Theme Of Conformity In The Crucible
analytical Essay
1087 words
Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible and Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian science-fiction film Children of Men both represent people and politics through an exploration of the concept of justice and conformity and non-conformity. Both texts represent people and politics in a unique and evocative way through their differing textual forms, contexts and techniques. In The Crucible, the mass hysteria surrounding the witch trials caused paranoia amongst the people of Salem. Miller uses the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 as a symbol and allegory of the fear surrounding the spread of communism during the 1950s in America. The community’s sense of justice was blinded by the mass hysteria and for some, a desire for vengeance and personal gain. The Putnams …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible and alfonso cuarón’s 2006 dystopian science-fiction film children of men represent people and politics in a unique and evocative way through their differing textual forms, contexts and techniques.
- Analyzes how miller uses the salem witch trials as a symbol and allegory of the fear surrounding the spread of communism during the 1950s in america.
- Analyzes how cuarón represents people and politics through an exploration of justice in a dystopian society.
- Analyzes how miller represents people and politics through an exploration of conformity and non-conformity in the crucible.
- Analyzes how cuarón represents people and politics through an exploration of conformity and non-conformity in a dystopian context.
- Concludes that miller's the crucible and cuarón’s children of men represent people and politics in a unique and evocative way.
In the play, Puritanism and their beliefs and values ruled Salem. Puritanism are a close community that follow a strict set of rules; there is little freedom for individuals. Individuals who are independent or do not conform to their values are immediately seen as threats to the community. The character of John Proctor is an example of a non-conformist as he believes in justice. Proctor’s sarcastic remark against Reverend Parris: “I like not the smell of this ‘authority,’” highlights his disagreement with Parris’s power and values. The sensory imagery emphasises Proctor’s non-conformist attitude and shows his deviance towards Parris, who is considered the highest power in society as he is the man closest to God. Proctor’s blasphemous exclaim: “I say God is dead!,” is a subversion of the Puritan society and theocratic values. The high modality emphasises his rebellion against Puritanism and emphasises his nonconforming nature. His refusal to conform to the Puritan values ultimately ends in his demise. The ripping of his confession and death symbolises his refusal to conform and his integrity; he does not want to be used to justify the witch hunt and the injustices the court has done. He does not want the other people to be seen as guilty for their crimes, when they weren’t; he does not want to be seen by others as a symbol of falseness …show more content…
The Fishes, led by Julian, is a non-conformist revolutionary group who are “at war with the British government until they recognise equal rights for all immigrants in Britain.” The high modality of “at war” emphasises their non-conformist nature and difference in values; the Fishes fight for refugees’ justice and subvert the fascist values of the British government. Rebellion amongst other members of the population can also be seen in a scene with Theo on the train. Cuarón uses a long continuous shot is used as the audience follows him on his journey, which creates a documentary feel and makes the film more realistic. The scene begins with an anti-immigration propaganda played on the train and the camera slowly pans over Theo and to the windows where the rebels could be seen throwing rocks onto the train. The slow pan from the anti-immigration propaganda to the rebels emphasise the dissension in the society; the rebels disagree with the British government’s values and policies. Cuarón represents people and politics in a unique and evocative way through an exploration of conformity and non-conformity in a dystopian
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- Rebellion In The Crucible Essayanalytical essayIn the Crucible, we are introduced to the main protagonist John Proctor; the way that Arthur Miller presents him by rebelling against the authority in Salem. Out of the entire town he is the only person that speaks out, realising that the authority is unfair and unjust; he is not like everyone else in the town who keeps quiet to themselves. There are many situations where we the readers can see very clear examples of him rebelling against the authority that controlled Salem. One example of Proctor rebelling against authority in Salem was when he did not go to church on a Sabbath day and instead decided to pray in his own home ‘Mr Proctor, your house is not a church; your theology must tell you that’. That is one clear example of him rebelling
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller presents john proctor in the crucible by rebelling against ity in salem.
- Analyzes how john proctor's refusal to go to church is a clear sign of rebellion against ity. he believes in god and prays to him directly without needing gold candlesticks.
- Analyzes how john proctor rebels against reverend parris and the church by not baptising his third child because he is selfish and prideful.
- Analyzes how arthur miller uses reverend hale to help john proctor with the enforcing of rebellion and realising that the society and authority is broken in salem.
- Concludes that arthur miller uses john proctor to show readers that anyone in a town, village or society can rebel against ity, no matter their social standing or position in the hierarchal system.
1007 wordsRead More - Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's masterpiece, the crucible, is inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues.
- Analyzes how miller is concerned with conscience and guilt in the crucible. the salem witch trials raise a question of the administration of justice.
