AP English Language & Composition 2016-17
Reading Blog #1
Directions for blog: Referencing either The Crucible or The Grapes of Wrath, write an entry of 150 words minimum covering the topic/theme of Loss of Religion/Identity and Social Upheaval. You must also respond to one other student’s entry with a 100 word minimum response. Your entries are viewable by all, and will be graded for understanding and analysis of the reading, use of (appropriate and effective) language, and engagement with and insight into other students’ entries.
Please be sure to include your FULL NAME to receive credit for your work.
Due Date: July 1, 2016
As the former Rev. Jim Casy explains, "Ain't got the call no more. Got a lot of sinful idears – but they seem kinda sensible" (4.15), religious commitment and the clarity between right and wrong has been diminished in The Grapes of Wrath. The "grey areas" of "sinful idears" that somehow seem "sensible" are the result of the tremendous social upheaval of Depression Era America. This makes sense as the back-breaking struggle to survive described in Steinbeck's novel would cause anyone to question the role of God or any higher power. Jim Casy has begun to question life, delving into the philosophical underpinnings of human interaction, in stark contrast to stubborn Ma Joad who always knows what to think and do about the details of life. The tremendous suffering that Steinbeck details should remind us all that life is not fair, that adverse conditions test the fabric of our society, and that our ability to treat our fellow human beings with care and compassion is made stronger when a higher power is absent.
ReplyDeleteThe loss of religion and spirituality is the opportunity to define and strengthen our basic humanity. This seems to be the case even more so today as popular culture and the media in general inundate us with "sinful idears." Can we find the pearls of truth and sensibility amongst the debris generated by our 21st century media? Sin and redemption are basic tenets of American culture and the cornerstone of the American dream. Steinbeck's uncompromising view of misery and misfortune in 1930s America can be considered a call to arms to right those wrongs. Some might argue that the idealism and rebellion that took place in the 1960s was America finally responding. We seem to be at a similar crossroads today; I hope we can rise to the occasion.
In the late 17th century, a man's most prized possession was his pride. In The Crucible, as the vast corruption of religion takes seed and social upheaval ensues, the characters in the story undergo a loss of identity as they forego their reputation to save their lives, and are forced to sign away their name to "justice". As stated by John Proctor: "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" (4.240) This shows Proctor's unwillingness to throw away is good name, and thus his identity with it. However, he is joined by very few with his sense of moral justice. most of those who were convicted sacrificed their identity and their neighbors to save themselves from the gallows.
ReplyDeleteThe convicted are not the only who lose themselves to this heated furnace of deceit, as the prosecutors are not exempted either. Many of the villagers who convicted their friends and neighbors did so out of greed and a religious fanaticism. In doing so, the citizens of Salem lost their identity as they lost their morals. as stated by Giles: "If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for his land!" (3.89) this is proof that men and women during the Salem witch trials gave up their morality for greed such as land. It is not a stretch to believe that Putnam was not the only one to lose himself to his lust in this time of social turmoil. after all, the judge Danforth was convicting people based off what he had mistaken for the courthouse's reputation, which was really his own. If John Proctor or Giles Corey were right, then Danforth would be in the wrong. And so, Danforth was highly against both of them and used various methods to break them that was against his sense of judgement, such as torture and forcing Proctor to sign a legal document condemning him as a witch, which would have incarcerated him as a liar to the public. To top it all off, the entire trials began with Abigail's lust for John Proctor and a hatred for the town of Salem, corrupting her sense of morals and leading to her condemning hundreds of residents in Salem, including her slave Tituba and John Proctor's wife.
I can clearly see where you are coming from with how you explained Proctor's quote. "This shows Proctor's unwillingness to throw away his good name, and this his identity with it" (Sanborn). Not only was Proctor confessing under pressure, he confessed just to retain his name because it is all he would have left after Danforth makes his choice of hanging him. He knew that if he came clean to the court, he would know that he had cleared his name (but not his identity, as you said) to leave his pregnant wife, Elizabeth, a good and true reputation for herself and for her children.
DeleteI completely agree with what is being stated especially with the acts of the men and women of the Salem society as they all choose to save themselves an act of greed which is completely against what their religion stands for but this does not phase them in the least bit as they choose to save their good names and even earn more land while destroying their neighbors and friends. The explanation of the judge was spot on and can not be explained better because even though Giles Corey had given reasonable evidence that these convictions were a wrong doing he chose to ignore that to save the courthouse reputation which is his as he is the judge which is a clear example of loss of identity/religion in the Salem Society.
DeleteSocial upheaval was something difficult for Parris to deal with in The Crucible. Gaining a positive identity was especially hard for this man because of his previous reputation held by the people of Salem. “He believed he was being persecuted wherever he went, despite his best efforts to win people and God to his side” (1. 3). This shows clearly that Parris was rejected by the society he lived in, and therefore he knew he had to fix his reputation. To make matters for him worse, his daughter Betty had fallen ill after he claimed to see Abigail and Tituba dancing over a fire in the woods. As the word of witchcraft spread, it tainted his identity further and further. After Betty and Abigail were exorcised, Parris went as far as to go into court and fight for how they both were now with God- but he was not defending them just to protect them, he was actually protecting himself as to not attract the negative attention he so despises.
ReplyDeleteCertain factions and people of Salem were subject to a loss of their religion in The Crucible. While Proctor was fighting against Parris to try to prove that the girls were faking their visions of the Devil, he stated, “And why not, if they must hang for denyin' it? There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang; have you never thought of that?” (2. 258). Though Proctor eventually turned out to be lying, this shows that the accused may lie and say that they swear just for the judge to have their word of innocence. This means that the word is no longer up the justice of God, but now up to the choice of the accused based on how honest and strong their morals towards their religion are.
The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, takes place in the town of Salem in Massachusetts, and in the story most townspeople lost their identity and religious belief to some extent because of the social upheaval caused by a group of perpetrators who settled conflicts, often only one-sided, by merely stating that the other person performed an act of sorcery or witchcraft. The people that were accused of witchcraft were taken into jail, and they either confessed that they used witchcraft or they were executed; therefore, most of the victims of the accusers confessed to save their lives, but by doing so they have also lost their identity because the people would not recognize them for whom they were before they were accused, but they would recognize them as people who have sided with the devil. As John Proctor said in a conversation with Reverend John Hale, “And why not [confess], if they must hang for denyin’ it? There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang…” (2.65), the people thought it was better for them to confess a false truth than to be executed. Based on the horrible and unjust events that occurred to some of the people of Salem, it can be inferred that some might have lost hope and belief in their religion, and an example of such hypothesis could be derived from the statement that John Proctor made, in a state of total desperation, when he was accused of witchcraft: “I say--I say--God is dead” (3.111). The upheaval of society can best be noted with a statement that Reverend John Hale made while speaking with Danforth: “there are orphans wondering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlot’s cry will end his life…” (4.121). There are a few important things to note from Reverend John Hale’s statement, and one of the things to understand is the fact that many people have been accused and either executed or placed in jail; another thing to note would be that the people live in constant fear because they do not know when the “harlot’s cry,” which might be referring to Abigail’s acting in the court, will end the life of the innocent people. The people who encouraged and benefited from the witch trials in Salem were the people who either sought vengeance or wanted something from someone else. An example of someone who used the witch trials to their benefit is Abigail, a seventeen year-old girl. Abigail wanted to dispose of Elizabeth, John Proctor’s wife, so that she may be with him, and this can be discerned when Betty, Abigail’s cousin, woke up from a trauma that was caused by participating in an act of sorcery and stated that “[Abigail] drank a charm to kill Proctor’s wife…” (1.18). After some time, the social upheaval in Salem caused some of the inhabitants to question their religion, lose their identity, and even think of rebellion against the court.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your point of view on the fact that almost everyone who was trying to prove someone guilty was either wanting to get revenge or just get something out of the person. Abigail did in fact use the trials to her advantage by attempting to ruin Proctors relationship with Elizabeth by taking the potion to kill her. Most of those who were completely innocent as you’ve stated had put their own lives at risk and lived in fear of being put away into jail or hung immediately. It's also true that you brought up how people rather make up a false truth than be executed. Since the people had been put in a situation of such a catastrophe, they were not aware of how to face it so they often took matters in their own hands without knowing how it would impact those around them.
DeleteIn his blog, Luis discusses three of the main topics brought up in The Crucible. He did a very good job at addressing the loss of identity of all those who were accused of witchcraft and confessed to sorcery to save their own life. They were only given two options and he really touched on the peoples fear of being killed and there having to give up their identity for their own safety. He uses powerful quotes such as the one by Reverend John Hale (…) “There are them that would swear to anything before they’ll hang” (2.65). This shows the lengths some people will go before they hang. Due to the witch trials he says that many people lost their belief that God existed. I agree with this because during the trials many people were being accused of witchery, so many that some people began to believe the witch trials were real, and paid more attention to accusing people of witchcraft then being people of God. He articulates his point on social upheaval in society by taking about the rotting crops, the wandering cattle, and the orphans roaming the streets. It can be inferred that because of the poor living conditions people would be very dissatisfied, and even ponder rebellion against the court. He goes on to say that people would live in constant fear due to the fact that a harlot could potentially get them hung. This is a very clear indication of social upheaval, because it can again be inferred that the townspeople were not thinking about rebellion or concerning over a potential arrest, before the Salem witch trials. Finally he makes a point that the people who accused others of witchery wanted to benefit from the accusations. He uses the example of Abigail accusing Elizabeth of sorcery just to get with her husband. This leaves me to question the legitimacy of the witch trials because it seems that anyone could accuse someone of siding with the devil, and because black magic doesn’t lend itself to proof, could have the person jailed and hung just for their personal benefit, even if the person accused was innocent.
DeleteI agree with many of your points - many of the ‘confessors’ definitely lost a bit of their own identity to save their own lives, society did fall into a disarray at the witch trials (who could blame them - they were good Christians, all focused on God, and then suddenly anyone, even your spouse or sibling, could have been consorting with the Devil?), but I don’t think it’s supported in text that most of the town lost their religion - it could more easily be argued that many more showed a reaffirming of their faith and love of God, most easily shown in Tituba at the end of Act One.
DeleteImmediately after the stock market crash of 1929, the United States, due to a deflation in assets, disruption of trade, and other economic events, fell into a state of Depression. Due to these economic crises, employers were now near broke and forced to lay off many, if not all of their employees. As a result of their newfound unemployment, thousands of families were now scrambling to find ways to make money and make ends meet. The Joad’s, a family that has relied for many generations on the crops their land produces, have been evicted from their property by workers of the bank, who must reclaim the land in order to avoid going bankrupt. Joe Davis’ Boy, the son of a farmer, has abandoned his lifetime of farming in a matter of days so long as he can earn money. When confronted by a man as to why he was doing this work against his people, he replied with, “Three dollars a day!” (5.50) Evidently, this shows the loss of identity Davis’ Boy faced when the Depression struck Oklahoma; either continue his lifelong career of farming, or abandon it and work for the bank. As a result of his decision, Davis’ Boy was no longer one of them, he was now a robot, he no longer could see the land, smell the land, nor love it. But instead, his relationship to the land was now no more than that of the banks.
ReplyDeleteLoss of identity could be the most devastating thing to one and his loved ones for this person is no longer the man whose lover fell in love with, nor the father whose kids call dad. With disregard to that, losing an identity could also be a good thing. It could mean a new life. A new identity could bring positive change, a person can now forget about his past and live a new life without regard to past mistakes or transgressions. This could be directly applied to Tom Joad. Tom, now finished serving his time in McAlester, chooses to forget his past of murder and live his new life out of prison as a clean slate. Now while losing an identity could mean good or bad, it ultimately depends on the reasoning and outcome of the loss.
I agree that the Great Depression contributed to the increasing loss of identity in people and its devastation, however I am not sure I agree with the loss of identity ever being a positive thing. Loss of identity does not mean you get a new identity as a replacement to lead to a new life or better future. Loss of identity can cause severe depression that is very hard to come back from to provide yourself with a better life. The loss of identity can leave a person with no identity at all, making it difficult to form a better life. Also, losing your identity does not mean you can forget the past. Our past is something that we carry with us forever and is very hard to forget. It is especially hard to forget if there is a lost identity and not much to look forward to. I understand the optimism carried at the beginning of the book could lead somebody to feel the same way as you do, but as I read more and more of this book I become more and more pessimistic.
DeleteSince the land was taken from the Joads family, it is hard to believe that the U.S government could not do it’s job to protect the people. Because of this, they encouraged migration from the cause of the economic downfall. Also, I find it interesting how the idea of loss of identity is put into two different perspectives where it is seen as a way for one to be good or bad. In one hand Joe Davie’s Boy’s identity changed was ignorant because he turned against his own people, but on the other hand, that change would make him and his family survive the Depression. In contrast, Tom Joad’s identity is affected by Casy’s beliefs and later makes Tom to pass on those ideas and use them as a motivation to live his life and forget his tragic past.
DeleteWhile I do agree that the stock market crash of 1929 made America fall into a state of depression, I strongly disagree with the fact that losing your identity could become a good thing. As you said it could mean a new life, it doesn't mean you forget your past. Losing your identity doesn’t mean that you can start over or live a new and improved lifestyle. The sinful actions, thoughts, or feelings of one in the past might bring that one person into a deeper depression or an enemy of the people you left behind, as shown with Joe Davie’s boy. Instead of defending the land with his people, he is the one that is ordered by the bank to tear up the farm that he grew up on. This act led to social conflicts when the Joad’s see him with the tractor.
DeleteMichael Kennedy
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible Blog 1
Blog 1 The Crucible
The Crucible articulates two very different extremes, siding with Lucifer, or siding with God. The book takes place during the Salem witch trials where people were accused of siding with the devil, and using their demonic powers to hurt others and fulfill Lucifer’s will. Loss of religion can be seen throughout the book. Rebecca Nurse, a devout Christian who was accused of killing children using the devils powers was put to death. This leaves the reader to question if anyone was really safe from these accusations whether they were Christian or not. It also seemed as if religion was put aside and forgotten until all people accused of witchcraft were caught and jailed. The people accused were made to confess to God their sins and their compliance with the Devil. “I will have nothing from you Mr. Hale, will you confess yourself befouled with hell, or do you keep that black allegiance yet? What say you”? (3.111). The judge was telling John Proctor, the man accused of forcing Mary Warren to sign herself to the devil to confess to his sins or be punished. Proctor now has the difficult choice of confessing his sins and being free, but having his confession nailed to the church door and his name forever scarred, or keeping his name and dignity, and hanging for it. Proctor hung and kept his name. The people accused were given a choice between hanging with their identity and name intact, or going free and losing their identity and their sense of self. Society was also disturbed by these trials. “No man knows when the harlots’ cry could end his life” (4.121). Due to the fact that anyone could potentially be arrested and hung, many people were frightened and even paranoid at the fact that they could be charged. The town also slowly started to change its theological beliefs into their own. The Judges of the trials Danforth and Hawthorn were relying solely on information they were being given by children, which were often lies to prosecute people. With massive arrests being made many children were orphaned, livestock was abandoned causing discrepancies about who owned what, and crops were left to die. This tremendous social unrest created a dramatic change in everyday life, and even got the town talking about rebellion.
The response written above has made good points that regard to the situation of the book and to the three topics: loss of religion/identity and social upheaval. The dilemma that John Proctor had explicitly shows the readers the type of situation that some of the victims of the witch trials of Salem had to go through when they were accused by a malevolent person; therefore, it can be concluded that the evidence presented is a great example to portray the loss of identity that was caused by the social upheaval in Salem. The quote used as evidence by the author of this blog, the one that says “no man knows when the harlot’s cry will end his life…” (4.121), is a really good example that illustrates the social upheaval in Salem because it shows the uncertainty that the residents of Salem had during the witch trials, and, as Michael said, it might make the residents feel “frightened and even paranoid at the fact that they could be charged” with siding with the devil. The unjust prosecution of Rebecca Nurse was used as evidence to accurately describe the loss of religion in Salem because Rebecca Nurse was known throughout Salem as being very close with God. The mere fact that she was prosecuted and executed shows the readers that the religious judges of Salem, Hathorne and Danforth, did not take into consideration the fact that Rebecca Nurse was a devout Christian, a very respectable person, and seventy-two years old; therefore, I agree that Rebecca Nurse’s situation is a great example that shows the loss of religion in the town of Salem.
DeleteUltimately, no one was safe from these witchcraft accusations. Danforth explained that witchcraft is an invisible crime that only the victim may be able to speak out against in the case of an incident regarding a witch. Thus, anyone who was accused of witchcraft will inevitably face the consequences of the charge. I also agree with your statement regarding the act of people moving religion aside while the witchcraft accusations were going on. The accusations brought out a loss of religion among the people especially Abigail. In a town where she is supposed to be a devout Christian, she disregards her Christian morals and lies about the charges of witchcraft in order to take revenge on Elizabeth Proctor for kicking her out of the house when Elizabeth found out she had an affair with John Proctor.
DeleteIn The Grapes of Wrath ex pastor Jim Casy explains to Joad what pushed him from being a pastor. He says “Maybe it ain't a sin. Maybe it's just the way folks is. Maybe we been whippin’ the hell out of ourselves for nothin’.” To me, Jim Casy came to the realization that people don't need to repent their sins and that they do good and bad things regardless. Like how he puts the holy spirit in people which is seen as a good act, but then lays with girls in the grass after which is seen as bad. Joad agrees with Jim and he continues on saying that the holy spirit is love. This can be seen as the more important part of the conversation as Jim tells Joad that he does not love Jesus. This would be seen as blasphemous by christians in that time period and any other time period. His explanation is that he does not know Jesus so how could he love him and instead focuses his love on the people around him. This perspective of the holy spirit is one that is not popular bot Joad at the least understands Jim, but points out it would not work with most people. He says “You can't hold no church with idears like that, People would drive you out of the country with idears like that.”
ReplyDeleteIn response, I can see how you interpreted the text. Jim Casy, a former preacher, has lost faith and ultimately lost the will to preach to folks. As said by Casy, he lost his faith due to the fact that he sees things no longer as sins anymore because he believes mankind will sin inevitably. Using specific evidence from the text, it is can be easily inferred as to why Casy stopped preaching. Jim Casy would preach the words of God to the people resulting in the holy “sperit” being injected into them, causing Casy to feel good about himself. Immediately following his sermon, Casy would go out into the fields and lie with a girl, an obvious sin that caused him to feel bad about himself. This resulted in an unhappy Casy, and ultimately led to him abandoning his piety and running away where he could do some thinkin’.
DeleteI believe you have the correct assumption as to what Jim Casy had said. He sees that it is pointless to beat down on yourself for doing something seen as wrong by the church. This does nothing to lesser your chances of doing the same thing again or another bad thing. It just becomes a cycle of ‘sinning’ and repenting or purging in some way. Many people do this even today and most others believe they are moronic for doing so. I also see that Jim Casy does in fact focus his love on other people as he knows for a fact they exist. Casy is a sort of seeing is believing type of man and has never seen God or Jesus or any of those religious figures and therefore does not believe in them.
