Regarding Salem

There are many great historical fiction novels in print today. All Quiet On The Western Front, The Boleyn Inheritance, Baudolino, The Crucible. All of these novels take place in great historical times: World War I, the Elizabethan Era, the 12th century, the period of the Salem Witch Trials. Perhaps the most interesting time period and tale remains the aforementioned Witch Trials. The hysteria, the accusations, the cold and heartless trials, the death sentences-all of these elements work together to snatch even the casual reader’s fascination right out of the air. After reading Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the historical accuracy of the text can be slightly questionable. Following extensive research, one can conclude that The Crucible was generally accurate, but had its flaws; and not only was the novel acceptably accurate, it also portrayed the madness surrounding the Witch Trials incredibly well.

One difference in the historical events as opposed to the events in The Crucible can be found in several wrong facts about “Ruth”, or Ann Putnam. In actuality, Ruth’s name was Ann Putnam Jr. (Biography of Ann Putnam Jr.). Because The Crucible is in play form, it is most likely that Ann’s name was changed for the sake of the audience. Had there been two women named Ann on stage at once, a possibility for confusion would have been present. Another inaccuracy can be found in the number of siblings Ann Jr. had. The Crucible stated that seven infants died; in fact, Ann Jr. had nine siblings ranging from “7 months to 18 years” old (Biography of Ann Putnam Jr.). Miller might have changed this fact in order to allow the girls to say that they were dancing naked to find out who killed the infants in the novel. Another reason he might have chan...

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...r, she actually fell afflicted before Ann Jr. Because Abigail confesses to the girls dancing in the novel, it is likely that Miller switched the order to ensure that she served this purpose. It’s a minor change, yet it allowed Miller to successfully allow the audience confirmation that the dance did in fact happen and at the same time set the basis for suspicion and accusations to be flung around in the play. Without the knowledge that the girls were practicing witch-like rituals, Betty’s sickness might have passed as a disease. Because the afflicted were associated with witchcraft, and witchcraft bore the stigma of evil in those times, it made the entire town nervous. Accusations were flung around more often than not, maybe because the accuser would receive the land of the dead “witch”, maybe because they were legitimately fearful, or maybe just because it was in!