human living in the 21st century, with political, religious, and natural freedom, the Salem witch trials seem ridiculous. Though there was an element of lunacy behind the witch-hunts, the motivation for the manhunts was well founded. When placed in a comfortable society, why would you seek something to destroy it? The people of Puritan New England had no reason to destroy their society. There was religious comfort in a country that allowed them to live as they pleased. The imposition of fear, created chaos of their world and gave birth to what some consider a reign of terror. Paranoia, accusations, trials, and killings engulfed the simple society of Puritan New England and caused a reaction that will forever be attributed to fear.
Henry Clay entered the House of Representatives as a popular and aggressive man. March 4, 1811, Clay began his first term as Speaker of House with goals that inspired other congressmen. On the first day of his first term in the House of Representatives, Clay was elected Speaker which had never been done before, and has not happened since. Clay was young, intelligent and had a wit that drew people to him. He was nicknamed the “Western Star,” because many people felt he was destined for a bright future. These personality traits made Clay popular as Speaker and in turn he was able to accomplish many feats throughout his terms.
It seems most probable that Anne Hutchinson was tried for Arminianism and holding meetings that supported Arminianism in her home. Arminianism was the belief that people could achieve salvation by doing good with their life. Puritans believed strongly in Calvinist ideas, which meant that only God and his grace saved the people. They believed that salvation was for the predetermined not for everyone like the Arminians believed. Puritan leaders had allowed arguments about bible passages or how Christians should live but to disrupt their idea of a “perfect city”
Puritans believed in the devil and his role as strong as they believed in God and his role. For many centuries, Puritans had the idea that the weakest individuals in society often committed diabolical acts and sins. Furthermore, Satan selected the most vulnerable individuals to do his bidding, among these individuals, women were often held responsible for many sins, including witchcraft. (Godbeer 12). According to Richard Godbeer, in his book, The Salem Witch Hunt, “it was Eve who first gave away to Satan and seduced Adam.” (Godbeer 12). In 1692, witchcraft became a panic among Puritan society. Even though both men and women were accused of witchcraft, women were seventy-six percent more likely to be accused in Salem than men. (Godbeer 12). Puritan society was a male dominate society and men looked down upon women. There were two particular reasons to why women were often accused of being witches. The first reason, was in due to the Puritan belief that women were the source of evil. The second reason was because of certain events that associated with accusations. These events were being of relatively low social status and income, being rich or financially independent and being a midwife or nurse.
The movement that began during the counterculture era in the 1960s, also known as the youth movement, rebelled against the conformity of American life. The main goal the hippie movement was trying to accomplish was being able change views and ideas politically, socially, and culturally. However, they mainly aimed at changing cultural points and everyday values. The movement started after the assassination of President Kennedy, led into protesting against the Vietnam War, civil rights movement, usage of psychoactive drugs, sexual liberation, a new taste in music, such as the rock genre from bands like The Beatles, and more.
After president Lyndon B. Johnson ordered a counter attack on North Vietnam (the first offensive attack), United States citizens questioned if we were really fighting this war to liberate South Vietnam. The anti-war movement started by the youth on college campuses. Students for a Democratic Society hosted “teach-ins” to show their disapproval for the war. Many supporters of the anti-war movement were apart of a counter culture known as “hippies”. Hippies were apart of the drug culture and believed in world peace. They were a popular culture that spread their anti-war protests through out the Untied
This is a portion of a quote from the Recantation of Margaret Jacobs, (Hutchinson 30-31) who was accused of witchcraft during the infamous Salem Witch Hunt of 1692 that took place in and around Salem, Massachusetts. Nearly seventeen years old at the time, Margaret Jacobs confessed she had participated in the practice of witchcraft along with former Puritan minister, George Burroughs, and her own grandfather, George Jacobs, Sr. Both men had already been accused of practicing
The male Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony did not like women to think that they were above them, such evidence is the trial of Anne Hutchinson at Massachusetts Bay in 1637. The document is a transcripts of Anne’s trial. Anne Hutchinson was a rebel during her time and she was fond of the concept of Antinomianism, if your not as fond with this concept,let’s break it down “Antinomiansim” is a greek word it is formed from the words “anti” and “nomos”, “anti” means against and “nomos” means law when combined they form antinomianism which means in its simplest form, against the law or against laws. The transcript was most likely at first kept just for records but eventually it was kept not only to preserve history but to capture the human spirit.