DeleteHumans have been observed to show great care in their identity. The identity represents who a person truly is both physically and cognitively. Most individuals hope to portray themselves or their identity as ideal and positive to others in hope that they can earn the respect of fellow individuals; thus, if one performs some type of negative action, their ideal identity is compromised and is no longer seen as good. In the novel, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, various accusations of witchcraft have gone widespread in the seventeenth century town of Salem; however, multiple people, who are innocent, have had to deal with the consequences of the charge of witchcraft. Due to these accusations, multiple people have lost their identity. Their ability to have chosen who they were has been taken away from them. John Proctor is a notable example of a person who has lost their identity. After having confessed to being in contact with the Devil, John Proctor says, “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!” (4.132). Proctor is a highly respectable man and Christian. Putting one’s faith in Christianity is mandatory around his time as he lives in a theocracy where Christianity is the primary religion. He believes that having his identity displayed to the public as a betrayer of the Christian faith is a strong blow to his good name and identity; thus, he is desperate in keeping his confession and actions confidential in order for others to not bring shame upon the name of John Proctor.
ReplyDeleteSocial upheaval was inevitable after the accusations of witchcraft by Abigail Williams and Betty Parris as there was no such act of witchcraft present at all at the time. Danforth explains, “…witchcraft is an ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify” (3.93). The logic behind Danforth’s explanation of witchcraft does not make sense. He believes that the individual who accuses another of witchcraft is always right as they portray themselves as the victim; thus, the individual who had been accused of being a witch will undoubtedly face the consequences no matter what. This will certainly influence the significant others of the supposed witches to become angry and frustrated with the process of charging their loved one with witchcraft. John Proctor is an example of someone who is frustrated with the accusations of witchcraft. After his wife, Elizabeth Proctor is taken into custody by Herrick and Cheever, John Proctor exclaims to Mr. Hale who has done nothing to persuade the authority to let go of Elizabeth, “You are a coward! Though you be ordained in God’s own tears, you are a coward now!” (2.74). John Proctor is furious with the authorities. He believes that the authorities had no right to prosecute his wife as they had no strong evidence to do so. Moreover, he is angry that they used the statements of Abigail Williams to justify why they are doing so.
I believe John Proctor is a vital character in The Crucible, as well as a good example to use when analyzing the text. I agree with your interpretation. By breaking down topics such as identity and theocracy/religion, it becomes easier to see their roles in the storyline as well as to draw conclusions. By being the main character to figure out the injustices happening in Salem, Proctor ultimately falls victim to them. Despite multiple discrepancies in the testimonies, authorities used their roles in the theocracy to give the falsified accusations substance. You brought up a good point with Danforth’s statement. It strongly portrays the flaws in the logic of the trials. Somehow the lies told by Abigail are seen as truths leading to justice. There is no doubt that the trials resulted in social upheaval, and that it was this turmoil that led people like Proctor to lose themselves.
DeleteJohn Proctor like you said is a very good example in The Crucible, for loss of identity and religion. But, I like the way you have explained the importance of identity in your connection to the text. You took the whole idea of identity and linked it to Proctor especially when he reacts to the authorities and to Paris while he was caught. You showed that when people’s identities are being ruined they go to religion to cover up their schemes and crimes. This shows the large loss of religion of the characters in this book and shows the large amount of pride people take upon themselves, and like you’ve said their ability of choosing their identity was lost because of their mistakes. In addition, your example was excellent when explaining the social upheaval of Abigail and Betty when they were accused of witchcraft as it destroys the meaning of accusing others to exposing everyone to the public as witches while they aren’t. Like you have said all these events have led up to many people losing their identities and their faith.
DeleteI agree with your statement of the preservation of identity as a key component that John Proctor faces as the the protagonist of the story. Moreover, I find it intriguing as to the proponents to his consequential downfall as a protagonist which was a combination of lust, authority, and community as well as other emotional factors that plague the rest of the characters. As identity in a community is certainly valuable, the truth that Proctor hid and denied can be argued to be the key component of the consequences at hand. As the desire and resentment of Proctor, combined with the outbreak of the witch trials, which lead to the death of his wife, Arthur Miller conveys clearly to the readers of the tragedy and the unpredictability of life.
DeletePrior to reading your blog I had never thought about how the people who had been accused witchcraft had their identities stripped from them; however, after looking at your post, I must say that I have to agree with the way you interpreted the situation. As the victims of the witchcraft accusations had little to no substantial evidence against them, proving their innocence would be a task considered nearly impossible. How can Danforth believe that anyone who accuses others of witchcraft will always be truthful? His logic is indeed flawed and resulted in the loss of identity for many individuals.
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ReplyDeleteCiara Briones
ReplyDeleteIn the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail William’s envy and greed leads to the loss of religion of the characters. She leads her fellow local girls in a ritual to wish death upon John’s wife, Elizabeth, so that she can have John for herself. When the ritual was discovered, the girls are brought to trial and accusations begin to rush and no one says the truth to any further extent. The actual witch hunt gets underway and later on, Elizabeth is suspected of witchcraft and when John tries to defend her by confessing the witchcraft, he receives a death penalty.
Abigail’s witchcraft and its aftermath caused violations to The Commandments of God, which conveys their loss of religion. During the seventeenth century, this is a major issue, for religion is a lot more important. Religious members of the church contribute to administrating their place, and are as important as the nobilities. They punish people who commit sins by taking away their lives to keep their place holy and pure. However, they lack technology and knowledge during the time, they simply ask people for the truth but they cannot be always sure if a person is lying or not, that is why as Miller says, “And why not [confess], if they must hang for denyin’ it? There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang…” (2.65). They are in short of evidences that proves if a person really transgresses, this made the lies and accusations that were started by Abigail caused people to die even though they are innocent, and this leads to the people’s loss of religion because no matter what, weather one is lying or not, he will be executed. Miller writes, “I say--I say--God is dead” (3.111). God is not dead but it is the people that make them lose their faith.
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ReplyDeleteAmber Leonard
ReplyDeleteA former reverend, Jim Casy, states on many occasions that he is no longer religious in any way. He even states that he is very sinful and has many sinful thoughts. In fact, he ventures to say he was sinful even as a preacher with his interest in women that was very commonly satisfied. Casy states several times that he does not consider himself a preacher nor is he religious or comfortable praying in any way. He has lost all faith and belief in god and his former religion. He states, “ I ain’t preachin’. Preachin’ is tellin’ folks stuff. I’m askin’ ‘em. That ain’t preachin’, is it?”. When he lost his faith and religion, in his eyes, it was a good thing and something that was needed and better for not only himself but others around him as well. He realized that he really didn’t know much about what he was preaching about and figured he shouldn’t talk about what he doesn’t fully know. He also decided his sinful thoughts were sensible because they are more reasonable and realistic than the former ideals he held.
During the turmoil of the Salem witch trials, community members were not only affected physically, but mentally as well. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible we see the chaos of the trials seep into the mind of John Proctor. It causes him to question his identity and his purpose. He loses sight of who he is and how he is to be seen in the eyes of God. He asks, “God in Heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor?” (4. 220). He faces the choice of being alive as a liar or being hung as a good man. It is the blatant accusations and turmoil of the witch trials that force him to make this decision, and it takes a toll on his mental well-being and his own self-image. Proctor fights to maintain his humanity while being surrounded by anything but justice. He witnesses his friends and neighbors being hung for witchcraft on the words of girls with a motive. He uses the last pieces of himself to fight to reveal this scandal, but in a society where religion and government have morphed into a conservative theocracy, it is to no avail. He can’t even find refuge in what pillars of religion remain. Like many before him, he falls victim to the chaos. In the end, he loses everything: his stability, his sense of self, his wife, his children, and ultimately his life. The case of John Proctor is similar to those in the 18th and 19th centuries of people who were mentally stable becoming instable by being placed in mental institutions and experiencing the harshness of such an environment. Both demonstrate how the turbulence of an environment can diffuse into one’s mind and create both a figurative and a literal battlefield.
ReplyDeleteI agree to your statement that the turbulence of an environment can diffuse into one’s mind and create both a figurative and a literal battlefield. The frantic environment that the people are taking part in, which was caused by the aftermath of what Abigail’s greed, resulted to their madness. Everyone started lying because of fear and paranoia and as a result of this, they were persecuted. Everyone is perturbed because of the issues and accusations flying around their town and their minds remain unsettled for the fear of the officials knocking on their door and starts blaming them even though they were innocent. As Miller writes, “And why not [confess], if they must hang for denyin’ it? There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang” (2.65). They know that weather or not they will say the truth, there is a huge chance that they will be persecuted, thus creating a battlefield within their minds.
DeleteShelby Paul
ReplyDeleteBlog #1
Loss of Religion/Identity and Social Upheaval
Reverend Jim Casy admitted, "It worried me till I couldn't get no sleep. Here I'd go to preachin' and I'd say, 'By God, this time I ain't gonna do it.' And right while I said it, I knowed I was" (Steinbeck 31). This quote explains Casy's battling with and loss of religion because of his sinful drive to lay in the grass with girls, while not understanding why lying with girls was so sinful. Casy did not understand how the devil could get into girls he believed to be holy vessels, so he could no longer stand preaching to others because he was losing his identity in the process. Casy's loss of religion and identity is used many times throughout the novel to emphasize the struggle of social upheaval due to the Great Depression. Religion has long served as a source of positivity when harsh times are about, but the Joads' experiences as migrants are so unfortunate that everyone starts to question their faith. Casy believes that the substance in life happens on earth instead of heaven or hell, but the workers in the Dust Bowl are faced with such tragedy that they even begin to lose faith in their time on earth. The social upheaval and migration in "The Grapes of Wrath" led to the stressful and traumatic feelings that are associated with The Great Depression. Migrant families loss faith in God and each other because of the growing gap between the rich and poor, which is similar to the growing wage gap of today. The conflict between the rich and the poor could not be fixed because the economic situation forced the rich to struggle to keep their wealth, and the poor to struggle to keep their lives. Neither struggle followed the concept of keeping one's religion or identity in tact.
"Religion has long served as a source of positivity when harsh times are about, but the Joads' experiences as migrants are so unfortunate that everyone starts to question their faith" (Paul). Religion was rather portrayed as a negative aspect during this time period. However, I do agree with you that it was a ray of hope for the migrant families as they believed that their merciful savior God will always answer their prayers. They have the utmost faith that He will grant them good fortune, until reality soon distorted into a nightmare, resulting the start of religious decline. They began to wonder why God had created that catastrophe as a form of unjust punishment for the whole American society, which meant leaving His followers to suffer under His wrath.
DeleteIn addition, I liked how you pointed out that the social conflict was affecting not only the poor, but the rich as well. I found your statement—"The conflict between the rich and the poor could not be fixed because the economic situation forced the rich to struggle to keep their wealth, and the poor to struggle to keep their lives" (Paul)—to be really interesting. The Great Depression had challenged both classes to survive by keeping what was important to them. It must have been extremely difficult due to the heating mixture of stress and trauma which made them desperate to do so, but newfound determination had created the spark of realization, stating that the situation was not entirely impossible, which ignited the confidence in achieving to retain their desires despite of the hellish turmoil the rich and the poor were both experiencing.
DeleteMadison Jessup
Blog Response #1
I agree with the fact that many people start to question their faith especially with Joads’ experiences as migrants. Everyone believed that God would always be there to answer their prayers when they were in serious trouble. At this point religion was not at its peak and more and more people started to not believe anymore which started to make them forget who they were. I also agree with the fact that there was a gap between rich and poor that could not be fixed. This brought about the disbelief in God and had everyone questioning their past actions. On the other hand, I disagree with the fact that religion was a positive source because many people soon lost their belief in God with can sometimes be a very negative thing if they devoted their life to him.
In giving feedback, I strongly agree that Casy questions his faith in harsh times due to being skeptical of the world. However, I believe Casy’s inability to avoid girls during his occupation as a reverend shows a different side of him. A side where he believes people are those who everyone should trust rather than a greater being above. Casy believes a human being, one with feelings and beliefs, is rather more important than a figment of imagination that continuously fails to give hope to his people. I also strongly disagree that the economic gap between the rich and poor plays a factor in the loss of faith. Yes, it does seem unfair that the banks pushed the tenants off their land but one does not blame the loss of property on religion.
DeleteEmily MacDonald
DeleteI agree with your views on how religion effects the people and the society portrayed in the book. I also think it is a good idea to look at how the depression affected all of society from many points of view, due to the fact that the book focuses on the poor and their view of what was going on, rather than on the middle or upper classes. The wealthy are portrayed as doing what they’re doing because it is in their nature to do so. The book does not portray their personal motives or need to survive in the changing world in the same light as it does for the poor.
From the beginning of the book, “The Grapes of Wrath”, the poor families migrating have had the hope that they will overcome the obstacles happening to them. The women especially believe that as long as their men keep being strong, they will have stability. As the people travel they think of all the experiences they believe they will have the chance to do, such as new work and opportunities to improve themselves. Horrible things are happening to the people migrating to California, thousands of people are being kicked out of their homes due to the Great Depression in the 1930s and move to a new place to find jobs in order to survive. This makes the women and children in the family worry for they believe that their husbands are about to crack and give up. “The women knew it was all right, and the watching children knew it was all right” (Steinback. 7). To add up to the families’ struggles with trying to look for work, the families are also facing starvation, disease, and homelessness. Once the families obtain their jobs, they are very disappointed to find out that they have low wages since they hope for more than that. Furthermore, they still have to take it since it is the only thing that is left to help them pull through. At this point in their life, the families are filled with fear because of the way they are treated like a bunch of useless humans, “‘Well you ain’t in your country now. You’re in California, an’ we don’t want you goddamn Okies settlin’ down” (Steinback. 291). The meaning of the word “Okies” was at first described as people who came from Oklahoma, but it is soon taken as a reference to describe them as inferior, and different from the other. As soon as the families realize that if they unite as one, their offenders will surrender. The men of the families turn their anger to fear because of the way they are treated, and the women see it as a way that their husbands are fine even with everything that is happening.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, each of the characters faces a struggle within themselves that is caused by what they are experiencing. The characters’ identities and roles change over time into something they were not before. For example, the moving of the family slowly puts Ma to be the leader and be listened to, unlike Pa who only complains that the authority should be for the men and also threatens to put her in her place, “‘Seems like time's changed,’ he said sarcastically. ‘Time when a man said what we’d do. Seems like women is tellin’ now. Seems like it’s purty near time to get out a stick.’” (Steinbeck. 481). Ma’s identity also changes in a negative way where the impact of Granma’s death hurts her and makes her a lot more sad and feel weak, but the family makes Ma continue to have a purpose. Jim Casy is one of the few people who are easily identified as having a loss of religion since he was a preacher before, but believed that his sinful actions made him stop preaching. When Tom Joad notices how different Casy acts especially with his beliefs, Tom thinks that one cannot hold a church with those beliefs. “‘You can’t hold no church with idears like that,’ he said. “People would drive you out of the country with idears like that’” (Steinbeck. 33). Little did Tom Joad know that the death of Casy would cause an impact on him. “Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there… See? God, I’m talkin’ like Casy. Comes of thinkin’ about him so much’” (Steinbeck. 572) Joad basically believes that he is now acting like Casy and will also serve a purpose in trying to help others which is probably something he did not think of in the first place.
One of the most brutal social upheavals in history is portrayed distinctly in The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. It takes place in a small town of Salem in Massachusetts during the late seventeenth century, when the town was operated under a theocratic government. Because God is seen as the ultimate ruler in a theocracy, all the leaders of Salem highly emphasized religious duties and condemned any worship of the devil. However, these condemnations become an obsession when false claims of witchcraft are spread. The ecclesiastical authorities and the judges of the court are blinded by made-up stories of the witnesses, and together they hang many lives. The falsely accused people are given the choice of confessing their wrongdoings and being brought to "God's presence", or denying the accusation and being hanged. Danforth, one of the presiding judges of the witch trials explains, “But witchcraft is an ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify” (3.93).This unreasonable justification leads the actual honest people who claim their innocence to death, and the people who lie, to freedom. Those who confess lose their identity for the rest of their lives, as they have admitted that they worshipped the devil, and the people around them will always remember them as “witches.” When John Proctor witnesses this corruptness and goes through the trials also, he begins to question his identity and his religion, which he has believed and followed his entire life. In despair Proctor states “I say--I say--God is dead” (3.111). His statement further shows his loss of faith and the confusion he is feeling about himself in that moment of misery. The victims of this tremendous social upheaval that occurred in Salem were indeed provided with no choice but to get rid of their identity and religion in order to live.
ReplyDeleteDanforth’s justification for the conviction of witches was certainly unreasonable, as you indicated. He presumes that those who are victims, the ones accusing others, are always right and truthful in their allegations. I would like to extend your point by saying that Danforth was also unjustified in that he required confessors to identify names in order to save their lives. He disregards the fact that others may have lied about seeing people, such as Rebecca Nurse, with the Devil. This puts the confessors in a position where they have to lie, thus losing their identity, to retain their freedom and not be killed. The reference you made to the text about his reasoning effectively demonstrates this dilemma; Danforth’s justification forces honest people to be killed while those who lie acquire freedom and lose their identity. Additionally, I agree with your analysis of Proctor’s loss of faith as he questions his identity and religion; he was accused by Mary Warren, placing him in a scenario where he would have to lie and confess to a crime he never committed to survive. As we observe, Proctor sees a loss of his religion and identity as a fate worse than being hanged. Your major points and analysis of quotes have clearly helped reinforce your final statement: this social conflict has provided its victims with no choice but to lose their religion and identity.
DeleteResponding to Kelly's blog, I agree the mass hysteria in The Crucible brought upon social upheaval in the seventeenth century. In the play, many of the characters fought to prove their innocence while others were determined to hunt down the ones who revolted against the social norm. With the girls accusing innocent victims of witchcraft, Danforth had no choice other than to believe the girl's accusations and punish the victims. I also agree with the fact that the characters who were accused of wrong doing lost their identities and now have to face the fact that the people of Salem will look at them differently and view them as "witches." As for Proctor, he lost his faith in God when seeing the damage the girls have caused: the hanging of innocent people, jailed for crimes one has not committed, and people being executed.
DeleteThe play, The Crucible, brings attention to the conflict between personal religious righteousness and broader societal expectations. This topic is explored closely as the play depicts the events that occurred in the Puritan community of Salem during their infamous witch trials. Neighbors are pitted against neighbors in a jealous power struggle. Wives are accused of witchcraft so as to gain land or to gain a man. People accused do not know whether to submit to the devil and subject themselves to public scrutiny or to choose to withhold the goodness inside of them. The Salem Witch Trials were a result of rampant pride and cruel vengeance hidden under the guise of religious justice.
ReplyDeleteMany of the community struggle with their personal beliefs amidst the hangings of numerous people. John Proctor is one of many who begins to question his own morality as his previous affair with Abigail becomes known and his wife becomes victim to the girls' accusations. When he is thrown into the mess, he wonders how a community that upholds such good Christian values could be so prejudiced and blind to its own people. On top of that, Proctor believes himself to be unworthy of mercy due to his past sins. He laments to Elizabeth saying, "I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud...I am no good man...It is hard to give a lie to dogs" (Miller). This results in a personal loss of faith and a challenge to the ethics of the Salem court, which believes itself to be aligned with the desires of the church.