- Analyzes how the witchcraft scare in arthur miller's the crucible led to the upheaval in people’s differentiation between right and wrong, fogging their sense of true justice.
- Analyzes how danforth's character is based on mccarthy himself. both created a frenzy among the public, involved people going against each other to prove their innocence, and sought to hunt out those who rebelled against the dominant values.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's involvement in the mccarthy witch hunt is significant in his writing of the crucible. he appeared before the house committee on un-american activities in 1956, accused of being a communist.
- Analyzes how miller uses the unfamiliar setting of the salem witch hunt to comment on his own time. miller recognizes this as a major concern of society.
- Analyzes how arthur miller creates parallels between controversies that occurred in very different times, but the universal significance of the crucible makes it successful. miller's concern with the shedding of guilt, the loss of morality, and lack of genuine justice are themes that are applicable and crucial to him.
740 wordsRead More - Theme Of Oppression In The Crucibleanalytical essayOppression; an extended treatment of cruelty or injustice towards an individual or a group of people. If looked for, it can be found in every society expressed in a number of different ways. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, puts it in a way that is easy to understand. "It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions." This is evident in his play, The Crucible, demonstrating that within a society, oppression will always be present due to personal motives, disputes and misuses of power, as well as distorted religious beliefs.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that oppression can be found in every society expressed in a number of different ways. arthur miller's play, the crucible, demonstrates that within society, it will always be present due to personal motives, disputes, misuses of power, and distorted religious beliefs.
- Analyzes how personal motive is visible in two specific situations as a cause of oppression, involving abigail and the putnams.
- Explains that thomas putnam's man for the salem ministry was bayley. the nurse clan had been in the faction that prevented her taking office. edward and jonathan putnam signed the first complaint against rebecca.
- Explains how the putnam family oppressed rebecca nurse when she was rejected as minister of salem and when there was conflict between the two families over land.
- Analyzes how parris, as the minister of salem, asserts that the church will burn like hell if they don't obey him. danforth orders the arrest of the 91 residents who vouch for elizabeth proctor.
- Analyzes how parris, a strong influence in the oppression that salem is facing, is also guilty of this act.
- Analyzes how arthur miller expresses the concept of oppression being present in every society through the characters of the crucible. personal motives, disputes, misuses of power, and distorted religious beliefs are the roots of the maltreatment in salem.
1020 wordsRead More - Arthur Miller's The Crucibleanalytical essayThe Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. Initially, it was known as The Chronicles of Sarah Good. The Crucible was set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. It talks of McCarthyism that happened in the late 1600’s whereby the general public and people like Arthur Miller were tried and persecuted. The Crucible exemplifies persecutions during the Salem Witch Trials. The people were convicted and hung without any tangible proof of committing any crime. Persecutions were the order of the day. When a finger was pointed at any individual as a witch, the Deputy Governor Danforth never looked for evidence against them or evidence that incriminated them; he ordered them to be hanged. This can be seen through his words “Hang them high over the town! Who weeps for those, weeps for corruption!” (1273), the people were persecuted aimlessly. The four main characters in the play, John Proctor, Abigail Adams, Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris, are caught in the middle of the witchcraft panic in the religious Salem, Massachusetts in late 1690’s. Persecution is the most important theme in the Crucible, the leaders and citizens of Salem attacks and persecutes one of their own without any tangible evidence against them.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that persecution has been a round for sometime and can be traced historically from the time of jesus to the present time.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible exemplifies mccarthyism in salem, massachusetts, where people were convicted and hung without any tangible proof of committing any crime.
- Analyzes how in the crucible, friends and enemies are persecuted for practicing witchcraft. abigail accuses mary warren of bewitching her.
- Analyzes how the accused were unfairly tried and convicted on limited evidence or even word of mouth from the girls. the girls in the crucible pointed out on people they disliked during the trials and accused them of practicing witchcraft.
- Analyzes how abigail destroyed many people by accusing them of practicing witchcraft just to save herself an example is elizabeth and tituba.
- Opines that persecution is cruel and inhumane and should not be supported. in the crucible, the people were persecuted innocently because their accusers did not provide evidence against them.
- Cites miller, arthur, and davis, john jefferson, in elements of literature: fifth course.