Monkeys and humans have been compared for years, “we have all heard the expression monkey see, monkey do. But should the saying really go monkey hear, monkey do?” (Sakrison) Recent studies are finding that the language abilities of some monkeys are more sophisticated than we ever thought possible (Sakrison). Monkeys often always live together in social groups. And each member contribute by helping to defend their food sources, watch for predators, and even raise each other’s young. Is it impossible to live in a social group without some form of communication Group members need ways to influence and inform each other? This is what drives language. (Sakrison)
All participants in the witch-hunt were influenced by the society that existed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Salem operated as a theocracy, a government ruled by and subject to religious authority. In a theocracy, people's sins are not forgiven, so that when they commit an indiscretion, they are left feeling guilty. "The witch-hunt was....a long overdue opportunity for everyone so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims." (p. 7) Characters such as Abigail Williams and Mrs. Putnam used the witch-hunts in the way cited above, as a method of confessing their sins without being accountable for them. Others used the chaos created by it for their own benefit. Thomas Putnam made his daughter Ruth accuse both George Jacobs and Rebecca Nurse so he could buy the resulting unclaimed land after they were hung. Any character that accused, confessed, or in any way joined the witch-hunt failed his or her test.
At the eve of America’s creation, many colonists came to the New World seeking escape from religious persecution in England. But often, these colonists were not seeking freedom for all religions, just for their own, and were often punishing those who did not worship to their specifications. The Puritans of the New England were no exception, with the exile of Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams, and the tragedy that was the Salem Witch Trials. The governments of the New England colonies believed that those who strayed from their specific, strict standards were a civic threat and should be punished harshly
When America was still known as colonies, religion supplied an important structure. Any deviations from this new way of Christianity met with strict disapproval and often banishment. Anne Hutchinson, a respected member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was accused of breaking the law, even though her crimes were, “a matter of conscience (Winthrop 24).” Matters of religion, and the law were often the same thing. “Her religious views challenged the rigid orthodox hierarchy who brought her to trial, leading to her banishment (Brechner par. 1).” Brechner argues that Mrs. Hutchinson was persecuted overzealously because her life was a threat to the church’s strict doctrine. Life in Early America was almost controlled by the strictness of the Puritan ideals. Through the banishment of Anne Hutchinson and many other social outcasts, America developed a need for religious freedom. When Anne Hutchinson was banished, she asked, “I desire to know wherefore I am banished.” She did not understand her banishment, furthermore, she did not understand where to go.
Great events, whether they are beneficial or tragic ones, bring change in a person. These scenarios can give one an entirely new perspective on life, and turn around his way of thinking. Events such as the Salem Witch Trials show the people involved what they could not see before. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale, and John Proctor gain valuable insight into themselves, as well as others.
Humans and great apes communicate very much alike, they both show a great deal of emotions, and their behaviours are very much identical, in which they all lead to the evolution of great apes to humans. To start off, even though you have never heard a great ape talk, studies have shown human and great apes communication are very much alike. Apes and humans communicates through facial expressions, touch, vocalizations, and body language. (Haskings & Collishaw, 47) As previously stated, Sue Savage- Rumbaugh has studied a bonobo’s communication. Throughout her studies, she has taught Kanzi how to communicate using graphic symbols. Kanzi was then able to say simple sentences, respond to requests, and have conversations with her human caretakers. (Haskings & Collishaw, 48) Although the learning capacity for language of great apes are more limited than humans, studies have shown that great apes have the capacity to learn many things previously considered to be only human. (Haskings & Collishaw, 48) To add on, great apes are able to employ sounds and gestures in a way that mirrors a human conversation. “Communicative interactions of great apes thus show the hallmarks of human social action during conversation and suggest that cooperative communication arose as a way of coordinating collaborative activities more efficiently,” stated by lead researcher Simone Pika. (Hays, 3)
The term hippie is derived from "hip" or "hipster" used by the beats to describe someone who was part of their scene. It literally means to know, so someone who's "hip" is wise. Hippies never adopted this term for themselves. They preferred to be called the "beautiful people". However the media played up "hippy" as the catch-all phrase to describe the masses of young people growing their hair long, listening to rock music, doing drugs, practising free love, going to various gatherings and concerts, demonstrating and rejecting the popular culture of the early 60's. Hippies were the adults of the baby boom post-World War II. They wanted to test and enjoy the limits of life adopting a motto of - “Being alive should be Ecstasy”.
Creatures on earth use various ways to communicate. Animals frequently using sound as a signal consist with messages they want to send. Although the human language uses lots of arbitrary symbols, and human language is passed from generation to generation, there are several successful cases of training other animals to use human language. Whether or not animals are able to use human language is a controversial topic. In my opinion, an ape does use language, this essay will discuss five human language features(dual articulation, semanticity, productivity, learnability and feedback)and, find out how design features appear in several chimpanzee experiments, especially Allen and Beatrice 's experiment of teaching sign language to chimpanzee.