It is not until he is close to death that Proctor realizes how his protest against the community and himself have changed him for the worse. He has strayed from religion for a brief but painful time. He has also forsaken the community and the beliefs that they uphold. Refusing to lose his sense of religion - which is close to his heart - he does not confess, despite his looming death. Throughout the whole play, John Proctor's struggle with religion and the community he is familiar with is depicted and the audience can not help but emphasize.
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, shows that the Salem Witch Trials caused a loss of identity in many individuals and social upheaval in the area. Identity is one of the most important things among humans, because it defines individuality. If a person were to soil their reputation, then it would become part of their identity. During The Crucible, many people are accused of witchcraft and are being associated with the Devil, which causes them to lose their good name, especially since the town of Salem is home to many devout followers of Christianity. John Proctor attempts to get out of jail, and execution, by confessing to being involved with the Devil, but he refuses to sign his name to it, insisting that, “I confess to God, and God has seen my name on this! It is enough!” (4.132). Proctor is always trying to keep his good name, which is evident not only here, but when he is contemplating on whether or not to reveal Abigail’s true intentions. He hesitates to do so due the possibility the adultery committed between Abigail and himself may be revealed in the process.
ReplyDeleteWhen the word witchcraft first appears in the town, suspicions begin to rise and people start to accuse others, like Abigail Williams. After her confession, a change truly starts when Abigail realizes that she can use her power to her advantage, her main target being John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth. She begins to accuse one woman after another, ultimately causing social upheaval.
Identity being the most important among humans is one of the key reasons as to why Abigail and the others began accusing people of witchcraft. It was easier for them to portray themselves as the victim, saying that they saw others with the devil attacking them in order to keep their reputation as devoted Puritans. Not only that, but like you said, it gave them a great amount of power against those that they did not like, such as Elizabeth. Although the girls were able to keep their guise as a trustworthy follower of God for the time being, they inevitably lost their religious faith as they continued to lie, in contrast to your point with John Proctor, who instead kept his faith to the very end.
DeleteOftentimes, one loses the most hope and belief when faced with a moral or spiritual dilemma. In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Joad and former Reverend Jim Casy speak bluntly about how life and God may connect to one another. Casy plainly explains, “‘I says, ‘Maybe it ain’t a sin. Maybe it’s just the way folks is.’... ‘There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do. It’s all part of the same thing…’” (4. 31-2). Casy has pondered how what he has practiced and believed may not necessarily be true. He now faces the possibility that there is not a God, which contradicts his past beliefs and actions. Conversely, he seeks a way to justify his actions of taking the newly baptised women to the grass and laying with them by saying it is the way of people and sin is merely an excuse for those who do not agree. Casy has lost faith in a time when all hope seems to have perished and humanity has seemingly turned against each other. In this, the darkest time, people tend to abandon their faiths and lose their previous identities. Anger towards the God they believed in, loved, and trusted tends to overshadow that complete belief.
ReplyDeleteCasy's lost of hope towards religion corresponds towards the people that struggle through their journey to California. When Casy had lost faith towards his religion, it is similar of how the people react when they had lost hope and doubt that whether or not their effort and sweat California will please all their needs. I agree that during the Great Depression, people may lose faith in their own beliefs and ambition from continuing on to their own paths. Although, I think that even without hope or faith, there is another way to overcome those setbacks and still achieve to what they aim for.
DeleteI agree with the statement of what pushed Jim Casy from religion, but the perspective of Jim not believing in god interesting. I took that conversation as that Jim no longer loved god and Jesus as he did not know them just their stories. That he only loved the people around him that he knows. I did not think his lost of faith intertwined the great depression but the fact that he felt alone that he thought it was ok to lie with woman. As he had a moment of relief when Joad told him that a Jehovah's witness pastor would lie with his wife every night.
DeleteNazareth Bereket, Blog post #1
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible deals with upheaval of the fact that no one in that society could wrap their head around the whole idea of a new religion. Throughout the novel, as the witch hunts continue, it isn't hard for the people of Salem to turn against each other and make horrible accusations towards one another. It almost seems as the towns people selling each other out to keep their good name, to protect their reputation. When religion comes into play, it's made sure to be known that the townspeople of Salem despise the idea of other beliefs/practices/religions. If one is not with God, one is against God, and an messenger of the devil, which had occurred to John Proctor, who in fact had dealt with the devil, “make peace with it! Now heaven and hell are grappling on our backs…”(3.76). In Salem, it seems that everyone in a way should have the same identity, being a good Christian man or woman. The thing most of the characters in this novel have in common is that they're all willing to destroy each other's reputation if it meant their own name will stay in tact. John Proctor was a well known farmer in Salem and was the main part of the witch trials. At first, he refuses to tell the jury that he had an affair with one of the accused witches, Abigail Williams who used to be their maid until she was fired. At first, He was afraid of tarnishing his reputation which could mean ruining his identity. But by the end of the novel, he doesn’t care for his reputation saying “damn the village! I confess to God and God has seen my name on this!”(4.132). Overall the upheaval of the Salem witch trials has stripped everyone of their past beliefs and has change people's perspectives on how important reputation can be during crucial situations and if it really matters or not.
I agree with the fact that Proctor was afraid of losing his identity by confessing his affair with Abigail. It was quite clear that Proctor had connections with the Devil himself, although he was afraid to admit to it because he did not want to lose his reputation. He wanted to be known as one who is with God, not against him. You are right as you explain that John Proctor was aware of this, which clearly shows how he does not want to lose his identity or religion, but toward the end of the novel, he does so anyways. Proctor also begins to lose his identity as he cannot state all the commandments at once when Hale asks him to. This gives a slight idea that Proctor has been hiding something. It is clear that he connected to the devil, which creates conflict throughout the time of trial, slowly leading towards Proctor losing his identity as the end of the play gets closer.
DeleteI agree with the fact that an individual living in the city of Salem during this time was quick to blame others of being involved with witchcraft in hopes of sparing their own lives. Mary Warren was initially involved in the accusing of innocent people but in the end tried to confess her sins. Warren confessing her sins would also lead to her associates, Abigail Williams, Mercy Lewis, and Susanna Walcott, to being accused of lying. Williams’, Lewis’, and Walcott’s want of not being found guilty resulted in them concocting up another scheme to not have the blame be put on them but on Warren. As the play nears to an end it is showcased that innocent people confessed to have seen the Devil and tainted their name in hopes of their lives being spared.
DeleteAshley Heeke
ReplyDeleteBlog Post #1
Looking at the novel The Crucibles, which is set in the seventeenth century, has an extensive amount of social upheaval caused by the numerous witch-hunts happening in Salem, Massachusetts. Most of the chaos comes from the community that strictly believes in Christianity. Knowing this, anyone who has seen to show signs of worship towards the evil or possessed to follow the ways of “Lucifer” are questioned. Many of which had to be brought in trials and asked to testify from what they had heard or seen. After John Proctor had an affair with Abigail, John's wife, Elizabeth immediately fired her. Shortly after finding out of this news, Proctor is questioned by Reverend Hale of his faith. After asked to repeat The Commandments, Reverend Hale notices that John Proctor left out one, which happened to be Adultery. The loss of religion plays a key factor, especially since Proctor said he has not been to church in sometime. Reverend Hale believes John Proctor rather stay home instead of conforming to the outward signs of religion. Proctor claims that he rather stay home than have seen Parris at church. “I like it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby. I see no light of God in that man. I'll not conceal it.” (2. 219). Along with him and others who have lost their morals due to the witchery shows how easy it is for such a thing to take away someone's true beliefs. The social upheaval could not be best shown in the statement that Abigail had responded to when John said the town had been “mumbling witchcraft”..”We were dancin' in the woods last night, and my uncle leaped in on us. She took fright, is all.” (1.177). This shows how the whole mayhem uprose, because Abigail told the truth about how she was dancing in the woods but does not mention that she drank a potion so that his wife Elizabeth might die. It seems so that most of the people who were assisted or advanced in the trials were those who wanted satisfaction or something out of someone else.
In response to you, I agree with the fact that everyone's identity was lost during the whole Salem witch trials. With new evidence of different practices and religions occurring, everyone had to take a step back and view the whole experience with a whole different perspective. I believe that the only person who was trying to seek revenge on the other hand was Abigail Williams because of her bad blood between her and Elizabeth Proctor. The rest of the accused were only focused on keeping their good name and reputation. I do also agree on the fact that Salem was too strict on the townspeople and their beliefs. Missing even one day of church can cause suspicion of witch or wizard activities which can cause false accusations which then causes unnecessary disputes and shows the citizens true colors and intentions.
DeleteThe play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, highlights the unnerving effects that societal expectations of religion has on an individual. This matter is embodied distinctively within Abigail Williams and the girls that falsely accused others of witchcraft in Salem, which came about when Parris discovered them suspiciously meeting in the woods. To avoid punishment concerning witchcraft and steer attention from themselves, Abigail and the others had lied and accused others for siding with the Devil, hoping to preserve their devoted Puritan guise. Their continuous strand of lies throughout the play notably represents their loss of faith in God, for lying is a sin. Those that were accused were conflicted with whether to die while still purely holding onto their faith, or accept the accusations and live with judgement. Sarah Good and Tituba were two of many who claimed to be loyal to God, but ultimately lost themselves as they began to “engage” with the Devil in their cells, “We goin’ to Barbados, soon the Devil gits here…,” (4.113). The pressure to uphold the religious innocence that was expected of the accusers resulted in the disruption of Salem’s community and paved way for conflict between the court and those that were affected by the accusations.
ReplyDeleteAs news of the hangings had spread, rebellion became a plausible threat to society after a nearby town had thrown out their court. This increased the intensity between those that were touched by the accusations and the General Court, “...I tell you true, sir, I fear there will be riot here,” (4.117). Parris explains to the judge that Rebecca and John Proctor are well-liked people and if they were to be hanged, then turmoil will rise within the Puritan community. Furthermore, the mass hysteria resulting from the witchcraft scare disrupts others’ ability to distinguish true justice, as is depicted in the court’s decisions. Danforth is a prominent representation of clouded justice for he consistently sides with the accuser since they are considered to be the victim, evidently causing the accused - no matter who - to suffer from the resulting consequences.
Rebecca and John Proctor were once well liked people. However because of their so-called relations to witchcraft, others lose their trust in Rebecca and John Proctor. If it had not been for the witch trials, they would have others' respect. But the witch trials ruined what others thought of them, and social upheaval began. It is amazing that activities such as the witch trials can cause respect of friends or acquaintances to be lost. At the time of the witch trials, individuals are guilty until proven innocent. This makes it almost impossible to become innocent if one is accused. The consequences were harsh, and it was a hard time to live in.
DeleteKeziah Rezaey
DeleteResponse #1
It is interesting how vital of a role religion presents in the Salem society, as that type of relationship between the government and church is not commonly seen in today's time. Considering that role, I agree that religion and the pressure to conform to religious and societal expectations played a role in each of the character's fate. One could say that Abigail lied to preserve her reputation because the association with spirits and the devil would have been damning to her, on top of desiring John Proctor's hand. Tituba and Sarah Good were one of the many accused who were subject to slander and it might have reached a level too much for them to handle. Due to this pressure, they might have adopted the mentality to act as how others perceived them. Reputation and the opinions of others in this theocratic society was key to how each of the characters acted and how fate presented itself.
As for Danforth, despite being associated with the church, he is more concerned with the power struggle occurring within Salem courts and polite society. This is seen when he allows Parris and Hale to plead to Proctor. This raises a question: Does Danforth truly believe in justice or is he concerned with the riots that threaten his position? I agree that possible rebellion and social upheaval changed how the accused could have been judged.
It is certain that Abigail and her friends strong desire to avoid punishment and steer attention from themselves led others’ reputation, like John Proctor, to be severely damaged. The Witch Trials definitely increase the intensity between those that were touched by the accusations and others with different motives. This is especially dangerous in Salem since Christianity is heavily practiced and under a theocratic government. It is very surprising that there was such a time because it seems nearly impossible to be proven innocent if been accused. I agree with the claim you brought up about the possible riot. John Proctor and Rebecca were not considered bad people and the community may be shocked about their “real” identity.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMadison Sands
ReplyDeleteBlog #1
In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, a number of conflicts erupt as people are accused of being witches. There is a main conflict that revolves around John Proctor as he has been keeping numerous things to himself, one involving his affair with Abigail Williams. Proctor fears of his reputation being ruined throughout the novel as he cannot admit his connections with the Devil. He is supposed to be one with God, yet his choice is to be one with the Devil, although he will not admit it. Proctor begins to lose his identity as he forgets one of the commandments when being put on the spot by Reverend Hale. Goody Osburn could not recite one commandment back at court, which proved to the judges that she was in fact a witch. “Theology sir, is a fortress; no count in a fortress may be accounted small” (2.64). Hale is worried that he may have spotted a lie in Proctor, but lets it go until trial. Toward the end of the novel, Proctor slowly loses his identity as well as his religion as he gets weaker and is finally proven connected to the Devil.
I agree with the fact that John Proctor lost himself throughout, but I have to say I do not agree with the fact that he was connected to the devil. John Proctor was a man who committed a horrible sin, but he knew that he was wrong as well as the sin he committed. I believe that is also why he did not end up confessing to something he did not do. It would be a sin to lie and confess to practicing witchcraft when he never had. Although John may have lost himself he was never on the devils side.
DeleteI agree Proctor was in the wrong with his affair with Abigail Williams, however I do not necessarily believe he was involved with the Devil. Just because he could not recite all ten of his commandments does not prove his allegiance with the Devil. Nothing he did within the play would prove a connection to Satan, even though his actions with Abigail were wrong. As stated near the end of the book, many of the witch trials convicted innocent people so Goody Osburn being condemned after failing to recite all of them is not a strong connection for Mr. Proctors connection to the Devil. For him to be one with the Devil, concrete evidence would be needed, however none is due to the fact that there is no viable connection.
DeleteKari Marquis
DeleteI agree that John Proctor did not want the city to know of his adultery because he wanted to keep his good reputation, but I do not believe that there was enough proof to conclude that he was bound to the devil. Proctor even admitted his sin to the court. Unlike many other characters in The Crucible, John Proctor was strong enough to keep his integrity despite any consequences. He could not bring himself to lie to the court even when it meant he would be executed if he didn't. It is my belief that John Proctor was one of the few characters that was strong in their religion through the end of the play, and was able to avoid the temptation of neglecting their religious beliefs and standards. Therefore, in my opinion, John Proctor was not bound to the Devil and was unfairly executed.
God is seen as pure, a leader, and a father to all. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller religion plays a big role in which many of the characters question their faith in God and experience serious consequences which brings social upheaval. The more hysteria brought upon each individual, the more one comes to question their religious values. As the people in Salem are faced with the injustice of the court and neighbors turning on others, Proctor screams "I say-I say-God is dead!"(3.111). Proctor loses his faith in God as he is a Puritan. Proctor being a Puritan means he has to keep his faith in God but because of the manipulation caused by Abigail and the debacle she and the other girls brought upon the town, the people has lost their faith and became sinners.
ReplyDeleteDuring the late 1600s if one was convicted of witchcraft that person would be hung for their crimes. One's reputation was valuable as it redeemed one's virtue. Many of the characters reputation went bad after Abigail and her friends accused certain people to save themselves. The ones accused of the crimes endured a loss of identity and upheaval. Abigail accuses many of witchcraft and as a result, the character have to fight for their identities since it is being questioned. Abigail accuses Mary to be a witch, "Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it's God's work I do" (3.107). This demonstrates how Abigail is manipulating everyone into thinking that the victim is someone she is not, making Mary lose her identity and causing people to question who she is.
I agree that in Mary’s case, Williams accused Mary of being a witch in order to save herself, turning on her own friend, but they don’t just accuse people of witchcraft to save themselves. Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft because “She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold snivelling woman and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a…?” (1.14). This is proof that it isn’t just in interest of saving themselves from physical punishment, but also reputational punishment, or the destruction of one’s reputation. I also agree that with more hysteria comes more social upheaval and thus loss of religion.
DeleteI agree with you that Abigail's accusations are the starting point of the social upheaval in which she takes away identities of the people by manipulating the judges and leaders with her false witnesses. However, I do not believe that Abigail starts accusing people in order to save herself. She was not threatened in any sort of way nor forced to falsely confess like many other people did to save their lives. Her reason for beginning the whole trials was purely out of lust for John Proctor. She even goes out in the night with her friends and drinks blood for she deeply desires John Proctor's wife to die. As you have stated, the people of Salem now have to turn on others and become a sinner in the eyes of God in order to save themselves from being hanged.
DeleteIn The Grapes of Wrath, the social upheaval happens during the Great Depression due to its social and economic conditions. When the wind storm had hit the people’s crops, the men had ”lost their bemused perplexity” while the women and children were caught up by the misfortune that had struck to them. It gave many doubts to the people wondering if there is still hope left for them. Many people have struggled to survive the life during the Great Depression as they experienced the difficulties that come upon them. As a result, they have found new ways in order to live a better life in California. As for Jim Casy, a former reverend at Joad’s church, he witnesses that no matter how many times he preaches,”the sperit ain’t in the people much no more”(Steinbeck 27). When Casy had laid on the grass with the young girls, he thought of it as a sin which have lead to his loss in himself and towards his religion. He continues to question if there is such a thing as God and what is the purpose of man. The loss of religion has impacted the characters’ own sensibility to choose between whether or not to presume their own beliefs. Throughout the Grapes of Wrath, everyone experiences setbacks that can lead to their social upheaval. When the families moved to California, Ma was hesitant on whether or not moving to California will change the way they live. As for Casy, he took responsibility of his sins and retires from preaching. People must be able to accept the unfairness in life and change the way they view by overcoming the negatives that they can surpass.
ReplyDeleteI agree that in order to move on, people must be able to accept what has happened in the past. I feel that it is only natural to question God’s existence and the reason why we exist, I have been there myself. People all make mistakes, some more serious than others, such as Joad’s murder. What sets one apart from another is how they choose to handle it. Casy sees the error of his ways and rather than just change his actions, he gave up his profession that he seemed passionate about. On the other hand, Joad comes to terms with what he has done and moves on from it in order to help his struggling family. They each feel some version of doubt, though what they decide to do about it is what differentiates one from the other.
DeleteI agree within many aspects of your comment. Most of the social upheaval happened during the Great Depression because many people have to find new jobs. The huge dust storm wiped out many farmlands including crops which left people jobless and hungry. Many people including the Joads struggled to sustain themselves and decided to travel westward in search for new jobs.
