The successful and what could have been successful societies in both Lord of the Flies and The Crucible eventually decayed and fell apart. There were struggles with good and evil in Salem and on the island that were the result of three main elements. Fear, misuse of power and fanatical religious beliefs were the cause of the two societies failure. In Salem, anything unusual or different from the norm was seen as alien and sinful. When Parris saw the girls dancing in the woods, he became afraid the other townspeople would blame him for letting the sacrilegious acts take place. Since he was the reverend, he was supposed to make sure everyone in town was following their religious paths. To avoid punishment, he blamed Tituba and her culture’s use of Voodoo. This was the start of the many false accusations people would make for fear of punishment from the community and from God. In the beginning of the second act 19 people were in jail, charged with witchcraft. Dozens more people were charged later and filled the jails. Townspeople were becoming afraid of neighbors with grudges against them because they would say they had used black magic or were under the control of the devil. In Lord of the Flies, a monster know as “the beast” was thought by most of the boys to live on the island. The beast was a combination of the pig, the paratrooper that fell from the sky and the boy’s fear of the dark. The beast scared all of the boys except Piggy and Roger because they were more matur...
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Comparison Between The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Vinegar Tom by C. Churchill We are currently performing a piece of drama called 'The Crucible' and have studied a play called 'Vinegar Tom'. ' The Crucible' was written by Arthur Miller in 1953 and was set in Salem, Massachusetts USA in 1692. ' Vinegar Tom' was written in the 1970's and was set in the 17th century. Although 'Vinegar Tom' was written about the 17th century, the ideas parallel those of the issues of the 1970's. The issue was feminism.
1. Both Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, and James McTeigue, the director of V for Vendetta, both convey the idea that 'governments should be afraid of their people'. Both texts express how the governments could control their people; however that control can lead to anarchy. Miller explains how the people ‘were not quite the dedicated folk that arrived on the Mayflower, [as] a vast differentiation had taken place, and in their own time a revolution unseated the royal government… at this moment of power'. Expressing how the people were controlling the government and how they were consumed by the power that they held. McTeigue expresses how the government would initially manipulate the people with how they controlled them, by treating them as lower class and enforcing laws. However, V’s rebellion, starting with blowing up the Old Bailey, caused the government to slowly begin losing control over its people as V conveyed his message and the power slowly shifted as the people
“The Crucible” and “Young Goodman Brown”, are both examples of societies that are trying to create perfection and become a “city on a hill”. Both of these cities are both created in a way, where everyone and everything has to be perfect. Both of these cities set an example for other cities around them in such a way, that it shows their achievements and success that they have created in a perfect city. In both, “The Crucible” and Young Goodman Brown”, the main characters true goal in life, is to have a perfect world. The stories “The Crucible” and “Young Goodman Brown”, are prime example of how being “a city on a hill” is impossible because of people lying and people sinning against their religion.
Power and control are the central ideas of Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. There are examples of physical, authoritative and mechanical power in the novel, as well as cases of self-control, and control over others. Nurse Ratched is the ultimate example of authoritative power and control over others but R.P. McMurphy refuses to acknowledge the Nurse’s power, and encourages others to challenge the status quo. The other patients begin powerless, but with McMurphy’s help, learn to control their own lives. Many symbols are also used to represent power and control in the book, such as the ‘Combine’, ‘fog’, and the imagery of machines.
The Crucible is a play that was written in 1952 by Arthur Miller. This play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, where witch trials were held in 1692. Miller is able to combine nonfiction and fiction in order to make this story dramatic and entertaining. A few decades after The Crucible play was published, a movie version was released. There are various differences between the book and the movie version. The movie added various scenes, elaborated on others, as well as omitted some scenes. The movie expressed Arthur Miller’s book in a very dramatic and exaggerated way. It made the reader have a better understanding of some points in the book and emphasized ideas more clearly, such as jealousy and hysteria.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” People tend to behave and deal with life differently according to the situation that they are in. In most cases when a person is in a very blissful and comfortable point of his or her life, they tend to act pleasant towards themselves and other people. This is why it is not fair-minded to judge people when they are in a contented part of their lives. It is during times of trial and suffering where the true soul of a person is revealed and judgment can be made. Readers can see the actions that are made by characters through times of hardship that reveal what they truly are in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Crucible by Arthur Millar.
be hung. The townspeople were also afraid, especially of those who were different. They felt that they must be rid of anyone who disagreed with their beliefs. Just look at how the Puritans treated the Indians. They feared the Native Americans because their beliefs were different than their own. Also, the main reason that people were accused in the first place, is because when Tituba was being questioned, they were asking if she saw Sara Good and Sara Osborne with the Devil. Of course she said yes, they were threatening to kill her. Another example of fear in the village, is the fear of accepting your own actions and taking responsibility. The Puritans believed in predestination, and if the girls were dancing just to dance, and not because the Devil took them from their path to God, the townspeople would then have to take the responsibility for that, as it would be thier fault for letting these girls go astray. They were also afraid of change. Change in their beliefs would shut down the entire town, because it was built mainly on their ideology.
