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Global issues and themes in The Crucible - Coggle Diagram
Global issues and themes in The Crucible
Lies and Deceit
Putnam decieves the innocents to take control of their lands
Maintaining their reputation:
Judges of Salem biased, upholding false reputation to honor the church.
Believe that they make the right decisions, hesitates to accept any evidence which could've set innocents free
John Proctor hiding his affair with Abigail, fearing it will harm his reputation
Conformity
Bible tells people how to live, many people conformed to that way of life
Once someone else acts out of line and refuses to conform, their society erupts into chaos (witch trials)
Tituba
Mrs. Putnam believed that the reason her babies died is because Tituba talked to them.
Once one person believes that Tituba is a witch everyone conforms to believing she was responsible.
The girls in court were conforming to whatever Abigail was saying or doing.
Peer pressure conformity: made the girls seem more believeable
Sense of Belonging
Miller uses a repeating topic, which is God
Example:
"Hale: And you love God, Tituba? Tituba: I love God with all my bein'. Hale: Now, in God's holy name- Tituba: Bless Him. Bless Him."
Tituba's desperation shows how the belief of God is so ingrained into society, Tituba becomes fearful of not being able to become "A good Christian woman"
This shows how important it is for the people of Salem to feel as if they're a part of a community, because they believe the existence of God and the devil so much
Tituba knows that if she doesn't reinforce to Hale what he wants to hear, she will be beaten or hanged. But if she tells Hale what he wants to hear, she is welcomed into society and is 'blessed'.
Perspective community - religious ideology/prescribed dogmatism
Various characters face false judgement and intolerance, showing prejudice of the characters
Presents a society where the Church and state are one -> nobody going against the system.
Someone being accused of witchcraft
Tituba's scene, from Parris and Putnam being violent towards her, then when she confesses, they start speaking kindly.
Danforth knows that most prisoners like Martha Corey, Elizabeth and Rebecca aren't witches
Believes his decisions are absolute, refuses to change his mind
Individualism vs. Community
Salem's society required that its members follow strict guidelines of social order.
The witch trials considered an attack against individuality
The accused were mostly people who prioritized private thoughts and integrity above the community's norms
The trials gave people the chance to voice their resentment by accusing those who they loathed
The Bible tells people how to live, no separation of the Church and state, making everyone conform
Everyone else started accusing others of witchcraft, nobody wanted to be responsible for the acts
Conformity hurt many people
Individuality: Proctor not willing to confess and conform
Not letting his name be soiled just to please other people
Guilt and responsibility
Related to John Proctor's character
Ashamed of his affair and wants to bury it as if it never existed.
He fails to rid his guilt and turns against Elizabeth instead. accusing her of being judgemental.
Hale is a victim of his guilt
Once believes people engaged in witchcraft are sinners
As the play progresses, he considers them as innocent, tries to save them
Marriage
John Proctor and Elizabeth
John's manliness (lust) led to his affair with Abigail
Proctor is honest and regrets what he has done wrong
His guilt prevents him from speaking out soon enough, which contributes to his imprisonment and death
Elizabeth suspicious whenever he isn't around, especially when he returns late
Elizabeth is convinced she is a good woman, but at the end of the play, she realizes she was unforgiving
her treatment of John after he confessed to an affair
Elizabeth lies in an attempt to save John
Gender and Race
Men were considered much more important than women
White people considered more valuable than people of color
Tituba
She knows her status is too low, the only way she'll survive is to confess.