DeleteAs for the ex-preacher Jim Casey, he relates to most of topic of loss of religion/ social identity since he was uncertain about adhering to his religious ideals because of the bad thoughts and actions he has done. I believe that Casy’s withdrawal holds an important symbolic meaning of the loss of hope which many characters experience during the Great Depression. I strongly agree with that
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ReplyDeleteThe Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller displays loss of religion even in the first scene of the play. Reverend Parris, the minister of Salem’s church is examining his daughter Betty Parris who is rumored to be a victim of witchcraft in Salem. He desires that Abigail Williams give him information about his daughter. He wants this because he discovered Abigail along with Betty and other girls dancing in the forest. However, Abigail does not have much to say to him. “Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character” (1.9). Reverend Parris is frustrated with Abigail and tries to explain to her how he may lose his congregation due to some not wanting to come to church because of relations to his family. He is also frustrated because she will not give him any information about his daughter, who lies in an unresponsive state.
ReplyDeleteIt is Act 1, and the effect of witchcraft is already causing individuals such as Reverend Parris to lose their mindset to paranormal activity. However, once witch trials begin and grow in numbers, many individuals of the town of Salem including Parris lose their faith in God, and lose their trust in others.
I disagree with your notion that Parris experiences loss of religion in Act I. I believe what Parris experienced was not loss of religion but simple concern for his reputation. This can be seen when Parris argues with Proctor, "There is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning!"(1.28). This can be seen as his continued belief in religion. His over the top concern for reputation is shown directly after when he says, "There is a party in this church. I am not blind; there is a cation and a party"(1.29) As unholy as it is to care for his own societal standing over the welfare of his daughter, I do not think it represents loss of religion.
DeleteIdentity constitutes a notable part of how people are regarded by others and by themselves. How a person chooses to act, conform, and deviate from their expected behavior affects the type of identity associated with them. In The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, allegations of witchcraft have been made against people within the seventeenth century town of Salem. Those accused of committing the crime were subjected to either confess or deny their actions, the latter associated with being put to death. John Proctor is a clear example of how such an accusation has led him to consider whether to preserve his identity. In this particular case, the loss of his religion becomes an essential component of Proctor’s identity, as demonstrated when he states, “God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are!” (4.132). By confessing, Proctor sees himself as a liar and a betrayer of his faith, demonstrating a change in how he views his identity. Additionally, Proctor shows how confessing can also impact how he perceives himself when he says, “I have three children - how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?” (4.132). Confessing requires Proctor to identity the names of those he saw with the Devil; by doing so, he would lose his identity by knowing that he sent innocent individuals to their deaths in order to survive. Nevertheless, he concludes that, for him, the loss of his own identity is a more severe consequence than being killed.
ReplyDeleteWith the claims of witchcraft and executions came about the presence of social conflict in response to the justifications for the hangings. As Reverend Parris indicates, “Andover have thrown out the court, they say, and will have no part of witchcraft. There be a faction here, feeding on that news, and I tell you true, sir, I fear there will be a riot here.” (4.117). This backlash against the judicial system can be said to be inevitable as the grounds for a conviction for witchcraft was solely based upon a confession by another person. Danforth, who oversaw the trials held in Salem, justified the naming of people by victims as grounds for a sentence. People who confessed and blamed others, despite the absence of any instances of witchcraft, were in fact lying to save their lives. This irrational method of condemning supposed witches led people, such as the girls, to accuse innocent others and direct attention away from them. Therefore, social upheaval arises as the innocent are killed and those who choose to lie are left with a loss of religion and identity.
In your first paragraph, I strongly agree with your choice of character that represents how the witch trials causes acknowledgment in an individual to force a decision of death or bad reputation. I also concur with your choice of quotes as it greatly represents how important an individual’s integrity towards the rest of society and family. After accessing Proctor’s actions, I too realize that Proctor would have the preference of dying than living with his diminished honor. Then in your second paragraph, I enjoyed the idea of how you said the girls only used the trials to accuse innocent people and direct attention away from themselves.
DeleteJeremiah Lagundino
ReplyDeleteBlog #1
From the beginning of The Crucible, by Arthur Miller the author really portrays the loss of religion in little the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Since the whole town is run by a theocracy others would think that religion would be the main part of the people of Salem. But, an excellent example of the loss of religion and identity was by John Proctor. His life was based of religion but, when he was exposed to the public and that changed opinion of others. Near the end of the novel John Proctor says, “! I confess to God and God has seen my name on this!”(4.132). He says this in fury as he has lost all hope in getting out of prison and totally shows he has lost his full identity. This event shows the human obsession of pride and identity and is only one example of the loss of reputation that came from the social upheaves from the idea of witchcraft being used against the accusations of many others. For example, the accusations of John Proctor’s wife as she was being prosecuted by the authorities while people falsely accusing her of witchcraft. Overall this all leads to the destruction of many people in Salem leading to their loss of religion and identity which is caused by the social upheavals of others.
An individual’s integrity is greatly valued in society as it depicts their actions towards themselves and their peers. A single act of negativity towards another character can greatly change a person’s integrity and honor and this displays the importance of keeping a proper identity. Established in Salem, Massachusetts, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, confronts two major themes, the loss of religion/identity and social upheaval. As it is based in the seventeenth century, the town of Salem was Christianity dominant, inducing the people to pledge allegiance to either the position of God or the Devil with no in-between.
ReplyDeleteThe loss of identity is extremely prominent as numerous accusations of witchcraft was introduced onto the female characters in The Crucible. These accusations of witchcraft are unjust as it is impossible to defend against leading to an unbeneficial judgement; confessing your involvement with the Devil and sacrificing your name or be punished by getting hanged. A prime example of this loss of identity is John Proctor, a highly respectable Christian but, following the witch trials rather be hung than risk the dissolvement of his pure reputation. After confessing that he too has seen the Devil, John Proctor declares, “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!” (4.132). Following his confessions, he feels as if his reputation is already damaged, and signing the papers that affirm that he is affiliated with the Devil on the church door further continues to damage his appearance towards the rest of the town of Salem. Accessing his actions, it is clear that John Proctor would rather stare death into its eyes than face the impaired identity of his when facing the rest of society.
Another outstanding theme shown in the Crucible, is the act of social upheaval. The witch trials not only causes the suffering of many innocent citizens, it also allows an evil character, Thomas Putnam, to strive and further increase his fortune. Although not often formally addressed, it was clear Putnam has an intent to do negative action as he continuously agreed with every accusation towards another character with no motive in doing so. His motives were revealed when Giles Corey brings to light his corrupt intentions, “If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property-that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” (3.89). Even though it had seemed like Putnam was a helpless bystander that supported plaintiffs with no interior motive, his evil intentions were made clear by Corey. Despite assuming the witch trials had a negative impact on everyone, it is shown that not only victims were created but malicious benefactors also appeared.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, it is easy to see the characters lose their identities during the chaos brought on by the witch hunts. The first clear loss of identity is seen in the girls accusing others of witchcraft. These girls were raised in a society where religion is very prevalent. Their upbringing has made their religion a part of their identities. Either as a way to replace the faith they had grown up with or merely as a game, these girls began to participate in activities that the townsfolk deemed to be witchcraft. They still presented their identities as being those of church going people. When it was found that they had been participating in witchcraft, part of their identity had been stripped from them. They dealt with this loss of identity by casting the blame onto others. The second loss of identity is found with the accused. Rebecca Nurse, who had been seen as a prime model of the way to live a Christian life, is a prime example of this. A greatly respected woman was accused of witchery and almost immediately sentenced to hang. To the other townsfolk she had lost her identity as the respected woman. However from her point of view, her neighbors had lost their sense of truth. We can see this again in John Proctor who is a very straightforward and respected man. Although not well liked, he seems to be a truthful man. This identity is first lost when he admits himself to be a lecher and further lost when he is accused of witchcraft. As Rebecca does, he chooses to die in his truth. The final loss of identity is seen in authority figures during the trials and in the subsequent hanging. This is clearly seen in the character of John Hale. He sweeps in wearing an air of confidence in himself and in the Lord which is very quickly worn down by the events of the play until he believes he knows very little about his world or the people who live in it.
ReplyDeleteSocietal upheaval often creates an air chaos and panic. Within this atmosphere, it becomes exceptionally easy to lose ourselves and each other to the doubt this situation creates.
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ReplyDeleteIn the Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is set in Salem, Massachusetts, the religion in this play is Puritanism, which is Protestantism in a more extreme condition. Religion influences society and what happens in the play. Especially between the two characters, Abigail Reverend and Parris John Proctor. In which in these lines “And now, this year, my Ruth, my only- I see her turning strange. A secret child she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin’ on her life too… they were murdered… there is a murdering witch among us.”(1.1.101) This shows how two sided the Puritan society is and how they consider things relating to religion to be either good or bad, nothing following in between. Along with this line found in the description of John Proctor “He is a sinner...These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins.”(1.1.246) which shows how a person can be tainted by doing a bit of unjust. So since the priests are the rulers, they immediately jump on anyone against them, classifying them as evil, and getting identified as involvement with witchcraft, which puts a negative effect on their own identity. In the quote “ I do not wish to be put out like the cat whenever some majority feels whim… there is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning”(1.1) this shows how one’s individualism and expression of one’s thoughts are not tolerated by the Puritan society and how one may feel like their sense of identity has been lost due to the suspicion of witchcraft.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that there is only good and bad, basing it off of their religion, and how religion influences society. Following that I believe that was a very good example of the priests showing how arbitrary they can be to others. They automatically jump to conclusions of which side they are on. Is it god or the devil? This shows that religion does impact society and how they think. Since this specific society is deep into religion and nothing else they seem to choose whether the person is on gods side or not. Do you think if this society had a more equal standing of social status between each other, and there was no so called higher thinkers because they study god, do you think people would be classifying others as evil as much?
DeleteThe priests are on the side of God and the side which they jump onto would be anyone who is thought to be affiliated with witchcraft. There wasn't much of an equal standing because the religion puritanism did not support tolerance of ones individualism and opinion. However one would classify another as evil, for they fear the punishment from he government. So others would indeed be trying to classify that others are part of any witchcraft related activities other than themselves.
DeleteHanah Lee
ReplyDeleteBlog #1
Self identity and faith defines an individual’s journey. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, characters face a loss of identity as social upheaval arises from theological conflict. Those who succumb to the fear of death sign their names away to being an agent of witchcraft, and those who abide by faith are buried in the grave beneath the spits of criticism. Amongst the convicted, there are those like Proctor who cry for their names, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!... How may I live without my name!” (4. 133). Proctor continuously struggles with the authenticity of the Christian Church and societal expectations of Salem. Proctor falls low and cries dead to the almighty, “I say - God is dead!” (3. 111). It is not till his last moments, Proctor’s faith is returned to him as he lets go of the burden of life, and the cost of his life does not take the identity nor faith behind his name. However, the mass fall victim to the pressure and sell their own names and their neighbor’s names to false testament. As the right and the wrong become clouded, and faith is tested, the people of Salem lose their grip on their identity. The value of their hearts and mentalities are put to work and the importance of moral strength is shown in time of hysteria.
Trials of faith and identity draw the deep fault lines of the system and the people. Men sell their neighbors to witchcraft for land and women are persecuted for personal sentiments. As people lose faith, their loss in identity follow. Reverend Hale came to Salem with high ego, ready to help those afflicted by the Devil. Conflicting with what he desired, all that he touched and all that he reached out to help, withered. As mislead convictions are made, Reverend Hale loses his faith in the court and lays down his position. His conscience leads him back to those who are suffering. He falls far from his faith and pleads with the convicted to falsely claim their crime of witchcraft and ask for repentance, “... cleave to no faith when faith brings blood… I beg you woman, prevail upon your husband to confess” (4. 122). Social chaos rose from the questioning of religion and stole the identities of those who had no pride in keeping their name.
Your analysis of Reverend Hale and Proctor's development throughout the play is similar to my own. The quote you used to explain Proctor's unwillingness to tarnish his pure name clearly shows his loss of identity. I agree with your views on innocents being persecuted for their faithfulness to God and those who were able to live broke their loyalty to the church. The clash between faith and identity caused great confusion in individuals like Reverend Hale and Proctor, who held loyalties to both. I also agree with your points on Reverend Hale being a very religious and seemingly arrogant in the beginning of the play. His decline in faith is a strong piece of evidence because of his resignation from the court. Overall I agree with your points on the effect of the Salem witch trials.
DeleteDriven by her lust for John Proctor and for power, Abigail Williams led the town of Salem, Massachusetts into chaos and social turmoil by accusing townspeople of witchcraft in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Being unmarried and an orphan, Abigail Williams is of extremely low social status. Thus, when she realizes that she has the ability to manipulate the town with their fear of witches, Abigail uses this newfound power to raise her status and, along with her friends, gain authority within Salem. The creation of the court to try those accused of witchcraft is a clear sign of the authority Abigail and her friends hold. From the beginning, Abigail is losing her sense of religion, starting with her going into the forest with Tituba as Tituba “conjures”. As Mary Warren points out, "It's a sin to conjure" (1.19). After Mr. Parris finds them and others dancing in the forest, Abigail, Tituba, and Betty claim that they have seen various people with the Devil. This move was meant to draw the attention and potential blame for their actions in the forest away from themselves and onto other people in Salem. Although this may have seemed like an ideal move at the time, it had drastic complications. By accusing people of witchcraft, the entire town of Salem was thrown into a witchhunt madness. Quickly the trials became less about purifying Salem of witches and more about the girls accusing people to achieve other ends. As Giles Corey said in protest to the accusation of George Jacobs being a witch, “If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for his land!” (3.89). This shows how the first witch accusations led to the social turmoil of town skirmishes that were heightened by the ability for people to get rid of those who oppose them or stand in their way. Consequently, Abigail Williams led Salem, while it tried to retain its sense of religion by punishing alleged radicals, to lose its social identity as more and more people were imprisoned or condemned to death. The social upheaval that Salem faced is epitomized by Reverend Hale’s remark that, “there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlot’s cry will end his life” (4.121). This exemplifies how Abigail Williams and her followers have caused the town of Salem to fall apart at its seams. Not only are the physical elements of the town deteriorating, like the rotten crops and free ranging cattle, but the very essence of the town, the individuals in the town that now fear for their lives, has been altered. Sparked by the words of Abigail Williams and her friends, the social upheaval of the witch trials transformed the town of Salem, Massachusetts into a society rooted in fear and distrust of one’s neighbor, where this group of girls was able to cause individuals to lose their identity by accusing them of horrific crime of witchcraft.
ReplyDeleteWell said! I definitely agree that the court's goal of restoring peace among the people soon became blurred with the girls' ulterior motives. Also, stating her lower social status being one of the factors is a good point. As her grip on Salem quickly tightened, many failed to realize the real effects the witch hunt madness had on their society. Abigail's lack of sympathy in the wake of her cruel doings further goes to show her loss of touch with the religious way of life. She has victimized herself without hesitation, compelling others to follow. She truly set the stage for chaos, destroying others' identities along with her own.
DeleteIn the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, is about social upheaval between people and their identity. Everyone fears for their identity because any clue or sign of witchcraft from themselves or related family members could result in death. The endeavor to keep a clean image is ambitious because of social upheaval intervening others identity. Reverend Parris’ effort for life is to condemn any public confessions of witchcraft of the person relating to him by blood. People in the Town of Salem are vigilant towards each other in their effort to keep away from death. In particular, people are cautious even to the point of mistrusting family members and friends. “PARRIS, studies here, then nods, half convinced: Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character. I have given you a home, child. I have put clothes upon your back—now give me an upright answer.” (1.63.64) This shows that people will change based off the situation and safety for their life. Reverend Parris’ is an example of relations with Abigail Williams causing social upheaval and caution. Ever since Abigail was caught along with Betty dancing along in the woods, Reverend has suddenly changed within encounters between Abigail “I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!”(1.473.479) This shows that Abigail engaged in witchcraft which is opposing to her religion of puritanism. She lost her religion by engaging into a ritual from witchcraft and now regrets that fact, deciding to revert back to the light of God.
ReplyDeleteI agree that many people in this play change their stances on different topics to remain in good standing, but I was wondering if you thought that Abigail's actions had any effect on her identity or the identities of those around her. She is at the center of the witch trials and arguably is the reason for the whole commotion. As can be seen in the omitted scene, she is not at all a victim and is very much in control of the situation around her so much so that others around her will blindly follow her lead in many serious situations. She could be seen as the puppeteer of the whole show. What effect do you think her actions had on her identity?
DeleteI believe that Abigail's actions had a huge effect on the people surrounding her and no effect on her own identity. Since her social position in this society is soo low, no one really cares of firing back at her because she doesn't really have anything to lose. She has no parents since they were killed when she was a child, and in a society like this women were thought to be lower than men. It would be much easier to accuse someone with a high social standing than a low standing, basing it off the fact of how much you have to lose. It seems like people are only targeting others who beholds either equal or higher social status. So no I believe that her actions had either little or no effect to her identity regarding how low her social status is.
Delete"You people seem not to comprehend that a minister is the Lord's man in the parish; a minister is not to be lightly crossed and contradicted"(28.21), stated by Rev. Parris, conveys to the reader of The Crucible the discrepancies of religion and the use of religion as given authority from god. As Rev. Parris evidently holds himself on a higher stature, it is apparent that religion is abused in the sense that it gives unreasonable justification over the extended set of rights held by religious figures. As the intended purpose of religion is lost in a sea of confusion and contradictions, while natural human desires take over, the consequences are severe and result in a misuse of power and a violation of moral ethics. As religion has held itself throughout history while defining the purpose to life (and still does to this day), is it possible for religion to hold its values while avoiding the “prophetic qualities” that “god-chosen” men supposedly have? Arthur Miller puts forth this question by illustrating the Salem witch trials in which religion played a key role in the execution of several innocent individuals.
ReplyDeleteMorality is weakened by religion as it constitutes a power system that easily can become corrupt. As authority is evident to corrupt in any source of power such as religion, government or even human relationships, it is wise to continually put in use independent thought and intolerance to governing forces as portrayed by John Proctor, the protagonist in The Crucible, “I mean it solemnly, Rebecca; I like not the smell of this “authority”.
I agree with your viewpoint on religion being abused as an extended set of rights. Many religious figures from the renaissance such as the Clergy, have essentially more power than the nobility. The recovery of many classical christian sources have lead to a new inquiry on independent thought and it challenges many concepts of the Roman Catholic religion. Challenging religion is an extremely hard task to follow through on because of the wide base of believers. I also would like to state that religion as you stated, still holds itself throughout history and it allows many people to reflect back on the origins of religion in order to follow the orthodox teachings. What is your viewpoint on the many branches of different religions bending the teachings to their will?
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ReplyDeleteThe most notorious atrocities happen not because society is blind, but because society is desensitized by social upheaval allowing terrible things to go unnoticed. This is comparable to orchestras, where faulty conductors will fail to deliver soft notes after a loud noise. Hitler’s rise in Germany is a perfect example. Hitler used the financial crisis and panic in Germany as leverage to rise in popularity. Through propaganda and other means, what was unspeakable before became the norm. This type of phenomenon is prevalent in the Crucible, where where morals and ethics are completely thrown out the window, revealing the brutally grotesque nature of humans. Like many other atrocities, the one in Salem was fuelled by fear. Fear of witchcraft, which then turned into fear of being accused, pitted once friendly neighbors against each other. This created an environment of paranoia where even the social ladder was overturned. At one point in the play judge danforth believes Abigail, a young lowly female servant over Proctor, a respected male figure and says, “I have seen your power; you will not deny it!” (3.111). Such situation would be unheard of in a typical 17th century town, but it became reality through social upheaval in times of panic.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the play, Proctor struggled with keeping his identity. Proctor wanted to maintain his image as a pure man, but when Abigail started using accusations as a platform to carry out revenge, Proctor made the decision to publicly confess his affair in order to reveal Abigail as fraud. This soils Proctors “pure” standing and leads to the loss of his identity.