546 wordsRead More - Few people are willing to stand up to the overwhelming power of authority, especially during a time like the Red scare. Hardly any authors are able to recognize meaningful similarities between the present times and an event that happened many years ago—and write about it effectively. Only one has had the courage and intelligence to do both. Arthur Miller was an American author who wrote plays, essays, and stories and has published works dating from to 1936 through 2004. The Crucible, one of his most famous plays, premiered in New York on January 22, 1953 (InfoTrac). It is a historical-fiction story set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The witch hunt described in this play is similar to the Red Scare, an anti-communist movement led by Senator Joseph McCarthy that lasted from the late 1940s to the late 1950s (Broudin). During both time periods, most people respected high authority while a few dissenters challenged conformist views. The public was censored in what they could say because of the fear of being accused of witchcraft or communism. The hysteria of the times triggered a mob-mentality to emerge among the citizens, which influenced nearly everyone to join the terrible movements. Miller presents all of these ideas in The Crucible using his own experiences as influences. He incorporated many of his own traits into the characters’ dispositions. He also described many situations in the play that were similar to the ones he was in, including how he was censored by the Red Scare. Many people will often conform while only a few will challenge authority, will use censorship to prevent others from expressing their views, and are easily affected by hysteria; these characteristics influenced Miller’s life and are reflected by him in Th...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is a historical-fiction story set in salem, massachusetts in 1692. he incorporated many of his own traits into the characters' dispositions.
- Explains that miller's traits are similar to those of john proctor, a major character in the crucible.
- Compares miller, proctor, and giles corey in the crucible. miller was expelled from a script-writing project in new york because he had communist relations.
- Analyzes how proctor confessed to witchcraft to save his own life, but did not name others whom he had seen with the devil.
- Explains that most people living during the mccarthy era or witch hunts respected their superiors, but rebels were willing to challenge the powerful regardless of the consequences.
- Analyzes how miller and the people of salem were limited in what they could say and do because of the situations they were in. miller wrote a screenplay called the hook, which featured communists as the protagonists.
- Analyzes how the people of salem were censored by the witch hunts. only a few characters spoke out against them because the consequences were too great.
- Analyzes how miller and the nonconformists of salem lived in a frenzied environment. the people around them were not willing to listen to their ideas, beliefs, or opinions.
- Explains the similarities between the mccarthy era and the crucible. hysteria was prominent during both times. the mob mentality during the red scare caused the unyielding spread of anticommunists in america.
- Analyzes how jealousy drove both the witch hunts and the red scare. in the crucible, abigail grew jealous of john proctor's wife, elizabeth, and worked up a charm to kill her.
- Explains that spectral evidence was used to accuse and convict suspects in both time periods. in the crucible, projected fear and hidden guilt prevented characters from drawing simple and logical conclusions.
- Compares how the salem and huac courts were similar. both courts encouraged an accused person to name other offenders.
- Analyzes how miller's life paralleled the crucible in many ways. the red scare affected miller in the same way the witch hunts affected the people of salem.
1501 wordsRead More - Free Essays on The Crucible by Arthur Milleranalytical essayArthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, lived during the Red Scare, which was anti-Communist as the Salem witch trials were anti-witches. The whole book is a symbol of two events that happened in history. The Red Scare and McCarthyism both serve as symbols of the Salem witch trials, which makes it an allegory. Although the play is based off of the witch trials during seventeenth century New England, the author meant for it to address his concern for the Red Scare in an indirect way. For example, just like the witch trials accusing people of witchcraft, Americans during the Red Scare accused others of being pro-Communist. The same widespread paranoia occurred as a result.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witch trials were a time in history where mass hysteria resulted in role-reversals in all parts of society.
- Explains that women did not gain suffrage rights until the twentieth century. the witch trials showed that in the middle of hysteria and an inverted society, the unthinkable could happen.
- Explains the meaning of a crucible in the play. it signifies the people of salem that were being pressured by hell, or the devil.
- Analyzes how elizabeth proctor and abigail serve as foils for each other in the crucible.
- Analyzes how arthur miller, of the crucible, lived during the red scare, which was anti-communist as the salem witch trials were antiwitches.
- Analyzes how john proctor experiences a moral dilemma at the end of the book when he must decide whether to lie and live, or tell the truth and die.
600 wordsRead More - Courage, Weakness, And Truth In Arthur Miller's The Crucibleanalytical essayThe statement,“The Crucible is essentially about courage, weakness, and truth,” is proven true numerous times, throughout the play. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, about the true events that happened in Salem, Massachusetts, between the years 1692 and 1693. The Salem witch trials consisted of many hangings, lies, and complete mass hysteria. The citizens of Salem followed the religion of Puritanism, and the ideas of predestination. The root of the mass hysteria comes from their belief in the sense that in something happens then it must have been planned by God. In Miller’s portrayal of the story, Abigail Williams was the ringleader of the witch trials, and she used the idea of predestination to cover up her own sins. Abigail was a very manipulative girl and ruined many lives. John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Elizabeth Proctor were just a few of the victims in Abby’s game. John, Mary, and Elizabeth exhibit the traits courage, weakness, and truth, whether it was in a positive or negative way.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's "the crucible" is about courage, weakness, and truth. the salem witch trials consisted of hangings, lies and mass hysteria.