What does the word crucible mean? The word crucible means a severe test or trial. Throughout the novel, The Crucible, many of the characters go through their own crucible. These trials have a major or minor impact on the characters life throughout the novel. These trials all come together creating the story based on the calamity in America around 1952, which inspired Arthur Miller to write this well known novel. In the novel, there are many different examples from various characters about life lessons and choices. Although the book and play are very similar they do share many differences.
In 1692, the occurrence of “witchcraft” began after the Massachusetts Bay Charter revolution and the outbreak of small pox. The rebellion caused hysteria and a sad injustice. Friends were pinned against friends; upstanding citizens were forced to flee for their lives and men and women were put to death (Jurist Legal News and Research Services 2008).The fear of the devil influenced the cruelty that took place. Most of the settlers that established their homes in the colony were puritans, a member of a group of English Protestants who revolted against the Church of England. The belief that God punished sinful behavior with misfortune did not help circumstances. The puritans targeted outcasts, people who never really fit it in; they wanted to rid the towns of these suspected sinners.
In the early years of America, people were mostly unaware of certain things. Sickness, for instance, was an important issue for people didn't know how to manage or cure such complex illnesses. The Puritans, during the colonial times, didn't have much information about certain things. They came to believe that certain unexplainable events were done by a powerful source of evil thus brought about superstitions. The infamous Witch Trials done at Salem, Massachusetts, which spread across the continent, was an example of people's injustice acts in response to superstitions. One of the major cause of the Salem Witchcraft trials was superstition, an "irrational belief or practice resulting from ignorance or fear of the unknown" (www.encyclopedia.com). A lack of scientific knowledge led many people to be convinced that, witches were responsible to the death of an animal or a livestock: John Rogger "testified that upon the threatening words " of Martha Carrier " his cattle would be strangely bewitched."(Mather, p55) John Roger believed on superstitions; thus he proposed that Martha was a witch who was killing his cows. It is easy to see how the people of Salem were so vulnerable to the notion of witches taking over their town. Furthermore Tituba, Reverend Parris's slave, practiced ritual dance and "black magic" in her early years in Africa. She influenced most of the girls in town through her stories. The girls believed on superstitions which overall started the Salem Witch Trials and made it possible for the witch trials to occur for a long duration.
Author Arthur Miller, of The Crucible an excellent job of showing the cruelty of the witch trials. The movie based upon The Crucible, is almost an exact replica of the book. When showing many similarities, it also had some vast differences. These differences don't have much of an effect on the actually story. They are added for dramatic effect and to entice the viewer. Although there are many similarities there are some vast differences.
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller as well as Gattaca by Andrew Niccol use the protagonist of their texts to show disapproval of the societies that they have created. While both authors vary the presentation of their societies, they both explore the damaging qualities of the societies through their central protagonist. Gattaca, set in the not too distant future explores the effects of compulsory genetic modification on society while, contrastingly, conformity and the rules of the church are explored throughout The Crucible.
Being isolated from any other group of people with different beliefs created a church led Puritan society that was not able to accept a lot of change. The church was against the devil, at the same time it was against such things as dancing and other premature acts. The reputation of the family was very important to the members of the community. When the girls were caught dancing in the woods, they lied to protect not just themselves but the reputation of their families. They claimed that the devil took them over and influenced them to dance. The girls also said that they saw members of the town standing with the devil. A community living in a puritan society like Salem could easily go into a chaotic state and have a difficult time dealing with what they consider to be the largest form of evil.
Imagine a world where everyone only took what they needed, and nothing more. That world may never be, as long as greed exists the world will never be satisfied. Through “The Crucible” and “Dr. Faustus” the authors are able to tell stories of greed taking over the lives of Abigail Williams and Faustus. Through the stories of these two, a similar connection can be drawn between their actions and the consequences. Their experiences prove that greed can get the best of people, and is always destructive.