As we can see in this student’s example on Hitler we see a clear connection on how the town of Salem is under a chaotic state such as Germany was during the reign of Hitler. Also the fact of how Yuji brings up the fact of how the townspeople of Salem were stirred by fear and eventually started to accuse each other of being a practice of witchcraft. This has another clear connection to the people of Germany becoming more inhumane and giving up the Jews to the Germans. Overall we can see that Yuji has a clear understanding of the Crucible and anyone is able to connect or relate to his blog post with their own.
DeleteI somewhat understand the point Jayson is making here about loss of identity due to the fright caused by the witch craft activities. At times one's fear gets the best of their identity forcing them to change due to circumstances. It is possible that before any sign of witchcraft in Salem that many lived in peace and kindness with one another. Nonetheless, the witch hunts provided many with the opportunity to seek revenge on people they loathed. It is a sense of power, in my opinion. The society had the power to punish anyone they disliked or in plain view showed resemblance to a witch. However, I believe that branding Proctor as the “main victim of the whole witchcraft act” is too broad as he was not the only victim. There were many that were accused, such as Rebecca who was known for her good works and Elizabeth who was a woman full of kindness. It is appropriate to appeal that Proctor did lose his faith in God and in humanity. For instance, Mary Warren was supposed to tell the court that the act she had pulled with Abigail and the girls was fake and that there were no spirits attacking her. This was to save not only Elizabeth, but also all the innocent people accused of practicing witchcraft. Due to the pressure; however, Mary strayed far from the truth and joined Abigail in another facade in an attempt to depict the devil trying to hurt them.
DeleteOnly the individual knows his own true character no matter how he may perceive himself to be to others. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible features a town in utter chaos due to the social upheaval that has arisen due to the actions of its inhabitants. During the year of 1692 in the city of Salem how others perceived an individual could be the impending cause of their death. Abigail William’s lust toward John Proctor resulted in her accusing his wife, Elizabeth, of being involved with witchcraft in hopes of taking her place in John’s life. By the end of the play John is faced with an ultimatum, to either confess to have interacted with the Devil and ruin his name but be allowed to live or to be executed. Loss of identity is evident in this play due to the people’s compliance with tainting their name in hopes of keeping their life. Mary Warren was initially involved with Abigail Williams, Mercy Lewis, and Susanna Walcott in accusing innocent people of being involved with witchcraft, but towards the end of the play she is out to tell the truth about their wrongdoings. Ultimately, she does not succeed due to the girls perceiving her to have been inflicting fear and pain on them with the use of her spirit, “She’s going to come down! She’s walking the beam” (3.109). The words of others are taken over sufficient evidence during this time which is one of the reasons for the injustice that had occurred.
ReplyDeleteThe point you made on how other perceive someone could eventually lead to their death is very accurate in the play, The Crucible. Elizabeth Proctor is forced to either turn against her husband and tell the truth about Abigail or admit to witchcraft, yet in both cases a negative outcome is possible. I also agree with your other point of people allowing themselves to alter their name in hopes of saving their life. Mary Warren changed her point of view in hopes of saving herself, even if it meant turning against her so called friends. Lastly, I agree with the point you made that people's words were taken over evidence a great amount during this time. When someone made a claim or statement almost everyone assumed it to be true, especially during the accusations that Abigail Williams made about witchcraft.
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ReplyDeleteIn Arthur Miller's The Crucible, In this era a man's worth was determined by their pride and land but both of these contribute to the loss of religion/identity and Social Upheaval. The best example of loss of religion/identity is brought along with the character named John Proctor who constantly reminds us that he is in a constant battle in his mind of whether or not to lose his good name or save innocent lives, instead he chose to save his good name and let innocent people be prosecuted, even though he chooses to eventually give up his good name it has become to late to save anyone as many are at stake of losing their reputation in the Salem society. Those who were convicted were not the only ones who had lost their identity/religion as the prosecutors in their reign of power also begin to lose sight of religion and their true identity as the power has taken over them but this power begins to spread as neighbors and friends turn on each other blaming one another of sorcery or witch craft in order to save themselves. Their acts are considered acts of greed which has caused them to lose all morality as they turned on each other for either land or even for a good name in the Salem society, the family who really portrays these acts the most is he Putnam family as they convict many in order to gain their land and is clearly shown as they convict a man who had such great lad that only the Putnam's could buy and this was presented by Giles Corey to the judge but this had not changed his wife's fate.
ReplyDeleteThe true cause of social upheaval starts when Betty, the daughter of a renowned minister named Reverened Parris, falls into a strange stupor after Parris catches her and the other girls dancing in the forest with Tituba. Her illness and that of Ruth Putnam fuel the first rumors of witchcraft, and this later leads to judge Danforth wrongfully convicting people in the attempt of saving the courthouse's reputation which really brings out how much they have lost their identity and religion as this goes against everything they believe in but he believes it must be done to save the good name of the courthouse, which was really his own. If Danforth was in the wrong and John proctor and Giles Corey were right it would put the judges reputation at risk in which he would not let that happen so he causes more chaos by wrongfully prosecuting men and women which had caused an even more violent social upheaval. To finish this off all ,of this had begun with the throbbing heart of Abigail who was involved with John Proctor sexually and her dying hate towards Salem in which she wanted to destroy but also gain the love of her life John, when she had received such massive power against all of the people of Salem she chose to use this power to get rid of those who stopped her from her goal which included John Proctors wife, Elizabeth proctor and Tituba.
Isabella Niblock
ReplyDeleteIn Arthur Miller's the crucible, the theme loss of religion is shown heavily. It all started because the main protagonist, John Proctor, had an affair with a young girl named Abigail. Abigail felt that John should be with her and not his wife Elizabeth. One night Reverend Parris catches girls from the village preforming a sort of ritual and dancing nude in the woods, among the girls is his daughter, Betty and niece, Abigail. The next morning Betty is unconcious causing others to believe the girls were practicing witchcraft. The girls did not want to be called witches so Abigail came up with a story and they all stuck with it. they also began blaming others in the village for being witches, among one of the people blamed was Goody Proctor, Johns wife. John knew his wife was not a witch so he tried everything to show his wife was not. John takes his maid ,Mary Warren, who had previously agreed with Abigail and the other girls. Mary says she has changed her mind and that the other girls were making things up, immediately Abigail and the others begin to act as if Mary was hurting them. Mary quickly changes back and says that John forced her to say everything and he follows the devils orders. John is then arrested for witchcraft after saying "God is dead!"(Act 2. Scene 2.pg.74). The night before John is to be hanged Elizabeth comes to his cell to convince him to confess to his charges. John finally agrees and confesses ,but they want to post his confession on the church door so he once again says he was not guilty and is hung. I believe that loss of religion is shown in the Crucible by John Proctor. The court tells him that if he doesn't confess to something he never did he will be killed. If he was truly a religious man of course he would not be working for the devil ,but when the people forced it on him he lost faith and started to believe "God is Dead" as he said before he was arrested.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, loss of religion is a commonly represented theme. Examples can be found throughout the book, but none so thoroughly as that of Reverend John Hale. At the beginning, Hale believes completely that there is witchcraft within Salem. He asks Tituba once, "When did you compact with the Devil?" (1.24). At this time, he is a thorough believer in witchcraft within Salem. However, by the end, he finds that the trials are killing innocent people, as is seen when he says in reference to the confessions of the accused “It is a lie!-they are innocent!” (5.82).
ReplyDeleteAnother commonly represented theme in The Crucible is social upheaval. This is caused by the chaos and betrayal seen throughout the Salem Witch Trials. Social upheaval can be considered not only the cause, but also the result of loss of religion and chaos. It leads to the possibility of rebellion as well as paranoia and a general fear descending upon the town, as seen when Parris says “You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me. I dare not step out at night” (5.80). He realizes the danger of what he is stirring a little too late. This is further proven by Andover, where a rebellion throws out the court for hanging people.
Ethan, while I agree that loss of religion is a common theme in The Crucible, I don’t think Reverend Hale is the best example. Even near the end of the book he still seems to be a firm believer, his conflict in my opinion seems to be more around how he let this tragedy happen. “If you think God wills you to raise rebellion Mr. Danforth, you are mistaken!” (4. 120). Hale still believes he can hear what God is saying and communicate with him. While many others seem to have lost their faith in God, I believe Hale lost his faith in his common man.
DeleteMadelyn Ferguson
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 was largely based on the Puritan religion. When the witch trials happened the town transformed to a “theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together and to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies.” (1.15). In the book The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams and her group of girls start accusing respectable, Christian women of witchcraft, the social order that held the town together is disrupted. With the witch trials came a sense of distrust, with neighbors turning on neighbors, and friends turning on friends. The God that the entire town was based upon was suddenly not enough to keep people from turning in their loved ones on acts of witchcraft in order to save themselves. This resulted in a major switch for the townspeople since before everything in their lives revolved around the church and the pastor and God. For a town that was founded on the Puritan religion Salem was still a group of jealous people, who used their religion for the downfall of many.
A great example of this is John Proctor, due to the fact that in the beginning of the play he was the most religious of men. Whether this is because he was trying to makeup for the sins he committed before the play started, as he committed adultery with Abigail Williams when she worked for him and his wife, or because he is actually a religious man to the core with one fault is not specified within the play. However, at the end of the play he is escorted to be hanged since he chose to keep his name intact and not sign the document that would claim he was guilty but let him live. At first he verbally admitted to it because he wanted to live, however he did not want to sign the document and ruin his reputation so he maintained his original morals and let himself go to be hanged. The social change of the town is not demonstrated in the individual Mr. Proctor, as the majority of the townspeople let go of their religious disbelief in lying in order to save themselves but he refused to admit to something he did not do.
I disagree with your statement that John Proctor "was the most religious of men"(Ferguson) at the beginning of the play. John Proctor had skipped Sabbath more than once just because he disliked some of his fellow townspeople or more specifically, Mr. Parris. He also considered praying at home a proper substitute for missing Sabbath which also shows poorly on his religious commitment. While you did mention John Proctor's crime of adultery, which is much more immoral than occasionally skipping out on Sabbath, this crime can hardly be considered something you can make up for. This crime also led Mr. Proctor to lie to his wife about his affair with lying being another sinful act.
DeleteMadison Jessup
ReplyDeleteBlog Entry #1: the loss of religion
The Grapes of Wrath
In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the loss of religion occurs through Jim Casy. He was once a preacher at Joad’s church and felt the loss of his identity through his loss of religion. While Casy was talking to Joad he said, “Just Jim Casy now. Ain’t got the call no more. Got a lot of sinful idears-but they seem kinda sensible” (Steinbeck 20). Casy does not see himself as a preacher anymore, but as a regular man who is no longer devoted to God. The spirit comes back to him every once in a while, but his heart is not in it anymore. He second guesses himself on the fact that there may not even be a God which leads him to look back on his life when all he knew was God. He also second guesses what the idea of sinning is because the ideas that he has seem reasonable for him to perform in his life. This makes him lose his identity since he no longer agrees with the virtues of God that he preached.
Authoritative religious figures such as priests, reverends, and/or nuns dedicate their lives to guiding others, bettering the lives of everyone, and spreading the word of God. Reverend Jim Casy from The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck states his loss of devotion in preaching his religious ideals when he states, “‘The hell with it! There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue.There’s just stuff people do,’” (Steinbeck 23). Casy’s statement shows his uncertainty whether or not he should follow the word of God, or to base judgement solely through human interaction and/or spirit. As a reverend that preached regularly, Casy is in a conflicting situation that makes him believe that his talent as a preacher is not worth sharing to other people because of his bad deeds. As a preacher who once adhered to the principles of Christianity, others who were still devoted to his words might be confused about his departure.
ReplyDeleteSocial upheaval becomes apparent when the dust storm destroyed most of the farmlands along with the crops. Many people lost their jobs and needed another way to make an income. Since farming was a common job in the mid-states, and because of this sudden disaster, many people struggle to make ends meet to provide for their families let alone themselves. A large population of people begin to travel towards the west in search for new jobs however, it is still tough to compete for a place with many people searching for the same thing. Based on the Joad’s experience travelling towards California, they have had many conflicts, struggles, and hardships.
Tracy Remedios
DeleteI agree with your explaining of the purpose of which why Casy lost his faith, because he is embarrassed by his sins. It is strange to me to ever think of a priest, nun, or reverend losing his/her faith. However I don’t think that there is any person in the world who as not sinned. We are not born perfect. From a religious point of view, if it wasn’t for Eve disobeying orders and eating the sacred fruit from the garden humans would be pure and immortal. However since that is not the case, everyone has done something that they are ashamed of, but that doesn’t make us evil. If Casy had truly believed and followed God then he would have realized that God had sent his only son to die for us. By performing this great deed to humankind he got rid of the sins us humans have committed. Casy was right about one thing, “‘there’s just stuff people do.’” (Steinbeck 23) This statement shows that sin is something humans can’t control to do. This is why I honestly thought that Casy should have continued in his belief.
I agree with your statement in Casy’s change in virtue. Reverent Casy’s actions reflect onto his own life and his change in ethics. The sins he committed as a preacher brought about the outlook he perceived on other people. I also agree that social upheaval appeared when families were evicted and lost their jobs. When the people started to migrate west, it started a movement that would create social change. Families were separated, land was left unattended and homes were abandoned, these were the affects of the migrations. The overwhelming migration caused rapid change due to the fact that multitudes of people were all inhabiting one area.
DeleteI agree the dust bowl caused much social upheaval. Many people in the Midwest lost almost all of their possessions and fell lower on the social scale. Then when those people moved to California looking for work, they were looked down on and treated very poorly. Many families struggled to find places to sleep and work with good pay. This gets especially hard when there are thousands of families going in the same direction and looking for the same thing. The Joads definitely experience these struggles while searching for rest spots and work. Because of this, many of the local residents believed they were superior to the foreigners.
DeleteNicholas Russell
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
All people worry about their image or how others see them, and do things to get the image they want. In the Crucible by Arthur Miller, a Puritan town called Salem in Massachusetts is torn apart by witch trials, which disrupted this towns sense of peace and religion. Social upheaval was on display everywhere as family members turned on family members, and friends turned on friends so they wouldn't be prosecuted as witches. A young girl named Abigail Williams and her friends did a terrible thing based off of greed, and lust by accusing innocent Christian women of being witches. Her motive was to get back at Elizabeth Proctor because she was jealous of her relationship with John Proctor. Abigail and John had an affair together, Abigail was fired from being their servant by Elizabeth, and this was Abigail's form of revenge. This is also a loss of religion because Abigail put her greed and lust before her religion by lying and getting innocent people persecuted and sentenced too death. John Proctor then experiences an ultimatum to admit to his adultery or affair with Abigail too the court in order too save his wife and others from their sentence and does so, but tat this point it is too late for them. John Proctor struggled and battled with the decision too admit too it because as a religious man he did not want too lose that image.
I agree with the fact that all people constantly worry about their image, and will go to extreme lengths to protect it. People also do whatever it takes to get what they want. I also agree that the trials absolutely disrupted the town and the religion that was set very high on a pedestal. Although I don't necessarily agree with the point you made about Abigail accusing people for greed, because she wasn't getting any money out of it. The way that I perceived the book made me think that Abigail was either working for Lucifer, or just purely wanted to persecute innocent people as a pastime. She committed an excessive amount of crimes out of revenge and lust.
DeleteAbigail is a great example of the theme of loss of faith and identify within The Crucible; however, your focus gravitates more towards Abigail’s vengeance rather than elaborating upon the struggle of loss in herself that led to her false accusations. This is evident as Abigail throws her faith and identity away to put all those who are corrupt to their deathbed. As for Proctor, I support your claim about his loss in faith, but I have a differing opinion from your stance on the reason behind it. I believe Proctor was more concerned about blackening the righteous acts of those who had fallen for their faith. I do not think that it was his image that Proctor was most concerned with, but his identity that he wanted to keep for himself. Rather than caring about the eyes of the public, he was concerned with religious righteousness. It was a fight between him and his faith, not with the appeal to others.
DeleteIn The novel The Crucible by Arthur Miller the story takes place in the city Salem, Massachusetts. The citizens of the town are very religious. They follow a religion called Puritanism. This is where they are very sensitive of what people do and are very skeptical if you do something that is unholy. In this city if you are caught in the act of witchcraft then you are immediately sentenced to death for being in the grasp of the devil. In the story John Proctor is a victim of Abigail who has a lust towards him. He finds out about this and tries to bring this to order but Abigail uses his wife Elizabeth to hinder his decision. Loss of identity is shown in this story with people who are part of the acts of witchcraft try to cover them up so they don’t get caught. Also we see a lot accusation against the innocent people of Salem. Overall we see that John Proctor is a main victim of the whole witchcraft act and eventually causes of loss of his identity as well.
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DeleteI disagree with your statement that “Loss of identity is shown in this story with people who are part of the acts of witchcraft try to cover them up so they don’t get caught. ” (Yi). No one is a part of witchcraft in this story, but rather, everyone accuses others of affiliating with witchcraft for their personal advantages. To me, witchcraft in this story is used as an opposite to harmony and goodness, and because at that time the fear and stress to Devil and witchcraft were so vigorous, it appeared to most people—even the judges—a delusion to the existence of Devil. That is why Mary Warren states that “I--I used to faint because I—I thought I saw spirits” (99). She has never seen spirits, but under that circumstance of other girls screaming, she thinks that she sees spirits. Similarly, no one experienced witchcraft in Salem, but it is the panic that makes everyone believe that some among them are witches.
DeleteI agree on your part when you claimed that, "This is where they are very sensitive of what people do." since the government, the priests, dislike the opposition to their religion. Which would naturally have witchcraft be an act of evil and followers would be sentenced to death. Going along with Yifan, I also agree that just the affiliation has gotten the people guilty, but I contest the fact that it was used as an opposition to harmony. It may be true it had gone against harmony, but it may have just been fear that had many turned to witchcraft.
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ReplyDeleteYifan You
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
In The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, in the town of Salem, everyone is in constant fear of the Devil and Hell. Because of their ongoing struggle with the Indians and many other problems for which they have no explanation, people star to believe that the ones from hell had been stirring up the problems because Devil is directly opposed to Heaven, and the latter symbolizes harmony and righteousness.
This tension is triggered when Tituba confessed her affiliation with Devil in the village. Her confession provokes upheaval and hysteria in the town, which quickly resulted into a witch-hunt. As Judge Danforth says, witchcraft is “an invisible crime” (93) and “who may possibly be witness to it?” (93), anyone who has opposition would be easily incriminated. Therefore, the suppressed personal grudges and political turmoil which predate the discovery of witchcraft begin to express themselves and evoke tragedy in Salem. Some people, particularly Parris and Abigail, fabricate accusations to eliminate their enemies, while John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and many other dissidents are convicted and hanged.