- Explains that courage is defined as the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
- Analyzes how mary warren is a prime example of weakness in "the crucible." she is the proctor's servant, who replaced abigail williams.
- Analyzes how elizabeth proctor epitomizes the truth in "the crucible." even the most honest people, like elizabeth, resorted to lying because their minds were corrupt.
- Explains that "the crucible" is essentially about courage, weakness, and truth. john, elizabeth proctor, mary warren, all exhibit this throughput the play.
1171 wordsRead More - The Crucible by Arthur Milleranalytical essayThe crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is about the Salem witch trials and how people react to hysteria created from the fear of witches. In the play, after hysteria breaks out, the Salem government starts persecute and hang people it believes are witches. This prompts people to start to accusing people of witchcraft. Some people who accuse others of committing witchcraft are Abigail Williams and Thomas Putnam. They do not accuse people of witchcraft to stop witchcraft, but for personal gain or to hurt others. Thomas Putnam, one of the many characters who takes advantage of the witch trials, is able to use the fear of witches to bend the court to his will. Hysteria causes people to believe claims that are clearly false. This allows Putnam to persecute his enemies. He and many other are able to get away with this because hysteria driven persecutions are not run like regular courts and the fact that witchcraft is an invisible crime allows evidence to be made up. The theme of The Crucible is when any persecution is driven by fear and people can and will manipulate the system so they can gain and hurt another.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is about the salem witch trials and how people react to hysteria created from the fear of witches.
- Analyzes how thomas putnam uses the hysteria driven persecutions to gain more land for himself, but at the expense of others.
- Explains that witch trials are easily manipulated because they do not follow the same rules as a regular court. judge danforth believes that the pure in the heart need no lawyers.
- Opines that persecutions or witch hunts are flawed because many characters in the crucible manipulate witch trials to profit. the result of this manipulation is the incrimination of an innocent person and often the complete destruction of a person’s live.
- Analyzes how abigail williams, jealous after having an affair with john procter, uses the persecutions to attempt to kill elizabeth proctor.
1054 wordsRead More - Parallels Between The Crucible and McCarthy Eraanalytical essayMany people look back on the events of the Salem witch trials and laugh at the absurdity of the allegations. It seems crazy that society could be fooled into believing in things like witches and deal with the events in such an extreme manner. It is a common belief that witch hunts are things of the past. Many people would agree that they no longer exist today; however Arthur Miller, author of the play, "The Crucible", points out that society has not come very far from the days of the Salem witch trials. In his play, he used the Salem witch trials to represent the McCarthy Era because he saw that the nation was facing the same events that Salem went through back in the late 1600's. Arthur Miller wrote "The Crucible" in an attempt to create moral awareness for society. He did so by making a few small changes to the history and creating parallels in the play with racism, human tendencies, and H.U.A.C.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how tituba confessed to practicing witchcraft and signing on with the devil after being accused. the court believed that they would expiate their wrongdoings by confessing to the accusations and begging for forgiveness.
- Analyzes how miller made the events of the salem witch trials parallel to those that occurred during the 1950's.
- Analyzes how arthur miller created moral awareness for society through his play, "the crucible" by paralleling events from the past to those in the present.
- Analyzes how arthur miller used the salem witch trials to represent the mccarthy era. he created parallels in the play with racism, human tendencies, and h.u.a.c.
889 wordsRead More - Conformity In The Crucibleanalytical essayAt first glance the characters of Arthur Miller's Crucible seem to be valid only in the time they were written in. The very strict, tight knit community of Salem is rarely seen today at the extent in the play. However after looking at the world today and the currently seen characteristics, Miller's play becomes timeless. A play that was written in the 1952 taken place in the 1692 has modern characters. The characters can be considered modern for many reasons. Among these are their resistance to conformity. Despite their clothing, John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams are thoroughly modern people.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's crucible is timeless, despite its strict, tight-knit salem community, and its resistance to conformity.
- Explains that people are constantly stimulated by the media, constantly creating new fashion trends, making whatever they are wearing the new normal. clothing, something that isn't alway thought of as great importance significantly represents conformity.
- Analyzes how john proctor can be considered modern because of his lack of conformity. in 1692, the law was based upon principles from the bible.
381 wordsRead More