Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ is one of the most daring plays to have been written in a post WW2 era as it tackles the laws and order of the Puritans; giving us a taste of that life that has been prevalent in America many years ago. It is not hard to love The Crucible as it is reminiscent of Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Nor is it hard to be depressed over the play, for it gives us a sketch of the evil that lies in every man.
To start with, the play is very Puritan in a sense that we see here how religion and state act as one. The people of Salem (the play’s setting) have no privacy in a sense that their lives and action are of public concern. It is almost the life of the people in Orwell’s 1984. The play strikes me as being very American because it reminds me of Big Brother which has been an icon in American literature.
In addition to this, we can see here the hysteria that is building up inside everyone. This is caused by the issue of witchcraft and the practice of it. This caused uproar in the community that prides itself to be good and morally upright. Everyone starts questioning each other’s innocence in the hope that the good can finally triumph but we can also see that the people’s motives are merely for their own personal gains. One example is Reverend Parris who desperately wants to capture the culprit behind the practice of witchcraft not because of his concern for his daughter who fell ill but because he is concerned with his reputation as a reverend and a man of power and authority. Instead of fighting for justice, he only thinks of his survival.
Another is Abigail who is the source of evil. She leads the people into thinking the worse of each other all because she has been dumped by a married man she was having an affair with. Because of her selfish ambitions and caprices, the people became enemies of one another and the innocents have been accused wrongly. This in itself is very American because firstly, the hysteria that has been building up inside everyone is evocative of the hysteria that caused the events of WW2 and the feelings of the people after the war. Because of selfish ambitions and the struggle for power, many innocent lives suffered. The sense of justice is overthrown by the individuals’ useless struggle for their own satisfaction of seeing other people suffer in their place.
Another thing about the play is the need for the women to voice their opinions or hold a high place in the society. As in many American texts, the play suggests the necessity for the women to have a say in the community. This is true for Abigail who uses her power so the people may take notice of her. Abigail is a representative of the women’s position in a society ruled by religion and state where male leadership is required. Abigail’s use of witchcraft, which is considered immoral by any standards, suggests the women’s struggle for power. Because of this witchcraft, Abigail in a way became a god that manipulates everyone; capable of even planting false accusations on innocent people and creating chaos on a supposedly very organized community.
Moreover, there is also a sense of redemption in the play which for me is the most striking element since it suggests the American dream of having people with high morals and integrity. One of the major characters in the play, the infidel John Proctor, redeems himself when he threw away his concern for his reputation in favor of his personal integrity. Instead of stooping low and admit the accusations being thrown upon him, he stands up for what is right and for what is true. Even though he has made the mistake of having an affair with Abigail and indirectly causing the chaos in the society, in the end, he stood up for his integrity. I think that from this, I see a good deal of what America wants to be: the symbol of justice and equality. Sadly though, the play also shows how all of these are never enough to right the falsehood that has damaged the entire society. The play ended with the wrong still on the loose and justice prosecuted.
the books – smells like content