John Proctor, the protagonist of the story, is a farmer in the town Salem. He did not testify against the girls at the beginning for the sake of protecting his own reputation. As the play progresses, he witnesses the absolute intolerance of the court, the judges misguided by the apparent fraud, and innocent people executed; these things go strong against his conscience. Gradually, he experiences a loss of religion: He could not reconcile the injustice with his notion of God. Therefore, he cries: “I say—I say—God is dead!” (111). At the end of the play, after he signs the papers which declares him guilty, he immediately scratches the paper, because he cannot lose his own identity and his reputation; in doing so he becomes an erect man, with his character bounded to integrity, not to moral transgression.
In response to your blog Yifan, you bring up an excellent point when you stated that anyone who opposes the witch hunts occurring in Salem, is inclined to be the next victim. As you mentioned it is not difficult to accuse one of using witchcraft. This plays a role into spreading fear, and allowing people to harm their enemies. This is evident as you commented with Mr. Parris and Abigail Williams. However, I disagree with you when you state that Mr. Proctor refuses to testify against the girls for his own reputation. I believe that he did not care about what others thought of him. He is an intelligent man whose main concern involves how individuals are misusing religion for their personal gain. In contrast Mr. Proctor cares not for his own, but rather the girls reputations. For example, in Act 2 Scene 2 he tells Abigail that he plans to reveal their affair. He states, “I come to tell you, Abby, what I will do tomorrow in the court. I would not take you by surprise, but give you all good time to think on what to do to save yourself” (2. 142). In the end of the second paragraph you acknowledged a pivotal point in the play, in which Mr. Proctor refuses to sign the papers. However, once again Mr. Proctor does not make this decision with his reputation in mind. He decides to speak the truth, for he believes it is the morally correct path to follow. His image in society does not compel him to compromise his life. His morality and loss of identity are the primary causes.
DeleteFaith Juran
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, depicts two opposing positions that cause a major amount of social upheaval and unrest. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the seventeenth century. The conflict that is occurring is between two groups, the devout Christians, and those who have been accused of performing witchcraft, or working for the Devil. “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there is no road between.” (3.87). This clarifies the fact that during the Salem witch trials, there were two concrete sides, and if you didn't choose which side you were on, the court chose for you. In the beginning of the trials, anyone who preformed witchcraft was to be hung, but the Salem witch trials quickly turned into much more than that. If anyone had a suspicion of a person performing witchcraft and the person accused denied it, they were to be hung. Many people, such as Abigail Williams, took advantage of this. Abigail and all of her friends were accusing innocent people for revenge. Abigail Williams, along with many other characters, experience a loss of religion. Although the conflict was initiated by the loss of religion in Salem, so much time was wasted convicting innocent people for crimes they did not commit, that people began losing sight in their religion. John Proctor also went through a loss of religion and identity, as he stated that he did not enjoy going to church because he did not like Reverend Parris and did not see the light of God in him. Such a vast amount of people were involved in the trials, it left Salem feeling absolutely empty, “There be so many cows wanderin’ the highroads, now their masters are in the jails, and much disagreement who they will belong to now.” (4.115). In Salem, whether or not a person was convicted, or even involved at all, they lost their perception of religion. If a person was convicted they faced a choice, should they be alive as a liar with a crushed reputation, or a dead honorable man.
I agree with this absolutely. If you defended the accused you were against the church, if you didn't anything that was strictly for the church, it was counted against it. The church saw everything that wasn't an alliance as a threat, and so it left them believing that Abigail and her girls were as pure as the word of God. When in reality, they are where and why the corruption started. I think only those involved, could truly know where they stand. Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey never wavered a day in their beliefs or their identities. They knew who they were and what they had faith in, whether the church saw it or not.
DeleteI agree with your point that if a person did not choose what side of the trial they were on, the court would choose for them. The court did not give people the chance to defend themselves before deciding that these people were working for the Devil. I also agree with your thought that people lost their sight on religion due to the court convicting people for crimes they did not commit. If the court looked into what could possibly be happening, the people of Salem might not have turned their backs on the church. The townspeople could have moved on with their lives instead of fearing for their names and their dignity.
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ReplyDeleteIn the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, all of the characters experience the social upheaval of the Salem witch trials. Before the witch trials, “hard work kept the morals of the place from spoiling, for the people were forced to fight the land like heroes for every grain of corn, and no man had very much time for fooling around” (1.1.4). This strictness and work ethic led to an ordered society and general contentment. However, by end of the trials, “there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlots’ cry will end his life…” (4.1.121). This sudden change from a balanced society to a chaotic theocracy removes the stability of Salem in favor of rule by fear and the slaughter of all who oppose the regime.
ReplyDeleteReverend John Hale, although not a citizen of Salem, participates in the witch trials. He experiences the same loss of identity and faith as the citizens. When first confronted with the problems of Salem, Hale “feels himself allied with the best minds of Europe… he knows the exaltation of the blessed whose intelligence… is finally called upon” (1.300). He contributes to the regime and at first considers it to be in the right. Over the course of the play, however, he realizes that, in his participation, “what [he] touched with [his] bright confidence, it died; and where [he] turned the eye of [his] great faith, blood flowed up” (4.122). The witch trials lower his confidence in his abilities, force him to question the knowledge he has accumulated, and modify his interpretation of the Bible.
Accusing one of witchcraft was the pretext that was utilized by the townspeople of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 for one's personal gain and another's personal loss. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, neighbors began accusing each other of witchcraft in order to settle past grudges or benefit from the imprisonment of the accused persons.
ReplyDeleteThe accused were brought to court to defend themselves, and most were hanged if they did not confess to having connections with the devil. These witch trials stirred up anger within the community due to the fact that there was no hard evidence of witchcraft needed in order to accuse someone of it. The imprisonment of an alleged witch was justified only by a claim from one of the townspeople. As the Deputy Governor Danforth stated, the only witnesses to witchcraft are the victim and the witch, "Therefore, we must rely upon her [the witch's] victims-and they do testify, the children certainly do testify" (3.93). An example of accusation for personal gain is Abigail's claim on Elizabeth proctor. Abigail claimed Elizabeth was a witch in order to replace her position in the Proctor household. She was a servant to the Proctor family until Elizabeth discovered that she had a secret affair with John Proctor. This was Abigail's way to regain Proctor's love, which was a failure. Another example is Ann Putnam's accusation of Rebecca Nurse as a witch. Putnam was jealous that Nurse's offspring were all alive and healthy, whereas she lost all but one of her children at birth. She was charged with the murdering of Ann Putnam's babies, fueled by jealousy.
These claims not only caused social upheaval, but also caused a loss of religion and personal identity within Salem's residents. Some of the accused witches contemplated on confessing an alliance with the devil or accepting death. Many were hung to death due to their decision to not swear alliance to the devil. Confessing to communing with the devil would have destroyed their reputation, socially as well as religiously. But some, however, did swear allegiance to the devil, such as Sarah Good and Tituba. Although they get to live, they have lost their religion and their religious righteousness. John Proctor himself lost his good reputation to these witch trials. In order to save his wife's life and to declare Abigail a fraud, he had to confess his affair with her. He hoped that ruining his name and reputation would be enough to render Abigail's accusations false and save Elizabeth's life, but this was not the case. Mary Warren claimed that Proctor was a man of the devil, and he was inevitably arrested. Proctor was also faced with the question of whether or not he would accept death over an alliance with the devil. He would not accept death, but he would not confess to communing with the devil also. Wanting to live, he is forced to make a false confession that he did talk to the devil, but he refused to sign the transcript of his confession. Signing his name onto the transcript would further worsen his reputation so he decided not to allow this and he tore the document. He accepted to die an honest man without affiliation with the devil and with love for God.
Kari Marquis
ReplyDeleteBlog entry #1
Individuals disregard their religious standards during times of crisis. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, this is illustrated through Elizabeth Proctor. Throughout the play, the belief that God damns liars is persistently stressed. Elizabeth Proctor is a respected, Christian woman with a good reputation throughout the town of Salem. Elizabeth even says when she is accused of being bound to the devil, "I am a good woman, I know it" (2. 66). Elizabeth is faithful in the gospel but still is disobedience of the commandments of God when she is placed in a critical situation. She is asked if her husband, John Proctor, is a lecher. Although she is a religious woman who believes that honesty is a crucial factor in the salvation of one's soul, she lies for the sake of her husband's reputation and tells the court that he had been faithful to her. Elizabeth's actions illustrate a loss of religion because she chose to put her husband's pride before her religious beliefs. By making something else a higher priority than her religion, it is clear that Elizabeth has chosen to neglect her previous beliefs in order to protect something of worldly importance; pride and reputation.
I agree that people sometimes forgo their religious beliefs for something that they believe is better in their situation. This takes a lot of courage because religion often dictates many aspects of a person’s life and after, including their fate after death. Each religion often has archaic concepts that may have been relevant in the past but are not anymore. People do, however, manipulate the religion’s teachings in order to manipulate people because they now believe it is what God intended, as is the case against the LGBTQIA+ community. If God, however, were to truly damn liars, this would have been a bad decision, because one only lives for so long, but Heaven or Hell is forever.
Delete-Puja Vasan
I agree with the fact that Elizabeth disregarded her belief that lying is against God's will in order to protect her husbands reputation. With her decision to do so she suffered from the loss of religion, however, I also think that John Proctor had a loss of religion because not only did he commit adultery, but he also was willing to do anything to get his wife's name cleared. He threatened Abigail and he was forcing Mary Warren to testify against Abigail. Both of these actions are sinful and go against the ten commandments. Both Elizabeth and John's loss of religion were provoked by the paranoia of people being accused of witchcraft and being sentenced to death.
DeleteTracy Remedios
ReplyDeleteLoss of Religion/ Social upheaval and conflict
“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
Blog #1
In life one is taught from childhood to keep faith in whatever they believed in. Many people hold high religious beliefs even in our modern scientific and industrialized world. By believing in a power greater than us we feel reassured of our complete safety. However in life everyone goes through a difficult time, in which they must choose a path to follow. Once this process begins one starts to doubt everything he/she knows. In the novel ,“ Grapes of Wrath”, the author John Steinbeck illustrates how one of the major characters, Jim Casy also known as the preacher, loses his faith in God. He philosophically extends his knowledge to question whether there is a God or not. Although everyone already knew that he ended his preaching career, they did not want change. People prefer everything to stay the same, because it has a welcoming feeling. Most people aren’t ready for change.
Since the book took place in the time of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the characters moved around suffering desperately in search of a job, to pay for meat and bread. They wonder what they did wrong in life to have to deserve this horrible faith As amount of jobs decreased the rate of unemployment increased, alongside the amount of money for everything in the stores. Without money no person can survive in this world, this leads to an immense social upheaval. With people believing that there isn't a God watching them they begin to look down on the lower working class. The types of situations the travelers go through are inhuman. Most of them die of diseases, malnutrition, and exhaustion. These travelers get misjudged for troublemakers. They are no longer treated like an equal. The townspeople, policemen , and storekeepers mistreated theses individuals. “Before i knowed it, I was sayin’ out loud, ‘The hell with it! There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue.There’s just stuff people do. It’s all part of the same thing’”(4.35) This quote stated by Casy shows his lack of believe in there being someone watching over all our sins. This shows how the upper classes get away with the mistreatment of the lower classes, because they have established a strong belief among themselves that the migrant workers are all bad people.
“I figgered there just wasn’t no hope for me an’ I was a damned ol’ Hypocrite. But I didn’t mean to be.” (4.27) Casy develops an identity crisis, because he's not a preacher anymore even if everyone still thinks he is. This leads him to judge himself, his sins, and the meaning of life. “But where does it stop? Who can we shoot? I don’t aim to starve to death before I kill the man that’s starving me.”(5.64) When a person is hungry enough, the idea of killing someone for some food very approachable. As the book continues long many people look to Casy as a kind, helpful leader. Many people depend on him to make life better. Towards the end of the novel as the rate of money rapidly decreased many folks decide to have a strike. With Casy as the chosen leader, the workers have faith that the will get justice for their demands. “Here I got the sperit sometimes an’ nothin’ to preach about. I got the call to lead people an’ no place to lead ‘em.”(4.25) Casy gets a chance to lead people, he gets motivated by the spirit by the workers. However, he believes he already knows the outcome of this action which leads him to a disastrous dead. With the lack of confidence in his purpose for completing this role he brought great conflict among the rest. “Where does the courage come from? Where does the terrible faith come from?”(12.46) Without hope for a better future there isn’t any faith in God. In this book the author demonstrates with great detailed examples the thoughts of a human with no hope of there being a God to come and save them. When religion is lost, so is the faith in God and all things good.
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DeleteI disagree with your statement that, "In order to protect the girls' identity, or self-image, the only logical path in their mind was to accuse everyone else of being witches." (Baggett). The girls did not follow Abigail in fear of their "self-image" but in the intimidation tactic used by Abigail when she threatened that she would, "...bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you." (19). Which conveys that she threatened them that she herself would come in the still of night and murder them if they talked about what happened during the night they participated in "witchcraft". One might argue that even without Abigail they were scared that they would be accused and so they accused others but I argue that the girls, being Puritan and young, would confess in which would allow them to be able to die without sin in the face of God.
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ReplyDeleteThe Crucible by Arthur Miller is about paranoia and hysteria, which people often don't respond well to, rather they lose their common sense and their sense of identity. Paranoia and hysteria often lead to herd mentality. At the beginning of the Crucible, Abigail is worried that she and the girls she was dancing with in the forest will be caught for affiliating with the Devil and that this will dishonor her uncle, Reverend Parris. However, when her associate Tituba confesses to witchcraft, Abigail exclaims, "I want to open myself!...I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" (The Crucible 1.8-13). This demonstrates that Abigail had no intention to confess, but was suddenly persuaded by another doing the action that she was avoiding. Once Abigail confesses, Betty joins her chant. One could say that paranoia and hysteria are the Devil's doing and that is how he leads spirits to possess the living in a way that is more evil because people are unaware of the real problem.
ReplyDelete-Puja Vasan
It feels more like Abigail didn’t want to confess out of fear for trouble and suspicion. The penalty for practicing witchcraft at that time was death, so it stands to reason that Abigail did not merely do it for her uncle’s reputation. When Tituba confesses, she is given a chance to redeem herself when Reverend Hale offers her, “You must have no fear to tell us who they are, do you understand? We will protect you. The Devil can never overcome a minister. You know that, do you not?” (45). Abigail sees what Tituba is doing and takes advantage of this offer of protection by confessing as well with the quote you use, “I want to open myself!...I want the light of God, I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" (45). The book outright tells us that, “Abigail rises, staring as though inspired, and cries out” (45). It shows that she can see through Tituba’s ploy and is playing along. This is the point she manipulates the lies to create the witch trials of Salem: the very thing that causes the social upheaval of the town and many character’s losses of identity. It seems to me that Abigail didn’t question her identity by these events; rather, she gains a credible one.
DeleteBrianna Morales
ReplyDelete30 June 2016
When an individual's beliefs are placed into question their identity is lost to societal influences. Throughout The Crucible by Arthur Miller, this theme can be seen in the development of Proctor and Reverend Hale’s characters. In the play, the trials in Salem show how an individual’s faith can be manipulated, causing one to question established aspects of themselves.
In the beginning Proctor believes religion is key and that he is a man of God. However, as the story progresses he loses faith in the church and in religion all together. Cheever states in court that when Elizabeth was taken away Proctor placed a curse on the religious court, “ When we come to take his wife, he damned the court and ripped your warrant ” (3. 83). His anger is a strong indication of his loss in faith. It is at this point when Proctor realizes the evil and manipulation that the girls are using to incriminate innocent people from the town. It is not until Proctor is placed in jail and asked to confess his “connection” to the devil that he loses his identity. Proctor confesses to selling his soul to the devil and in doing so realizes his pure name is all that remains of his true identity, “ How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! ” (4. 133). The insincere confession, although demeaning, is seen through by the judges and stricken off the record as a weak attempt to delay his death.
Hale experiences a similar questioning of his faith. When the girls tarnish the name of religion for their personalized agenda his identity is robbed from him. Reverend Hale can no longer stand the innocents being persecuted so he resigns from the religious court, “ I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court! ” (3. 111). When Reverend Hale quits it is a final notion of the chaos the witch trials have caused. He no longer holds the same pride and belief in religion; the trials have robbed him of his faith. His loss of faith is similar to that of Proctor. Despite their loyalty to religion they cannot believe the horror, and injustice the town of Salem is experiencing. As a result of the questioning of their faith Reverend Hale and Proctor find their identities lost within the tragic events of the Salem witch trials. Faith and identity are key to an individual's sense of self, when they are disturbed chaos follows.
I agree with the points you make. The fact that John Proctor almost goes through with the false confession very interesting. Proctor is a man who would rather die than live with a ruined reputation. He prides himself on his good name, and for most of the book, refuses to tarnish it. I think that Reverend Hale is a good example of loss of religion in this book, especially since it is easy to see where it happens. He originally was part of the court, full of confidence, hoping to catch witches. But then, after speaking with Proctor, his belief in Abigail diminishes. By the end, he has been robbed of identity, which, as you describe, is key to his sense of self.
DeleteAlbert Leal
ReplyDeleteBlog #1
Loss of Religion
The loss of religion is a theme from John Steinbeck’s book, The Grapes of Wrath, as Jim Casy the former preacher said, “There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do…”(4.32). This rings true when the landowners are kicking families off of their land, which the landowners do not give families enough wages to pay there rent off, this refers to,“[t]here’s just stuff people do.” Casy describes a distaste around an illusion of a divine righteous path from the Holy Bible. A moral compass predicated on Casy’s past Christianity education becomes askew when he battles with his harsh farm-related life. As previously mentioned before in the book, Casy has a fall from the religious teachings handed down from God. The struggle stemming from the Dust Bowl acts as a test of inner faith. Essentially, Casy purposes a turmoil between following the teachings of God or following the path of reasoning. Steinbeck forces families like the Joads in a purposeful manner to migrate due to the Dust Bowl. For example families norm from past generations living on a fruitful land now falls to the wasteside land, families have to migrate to California with a low cost of money, and separation from families in hopes for a better life. One would question their faith and ask what type of faith would allow this through hardships? At the end of the day faith is something society can not control and where it leads too.
This affects Casy the most because it leads him to surrendering his preaching and his desire to his religion.“The sperit ain’t in the people much no more; and worse’n that, the sperit ain’t in me no more.”(4.27). Casy gives up being a preacher, because he thinks that everyone has lost their spirit, which may pertain to the “Holy Ghost”. The “Holy Ghost” can completely take over your mind, body and soul. Casy also feels he can never be forgiven, because he slept with young girls after baptizing them while being a preacher. It haunts him, while he tries to sleep. He no longers sees himself as a Man of God when he falls for the sinful life of assaulting the young girls. It proves that he lost his religion. Furthermore Steinbeck uses Biblical Allusions, Jim Casy (J.C.)- Jesus Christ, Joan's Family (12 members)- 12 Apostles, Migration westward- Moses and the Hebrews in Egypt,Casy as a martyr figure, Ma Joad- Virgin Mary, and California- the promise land; a new Eden or worse. Casy as Jesus Christ because further in the book he is dealing with strike on wages. He is the one that acts the leader role, leading his prophets for better wages. Then he actually dies protecting his people. This makes him the martyr figure. Casy resembles a more humanize Christ figure like a priest. Who deals with the inner turmoil of leading what is righteous or falling away from the path of God.
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ReplyDeleteIn Arthur Miller's, "The Crucible" the town of Salem, Massachusetts experienced social upheaval and the loss of faith in religion due to the witchcraft trials being used for one's personal gain. The story is set up in Salem, when it was a Puritan town and where the people feared the Devil and the art of witchcraft immensely. The tension reaches its climax point when Tituba confesses that she was affiliated with the devil and explains that she knew the other people who conversed with the Devil in the town. This captures the attention of the Church and John Hale, a witchcraft investigator placed in charge of finding the witches. John Hale himself experiences the loss of faith in religion and the social upheaval. However, each person to be accused, accuses another to save themselves which caused a chain reaction of innocent people being arrested and hanged. This chaos led to social upheaval where some people lost their wives or lives and in an effort to save themselves and their beloved ones they testified against the ones who were the masterminds of the event, a group of young girls who pretended that they were possessed by the Devil. One particular girl, Abigail wants John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth to die because she wants to take her place. This event gradually takes more and more of Proctor's faith in religion until the point where he himself says out of frustration that, "I say—I say—God is dead!” (111). Towards the end of the storyline, John Proctor loses his accusation that the group of girls were pretending and he himself became accused of conversing with the Devil. Proctor also loses his identity when he starts to become insane and questions, “Then who will judge me… what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor? I think it is honest, I think so; I am no saint.” (127). In the end, he dramatically tears a document up so that he can die with dignity and as a response to his pride, another woman agrees with his decision and cries out, “Let you fear nothing! Another Judgement awaits us all!” (133). This outburst ended her life as well and was the result of the loss of faith in religion which hand in hand with the social upheaval in Salem brought Salem to the depths of chaos.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when John Proctor says "Then who will judge me?... Let Rebecca go like a saint; for me it is fraud!" (4.1.168), it is not due to insanity, but rather to extreme anger. Proctor has sinned, both by the Bible and by his morals by sleeping with Abigail. However, he has not committed the crime they accuse him of, and refuse to acknowledge his confession. He is furious that the only way he can live is by committing another sin—lying—while his wife, who refuses to do so on moral grounds, will eventually be killed. This reaction due to anger seems sane.
DeleteRebecca’s outcry of “Let you fear nothing! Another Judgement awaits us all!” (4.1.242) is not to a lack of faith; rather it is due to extreme faith which has survived her imprisonment. What Rebecca has lost from these trials is her reputation, a part of her identity, and not her faith.
Aishah Khan
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, set during the seventeenth century in the village of Salem in Massachusetts effectively portrays how one’s faith and identity can be easily diminished by social upheaval and disorder. The village, Salem undergoes a string of trials due to the exploitations of a poor girl, Abigail William, whose selfishness causes her to pursue telling lies and persuading other young girls to tell lies. Abigail’s dishonesty causes John Proctor, who had an affair with Abigail, to lose his faith and a part of who he is. The trials which are a result of Abigail making false accusations due to her envy of John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth cause the death of multiple people in Salem including John Proctor.
John Proctor’s loss of identity is evident when he refuses to go to court and confess that Abigail had told him she was lying. John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, attempts to get him he confess. He responds, “I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband anymore.” (2. 52) In order to save himself John Proctor knowingly dismisses the thought of confessing his affair with Abigail in front of the village, which would save the lives of the accused. John Proctor’s identity loss in obvious bearing in mind that he used to be a good man. The social upheaval occurring in the village causes John Proctor to save himself rather than helping others. The village chaos transforms John Proctor from a good man to one with selfish motives.
I closely agree with your process of thought that throughout the play, Abigail was driven to lie and deceive due to her dangerous envy of Elizabeth. I personally disagree, however, with your later statements implying that John Proctor becomes a selfish lost man who ultimately causes the social upheaval. I believe, rather, that John Proctor becomes possibly one of the only citizens of Salem that is actually able to resist the corruption that taints the small village. Proctor ultimately decides that he would rather die than admit he is guilty of a crime he did not commit. I believe that in his final moments, John Proctor is fully aware of his self identity as he dies the death of a martyr, sacrificing his life for the righteousness of his religion, and the truth.
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ReplyDeleteHarleen Gill
ReplyDeleteBlog #1
The loss of man’s identity is often caused by the desire to be accepted by those surrounding him. In the 17th century, one had to give up his identity in order to keep peace with society. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible depicts the pressures society establishes due to the superstitious perception of witchcraft in Salem. Innocent people are charged for practicing witchcraft which is an accusation that horrifies the population of Salem. Those that attempt to help victims through Testaments are often thought to be unhappy with the court. As Mr. Proctor hands Danforth the Testament of 91 signatures in defence of his wife Parris responds, “All innocent and Christian people are happy for the courts in Salem! These people are gloomy for it. To Danforth directly: And I think you will want to know, from each and every one of them, what discontents them with you!”(3.87). Being called to court for defending a being accused of witchcraft is an invitation to one’s doom. Once called for questioning, it is probable that one would become the next accused victim.The safe thing to do was to believe what others wanted one to believe. Thus, resulting in society to think as a group not as an individual. This results to a loss of identity. An individual’s views, morals, and actions, define his identity. Puritans, in particular, were expected to follow a set of ideals that defined them. Going against the court specifically was a step towards being accused of witchcraft or being outcasted. The safest decision was to follow the path society was taking.
At the times of these Witch Hunts Salem was amidst social upheaval. The community that once prayed together under the same roof every Sunday turned on each other at the drop of a penny for, they can now incriminate the people they loath. The malevolence was the betrayal of loved ones Such as the betrayal Abigail Williams gives to those around her. Miller depicts Abigail as a delusional and selfish girl who craves for Proctor.When Abigail is summoned to testify in response to Proctor's accusation of lying to the court about witchcraft, Abigail resorts to creating a forgery of witchcraft for all to witness. As Warren admits to religiously lying about being attacked by the devil, Miller describes,“Abigail, to the ceiling, in a genuine conversation with the ‘bird,’ as though trying to talk it out of attacking her: But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary” (3.106). Abigail tries to divert Danforth’s attention in the trial in attempt to create an image of being attacked by a spirit Mary Warren let loose. As the girls repeat whatever Mary says it gives a sense of evil doing in the room. Many who do not believe, yet not say a word, are forced to accept such superstition. Williams accelerates the fear of witchcraft in Salem. Thus, leading to social upheaval, and religious conflict. This society; however, does not change for the better. It drowns in superstition, greed, and evil.
Due to the witch hunts occurring in Salem many lost faith in the world around them. The endless accusations and the torture loved ones faced in the attempt of pleading not guilty took its toll. As Abigail creates an illusion of the devil attacking her, Mary Warren fears that she is stepping into more trouble and admits that she is with the Devil. This however is not true, and Proctor is aware. Danforth seems to believe Mary and Abigail’s story, and turns against Proctor. Proctor giving up all hope, exclaims, “I say -I say - God is dead!” (3.111). It is to respond to Danforth’s accusation of being “anti-christ.” Proctor loses his faith in God. The God that he once thought did justice to kind hearted people was allowing these acts to occur. The God whose court was taking many innocent lives. His faith is shaken upon his religion, identity, and trust in society.
I agree with how during the times of identity and religion loss, it always corresponded with the duration of social upheaval in the Salem. I've seen many history videos of the Salem Witch Trials and connected it with how the play progresses. First beginning with paranoia and superstition, then leading to the suspicion and grudges held by townspeople which can't be solved by the theocratic government. The people are then unable to have trust in their faith, friends, and family. Which then concludes concludes the identity loss of them. I also like how you included the part in the play where the Proctor is giving up. It's a perfect example of his religion and identity loss.
DeleteCrude retribution and social hysteria tests the ethicality and religious belief of many. This principle is demonstrated in the The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Reverend John Hale of Beverly claims to be a man of God. Similar to most individuals of the time Mr. Hale believes in the devil, and a witch’s ability to inflict diabolic harm on others. Coaxing victims out of their witch induced craze becomes his pride and identity. By performing God’s work, Mr. Hale identifies himself as a superior and pious being. Mr. Hale plays an integral role in accusing various women for being involved in witchcraft. He collects evidence against Tituba, and Mrs. Proctor. Moreover, he signs seventy two death warrants that imprison individuals on the charges of witchcraft. He attends the blasphemous trial in which Judge Danforth, Mr. Parris, and Abigail, are irrevocably insistent on charging Mr. Proctor for witchcraft. Here he finally understands that the entities he has helped accuse are actually innocent and wronged. After attempting to defend Mr. Proctor in court Mr. Hale cries, “... There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!” (4.121). The image he created for himself shattered like shards of glass. Mr. Hale now believes that he is a murderer whose sins have tarnished many lives. Mr. Hale is not alone in this struggle, for the mad hysteria and social upheaval of the time forced many to look at themselves in a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteJohn Proctor is a sensible middle aged man who remains sain while the rest of Salem is entering a state of hysteria. When his wife Mrs. Elizabeth Proctor is accused of witchcraft, Mr. Proctor still maintains his faith. He promises his wife that he will fight for her freedom. In the courtroom when facing Judge Danforth, Mr. Proctor brings forth a barrage of evidence in the hopes of delivering justice to his wife, Mr. Giles, and Rebecca Nurse. He presents a deposition to Danforth in which he describes how Mary Warren lied with the other girls in regards to being associated with the devil. The fact that Mr. Proctor so vehemently fights for justice is telling proof that displays his faith. He affirmatively believes that God will not allow innocence and virtue to go down in flames due to society's insatiable fears. Unfortunately, the sham and mockery of a court that Mr. Proctor is subjected to, shakes his belief to the core. His religion, faith, and God, becomes fraudulent and nonexistent in his eyes, for that is the very God’s name that others have used to justify accusing many of witchcraft. Mr. Proctor cannot comprehend how the idea of God can be real when his name is used in such an act of injustice. After Warren alleges that Mr. Proctor is working with the devil Mr.Proctor states,“I say-I say- God is dead”(3.111). These words are as powerful as they are few. The wicked lies and beliefs spread from society constitute to his loss of faith.
Maddie Ambelang
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
In Salem, Massachusetts in the late seventeenth century a person's name meant everything. It was how one was perceived and what their life was based around. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, John Proctor has a fear of his name being used in a degrading way. Salem is plagued with ideas of witchcraft and Proctor is caught in the middle of it. His wife is accused of witchcraft and he is forced to either give his name to the Devil or to the people of Salem to show who has been in contact with the Devil. This is too much for Proctor to handle as he states “I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it” (4.131). Abigail Williams’ lust for Proctor has her turn away from her Christian values in order to keep herself and friends out of trouble. She blames many of the women in the town of witchcraft, which causes many issues and chaos to arise since Salem is a very religious town of the Puritan faith. As this loss of religion takes place the people of Salem are divided between those accused of witchcraft and the dedicated Christian people seeing everything unfold before them. Some people, including Abigail and her friends, are willing to turn away from God to keep their names out of issues and put the blame on others. However, Proctor cannot bear the idea of hurting other people or damaging their reputation. This causes him to end up in the wrong in the eyes of Parris and Danforth.
The turmoil created by these accusations of witchcraft have some of the most God-faithful women, such as Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey, sent to jail for their alleged actions. These women are forced to defend their faith and keep intact their religious values as Abigail tries to batter them with accusations. The social conflicts that occur throughout the play force many of the people in Salem to give up their religion in order to defend their name.
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DeleteI agree with the idea that the chaos in Salem caused women to protect their beliefs and attempt to prove that their religious values were still intact. It is also interesting that the people in Salem would rather defend their name than give up what they believe. Similarly to the women mentioned, Proctor would also rather keep the respect people have for him rather than giving up his religion in the beginning. It is also interesting how lust can cause one to turn away from religious values just as it did to Abigail. Abigail turns to dishonesty due to her jealously to Proctor's wife. I believe that Abigail turns to dishonesty and away from God since she believes that it can’t harm her due to her background as a poor girl in Salem.
DeleteI thought it was engaging how you showed the relationship between the loss of religion and social upheaval in the concluding sentence. Although I had originally argued that it was the loss of religion which caused social upheaval--opposite how you pointed out--I can now agree with your point of view after reading your comment and arguments for it. I also agree with your connection between one’s name and reputation in the community and how this influenced Proctor’s actions. I thought your continuing reference to saving one’s name really emphasized the significance of reputation to the plot and made Abby’s multiple accusations appear as victimizing as they are portrayed in the play. The accountability of the accused women is also a key aspect of the play which goes to prove both the vulnerability of the court and the lack of trust which has driven Salem to chaos. The strength of their religion and that of their husbands is a binding factor which shows the destruction of the town’s social system has not been completed yet. Your description of these characters and their morals displays the importance of community in this book. Your exploration of the themes is well outlined and executed, capturing the tone of the play and showing the importance of religion as well as society.
DeleteJordan Alexandra Dacus
ReplyDeleteBlog #1
The Crucible
People’s faith in religion and their personal identities is either strengthened by mass upheaval or wrecked. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the town of Salem, Massachusetts is wracked with religious fanaticism and paranoia after allegations of witchcraft arise. Such claims, allegedly to find those pledged to the Devil and get them to turn back to God, soon turns neighbor against neighbor, as exemplified by Giles’s accusations against Putnam, and even sooner becomes a way for people to act on personal feelings. The latter is shown as Abigail Williams accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft, as a way to get to John Proctor, her ex lover whom she still had feelings for. As the girls, spearheaded by Abigail, make claims of witchcraft and Satanism, many of the accusers, namely Abigail and Mary Warren, adopt new identities as part of the court and reaffirm their dedication to God and Puritanism. Their new self-sureness is their only stable thing in a society where doubt of every person is liable to be accused and dragged in front of the court as a witch. Others lose faith in their religion and self, both exemplified in John Proctor after his wife is accused by Abigail and then he himself accused. In his panic and anger, Proctor declares “God is dead” (3.111), establishing his loss of faith in the religion he had previously devoted himself to upon seeing the people of the town utilize it against one another for petty, interpersonal reasons. As for his loss of sense of self, it is displayed obviously when Elizabeth, and then the rest, come for him on the day he is to be hanged. His responses are numbed, as if only half hearing Elizabeth discussing Giles’s death, and then unsure as he asks her opinions on what he should do. Proctor had been a steadfast, sure man the whole book, but after the waiting he is lost. He begs for forgiveness, or judgement, from Elizabeth, then his life. He becomes hysterical and half mad after his confession, refusing to sign, claiming "I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!" (4.132). Lost in his sudden anger and hysteria, Proctor finds his last semblance of self, refuses to sign his name - he will let them tell others he signed it, but he refuses to, as he knows it is a lie and John Proctor, a good, honest man, would not sign himself to a lie, as shown in the following lines, “Tell them I confessed myself; say Proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman; say what you will, but my name cannot—...No, it is not the same! What others say and what I sign to is not the same!...Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (4.132-133). These words are Proctor’s final reclaiming of self, after losing his sense of identity and just before his death.
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ReplyDeleteIn The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there is a lot of social upheaval caused by the witch trials occurring in Salem. Among the ones thrown into chaos is Giles Corey. He shows obvious signs of loss of identity in the social upheaval of the witch trials when they take on the court. Giles is clearly disturbed by the amount of accusations flying around the courtrooms and the names called to be witches. He freaks out when they take his wife after she is accused of witchcraft. When he tries to disprove this accusation in court, he breaks down openly in the courtroom exclaiming, “It was my third wife, sir; I never had no wife that be so taken with book, and I thought to find the cause of it, d’y’see, but it were no witch I blamed her for….I have broken charity with the woman, I have broken charity with her” (79-80). This visibly shows how the effects of the witch trials have on the townspeople who are close to the accused and how disturbed the town really is by these events.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting part about this is he isn’t the most effected one by the events of the witch trials. John Proctor, the book’s primary protagonist, knows how the witch trials started in the first place. When his wife is taken in Act II under the accusation of witchcraft, Proctor realizes he has the choice to reveal Abigail is manipulating the court with lies of witchcraft by revealing their relationship and staining his name or letting his wife suffer the consequences of the witch trial alone and possibly be hanged. In this ordeal, which is addressed when his wife and him talk about his decision in Act IV when he confesses to being in pact with the Devil, they come to terms with who they were and who they’ve become by the end of the book. Proctor spends a great deal agonizing over his loss of self-confidence in himself before his wife forgives him as shown when he confesses, “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man. My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before” (126). Before this tale begins, the Proctors are shown to have a good life until Abigail and the witch trials take effect. It shows how far from that peaceful life and certainty they have come due to the social change of witch trials.
Though it can be said that Abigail is at fault for John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor’s predicament in the final acts of the play Abigail is not entirely at fault. It was through John’s actions that the problem arose. Had John not had an affair with Her abigail would have not had any reason to assume that she had a chance with him. Abigail, having no reason to think killing Elizabeth would secure Her John, would have never attempted witchcraft in the first place. John blames himself as well as Danforth for not noticing by stating, “...them that quail to bring men out of / ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you / know in all your black hearts that this be fraud-God damns / our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!” (3.1154-1157). John knows that the other townspeople are also at fault because they do not call out the con before the support had grown too large for it to stop. They are too focused on what they might gain by betraying a neighbor to realize the consequences of their actions. It would be unfair to label Abigal with the entirety of the blame. The tragedy of the witch hunts was the fault of every individual of Salem that did not attempt to stop the young girl’s foolishness before the girls were trusted.
DeleteDevastation was brought forth upon the American society in the 1930s. The fortunate and the unfortunate witnessed its economic decline giving rise to social upheaval followed by the disintegration of the identities of migrant families, causing the religious ones to question why God would curse America with a plague named the Great Depression.
ReplyDeleteThe Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck centers around the Joads, a family from Oklahoma. Along with other migrant families, they slowly transform into fresh and new people throughout the progression of the Great Depression as they travelled on the rocky paths of low employment, deflation, and the sacrifice of land by social conflict. An example of someone who underwent significant change is the Joads' longtime acquintance, former reverend Jim Casy. However, his change was not affected greatly by the economic components of the Great Depression, but by his guilt of transgressing against his faith. When he coincidentally met Tom Joad on the road, he confessed to the young man what he was doing for the past numerous years: "I'd take one of them girls [...] an' I'd lay with her. [...] Then I'd feel bad, an' I'd pray an' pray, but it didn't do no good. Come the nex' time, them an' me was full of the sperit, I'd do it again. I figgered there just wasn't hope for me, an' I was a damned hypocrite. But I didn't mean to be" (4. 22). Throughout this book, Casy repeatedly emphasized that he was no longer a preacher, abandoning his identity as a religious man due to the past sins he committed. Although this quote might have implied his desire to keep preaching and worshipping God, his immorality prevented him to do so, forcing to shed the shell of his previous devout self.
I agree with the idea presented that Jim Casy’s loss of identity coincides with his own loss of religion, and that these losses were not caused by any outside forces, but by his own beliefs. However, I also believe that Jim Casy will always think of himself as a preacher, whether consciously or not. Consider this quote: “Fella gets use’ to a place, it’s hard to go. Fella gets use’ to a way [of] thinkin’, it’s hard to leave. I ain’t a preacher no more, but all the time I find I’m prayin’, not even thinkin’ [about] what I’m doin’” (51). I believe that when Casy says this, he is saying there is no real way to lose one’s identity, as a man’s identity is made up of memories, history, and habits. While I believe that Jim Casy thinks that the past shapes one’s character, I also believe that he knows that the present shapes and the future will shape that man’s character. I think that one’s past self cannot truly be lost, no matter what happens in the present and that the present itself is simply adding more to one’s character.
DeleteDaniel Wolf
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible - Arthur Miller
Society is like a trail of dominoes, carefully constructed to the point where one small mistake can cause chaos. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, society begins to crack in the sleepy town of Salem, Massachusetts when a servant known as Abigail creates a web of lies around the witch trials. Abigail was the servant to Mr. Parris as well as John Proctor’s ex-lover. As a way to achieve a sense of retribution as well as revenge on Mr. Proctor, Abigail accuses John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, for being a witch. After failing to remember the religious commandments of the Puritan Church, Mr. Proctor loses his title of being a well known farmer, which causes him to lose faith in God by saying that ,”God is dead” (3.111). By seeing that God has not given him success, Proctor loses faith. What is there to believe if you and your wife are accused of witchcraft by your ex-wife, and no mystical force is there to fix it? Abigail again sins by hiding the fact that she had an affair with John Proctor. This is a social upheaval in a sense that it creates two sides during the witch trials. This causes the case to be influenced by acts of favoritism. For example, Mr. Parris will try anything to prove that Abigail is not a witch, while John Proctor will try anything to prove his wife’s innocence. The events from the past came back to haunt John Proctor, influencing his future. By causing an affair with Abigail, Proctor’s life is slowly crumbling to the ground, all because of a failed relationship.
I like your simile comparing society to a fragile trail of dominoes. One mistake, one wrong move, and the entire system can fall apart. In The Crucible one can see how the seemingly insignificant incident of a group of girls dancing in the forest led to the accusation, imprisonment, and execution of numerous people in Salem. It was that small mistake that caused chaos and social upheaval as you mentioned. The fear of witchcraft and for the town’s religious identity first put the idea of witchcraft in the town into Tituba’s and Abigail’s minds; this they used to cover up their own crimes. It is this fragility of societal institutions that makes one wonder what supposedly small incident will have the ability to tear down our own society.
DeleteAndy Vuong
ReplyDeleteThe Grapes of Wrath -John Steinbeck
Many religious occupations often include an authoritarian position such as the pope or certain reverends. The journey through the path of god often leads religious figures guiding wandering people spreading religious teachings wherever they go. An example of a person who was ponderous to share his religious ideals is Reverend Jim Casy. "I ain't preachin' no more much. The sperit ain't in the people much no more; and worse'n that, the sperit ain't in me no more. 'Course now an' again the sperit gets movin' an' I rip out a meetin', or when folks sets out food, I give 'em a grace, but my heart ain't in it. I on'y do it 'cause they expect it." (Steinbeck 4.27). The reverend Jim Casy expresses strong emotions of turmoil and disorientation due to several sexual encounters with women while he was a preacher. Ever since these sex scandals, Jim Casy has been reminiscing about the faith he once had before he started to question committing these sins.
Agriculture had always been a main source of resources for The United States of America. Many farmers across the Great Plains back in the 1930’s have all waited for rain ,but instead they received the worst luck possible. Massive clouds of dust started to build up in the state of Kansas and soon swept its way throughout the midwest destroying countless crops in its way. This caused a social upheaval due to the loss of many jobs and land. Many mid westerners began to migrate towards the west in order to find new occupations that would last them for years. Due to the lack of jobs, many occupations were usually either low-pay or filled with many people attempting to earn their spot for the job. Joad experiences an abundance of these hardships while looking for a new job and this has made him think about the experiences he has gone through in the past.
Shannon Lin
DeleteIn response to your post, I agree that the dust bowl caused a large migration of farmers towards the west, but rather than causing social upheaval upon their arrival, I believe they caused a class division amongst supposedly equal Americans. The migrant workers hoped to find permanent placement in the west, but were instead forced into taking odd jobs and enduring seasonal hardships while the previous settlers maintained their positions. This created a sort of class hierarchy that separated the community into two groups, the lowly migrants and homeless and the original settlers. Social upheaval may have been the result of this class separation which caused rift between fellow members of a single community.
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ReplyDeleteTyler Baggett
ReplyDeleteLoss of Identity/Religion
June 30, 2016
Blog 1
A good self-image is possibly one of the most important things a teenager needs. This is especially true in late 17th Century Salem. Massachusetts was a very religious state at the time, and was a theocracy in all but name. Puritanism ruled the courts and daily lives of citizens, so far as to ban anything resembling “vain enjoyment.” One of the most important things was to be seen as a good Christian. The loss of identity and self-image is a large theme in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. Even from the start of the novel, before the witch hunts begin, the loss of the pure Christian image begins to develop. “Abby, she’s going to die! It’s a sin to conjure and we- / I say shut it, Mary Warren!” (1. 19). While the girls may have not actually communed with the devil, dancing naked and drinking blood, as well as trying to conjure builds up a serious case against them. In order to protect the girls’ identity, or self-image, the only logical path in their mind was to accuse everyone else of being witches. Identity as a singular person diminishes within the girls, as they all listen blindly to Abagail, going so far as to condemn one of their own. “The wings! Her wings are spreading! Mary, please, don’t, don’t.”(3. 109). The identity of a community has been shattered , with girls even accusing their own friends of witchcraft for trying to come clean about the group’s’ misdeeds. The actions of this group alienate the sense of community that Salem once shared, as while some of the girls actually believed they were doing good, Abagail used the witch hunts to get back at John Proctor for not leaving his wife.
Charlotte Nelson
ReplyDeleteIn the play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, concepts of religious and societal upheaval are portrayed. Miller demonstrates these subjects through an independent depiction of a series of true past event that occurred during the violent witch hunts in Salem, Massachusetts during the late seventeenth century. Divisions are formed among the citizens of Salem as a group of young girls are placed under suspicion for the practice of witch craft and use the opportunity to atone for their sins by identifying other citizens as affiliated with Satan as well. These selfishly wrong allegations ultimately corrupt the strict religious sentiment that had previously existed in Salem as essentially no person is truly safe from condemnation for witch craft. This religious corruption is further epitomized as the only way that one can truly spare them self from a hanging is to admit affiliation with The Devil, and claim to have a desire to atone. This backward trial system shakes the handset foundations that Salem is built upon. The arrests of Rebecca Nurse, as well as Martha Corey, about whom Francis claims, "...there cannot be a woman closer yet to God..."(67), signify that even the most apparent examples of righteousness in Salem cannot be spared from the destruction that taints both religion and society throughout the town. It is through societal divisions, and a loss of justice, and righteousness, that the close religious bonds in Salem are broken, and fated for corruption.
In the book Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the Joads family moves to California for work where they set their sights on a brighter future. However, they are mistaken. They are called Okies, a derogatory term for someone who comes from Oklahoma, which takes their sense of identity. They are no longer seen as people by the residents of California, but a worker they can convince to do hard labor for fifteen cents an hour. They are also looked down upon by many of the locals and treated like inferiors who will only hurt their business.The people of California demean the foreigners because they are afraid they will be cheated out of their tax money which will go towards homeless relief. The author shows this disdain for the foreigners in passages such as, “They imported slaves, although they did not call them slaves… Why, look how they live. Why, look what they eat” (Steinbeck 232). The foreigners are talked about and treated like they are lower than lower class.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn Tooker
ReplyDeleteThe play The Cricible by Arthur Miller touches upon many cases of social upheaval and loss of religion. Religion is a very important factor in an individual's life in Salem. Parris is a clear example of this fact, his income and social standing rely solely on religion as a reverend. Abigail convinces Tibutha to help her make a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor using witchcraft. Abigail loves her husband John Proctor and had an affair with the man. Abigail loses her religion in three different ways throughout the story: she loves and has an affair with a married man, she attempts and wishes to kill Elizabeth, and she uses Witchcraft to accomplish her goals. Witchcraft is seen as an act of evil preformed by the devil's followers. This act goes against God and the fundemental beliefs of the church. Individuals begin to accuse others of witchcraft simply to add to their own gain. As John Proctor is convincing Mary Warren to tell the truth in court he says, "Mary, remember the Angel Raphael-do that which / is good and-" (3.1070). Proctor uses Raphael, the most powerful and holy, archangel as a symbol to Mary that even if she is punished God will damn her if she lies and that telling the truth will help her prevail. Unfortunately Mary does not listen and falsely claims that not only did she help the devil but she accuses Proctor of being the devil. The only way one could survive being accused is to publicly admit to working with the devil which not only would disgrace oneself but also would go against one's Christian beliefs of not lying. This in itself can be seen as the whole town losing their religion because in the bible it is said to love one's neighbor and forgive ones debtors, but by accusing the other women the town is going against their own beliefs. The witch accusations cause great panic within the community as more and more women are charged with witchcraft. The well respected Rebecca Nurse is accused and shortly after hung for an act of the devil. The town's structure crumbles and all the people of the town become enemies accusing each other. The conflict grows so large as to spread to the neighboring towns and causing unrest there as well.
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ReplyDeleteAn epidemic of witchery breaks out during late seventeenth century Salem in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. This epidemic is all the cause of a young servant of Mr. Parris named Abigail who is set on revenge. Abigail fakes a trance and pretends she sees the Devil so she can claim that other people are working for the Devil. This works and leads to the trials and potential deaths of many townspeople. This is an example of social upheaval because Salem residents who were previously respected and honored are now slandered for supposed association with the Devil. When Abigail’s love interest, John Proctor, bids her farewell because he was already married, Abigail accuses Mr. Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, of witchery in an attempt to steal her love away. Loss of faith in God is shown when Mr. Proctor hysterically shouts “I say-I say-God is dead!” (3.111) in response to Mary Warren, his servant, convicting him of working for the Devil. All because of one woman’s broken heart, many were sent to their deaths at the Salem witch trials.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite interesting how you use the term epidemic. The way you use it to describe the chaos within Salem is different. Many would prefer using the words such as catastrophe or even just chaos. It's good that you started discussing the social upheaval of the people of Salem, but you did not build upon that when mentioning John Proctor's affair with Abigail. For example, you discuss Mr. Proctor's affair, but did not mention that that could be another example of social upheaval or even tying it into the loss of social identity, saying that the accusations made by Abigail could also tie into John Proctor's loss of his well known title.
DeleteIn the play by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, a girl named Abigail Williams causes major social upheaval and unrest in her town, Salem, Massachusetts. Abigail, along with her friends and her maid, Tituba, go into the forest and dance around a fire while Tituba chants in her native language. After they were caught, one of the girls, Betty, faints and will not wake up. The person that caught them was Reverend Parris and he accuses them of conjuring the Devil. This is what starts Abigail’s idea of manipulating the town for her personal gain. When Mr. Hale, a minister, comes to help wake the child, Abigail states that Tituba, “... made me do it! She made Betty do it!” (1.40) This was a lie in which Abigail and her friends blame others for what they were apart of. This shows that there was little to no truth in the Salem Witch Trials and the girls start losing their sense of identity and religion. Abigail and her friends, then, start randomly accusing people of working with the Devil. The accused were then told that if they did not confess to witchcraft they would be hung. This is where the loss of identity and religion really start showing up. The people that are accused of working for the Devil deny it at first, but eventually confess to performing witchcraft after being told they would be killed. After this happens the entire town is in chaos and most people are in the jail. So many that, “There be so many cows wanderin’ the highroads, now their masters are in the jails, and much disagreement who they will belong to now.” (4.115). During the witch trials, the people in Salem, Massachusetts were fearful of being accused of witchcraft in which they were not involved. They lost their identity and sense of religion by being forced to lose their life for the truth or keep their life through a horrendous lie.
ReplyDeleteRonnie Blancas
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
During the late 1600s and early 1700s the government in Salem, Massachusetts was a theocracy. With the government being led by the bible and religious officials, disputes and problems over property grudges, religious offices, and sexual behavior aren’t easily solved. This tension, along with paranoia of supernatural activity, affects the town’s religious sensibility, which then causes the beginning of accusations of witchcraft, and witch trials themselves. In the duration of these times, it was very easy for an individual's religion or identity to be shaken, changed, or even lost. In scene one of the Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the first character shown, Reverend Parris, is kneeling beside his daughter Betty’s bed, praying to remover her from her unresponsive state. He soon begins to piece together recent events to bring to his own conclusion that witchcraft was involved with his daughters state. “There is a faction sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?” (1.11) Reverend Parris saying is seen to be acting as a worried father, but if you look closely when saying this to Abigail, he was trying to defend his identity in order to maintain his pride. He then continues to avoid the saying of witchcraft when praying, trying his best to keep his reputation. His identity is slowly changing, losing his reputation as a person who cares for his family and friends, and becoming a person who goes against the people who hold grudges against him. This shows the effect of the social upheaval in Salem caused by suspicion, grudges, and paranoia.
Social upheaval played a huge role in the cause of religion/identity loss and even the death of many people during the times of the Salem Witch Trials. Many people, if they had any kind of grudge against another person, they could easily bring up evidence of them doing an activity related to witchcraft. That person would then be brought to an unfair trial, to which everyone against witchcraft would vote guilty, which then led to their death on the gallows.
I agree with your statement of how Parris’s identity is slowly changing from a person who cares for his family to a person who turns against his friends just so he would not be mistaken as a worshiper of the devil. One of the most noticeable aggressions of Parris would be in act 3 page 99 where he states “Then you will confess, will you not? It were attacking spirits that made you faint!” to Mary Warren to try to frame her as a devil worshipper. This scene showed how much Parris lost his identity and changed into a hostile aggressive man in order to survive the society that he lives in.
DeleteJohn Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath touches on the theme of the losses of both an individual’s faith in religion and his own identity. The loss of faith in religion is easily seen in the character of former Rev. Jim Casy. Casy, according to Tom Joad, the main protagonist of the novel, has always been identified as a preacher, a religious man. As Casy encounters Tom Joad for the first time in the novel, he says, “I figgered, ‘Why do we got to hang it on God or Jesus? Maybe,’ I figgered, ‘maybe it’s all men an’ all women we love’” (24), suggesting a personal dissatisfaction with the religious life and a loss of faith in religion itself.
ReplyDeleteMany characters in the book believe that an old house or an old field shape one’s true identity, and their forced migration westward causes a deep loss of identity and even purpose. Casy’s loss of faith in religion and own displeasure in the religious life also lead to his own identity being lost, even before his migration to California. However, as he and Tom Joad meet Muley Graves, he says, “Fella gets use’ to a place, it’s hard to go. Fella gets use’ to a way [of] thinkin’, it’s hard to leave. I ain’t a preacher no more, but all the time I find I’m prayin’, not even thinkin’ [about] what I’m doin’” (51), introducing the idea that the memories, history, and habits of a man, not his physical location, shape and define who he is. Despite this, various characters, including Pa Joad, Tom Joad’s father, lose a personal sense of purpose and identity as a result of the migration to California.
Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath also calls to attention the theme of social unrest and conflict. One of the major conflicts in the novel is the conflict between man and his fellow man. As the migrants arrive in California, the natives treat the Oklahomans deliberately poorly. “And [the migrants] hoped to find a home, and they found only hatred” (233). The landowners, shopkeepers, and laborers all despised the already displaced and unfortunate Oklahoma migrants because they are “fierce and hungry and armed” (233), easily able to take what they want. The Californians treated the Joads especially poorly, due to the simple fact that they were ‘Okies’.
Grapes of Wrath
ReplyDeleteThroughout The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck religion has been a reoccurring theme that symbolizes a sense of hope in people’s life. During The Great Depression the people start to lose hope in religion such as the Reverent Casy, who changed his views after preaching for several years. Reverent Casy expresses his loss of religion when he states “I ain't preachin' no more much. The sperit ain't in the people much no more; and worse'n that, the sperit ain't in me no more. 'Course now an' again the sperit gets movin' an' I rip out a meetin', or when folks sets out food, I give 'em a grace, but my heart ain't in it. I on'y do it 'cause they expect it." (4. 27). Due to the social and economic change in society Casy changes his perspective on life.
Casy also loses his identity as a preacher of god during this transformation and now believes that one is shaped from their actions rather than the sins that they have committed. Casy’s new found belief represents the actions and experiences he has witnessed in life, such as how he would do the deed as an expectation but not as an act of kindness.
I have a different interpretation of Reverend Casy's change in perspective on religion. I think that instead of having an outlook that one is shaped from their actions rather than the sins that they have committed, I think he has the notion that human pleasures and desires do not conflict with god’s divine plan and the holy spirit is within the human spirit. He states, “...maybe it’s all men ‘an all women we love; maybe that’s the Holy Sperit‒‒ the human sperit‒‒ the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s a part of.” (Steinbeck 32-33) This is him attempting to create justifications for his actions which if his actions were judged under this pretense would absolve him of wrongdoing.
DeleteBraden Buchanan
ReplyDeleteThe Grapes of Wrath
When faced with the economic hardships of the Great Depression, faith and religion were put on the back burners for the majority of people in exchange for the basic needs of man and society. In John Steinbeck’s book, “The Grapes of Wrath” Jim Casy, former reverend, confesses to Tom Joad that he has been reflecting on his previous actions, as he views his actions as sinful in the eyes of God. He states that after baptising women he would take them out on the grass and fornicate with them. He knows that this action would not normally be looked down upon but he is a man of God. He is conflicted that although he is a man of God, he still has basic human urges that he finds hard to ignore. He comes to the conclusion that, “There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do.” (Steinbeck 32) This is Casy coming to terms with his actions and making himself perceive them as banal or just the nature of man and accepting that these needs are just part of being a man. Joad reassures Casy as he tells of another pastor that would lay with his wife after every sermon, showing that even the most holy and righteous of men cannot withstand the urges of wanting companionship of a woman. This is when Jim Casy begins to lose himself and his relationship with his religion.
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ReplyDeleteTanvi Saki
DeleteThe Crucible
I agree with this completely. John Proctor is a perfect example of what was considered a perfect man. However, his one sin had ruined his reputation due to gossip and slander. This reflects the result of suspicions in the town of Salem when witch craft occurs. Even though one person may be completely innocent, if he or she holds the jealousy of another person they will be easily accused of witchcraft. The irony of the Puritanical society is even though they are considered to hold themselves to strict Christian values, they constantly break the 10 Commandments (especially “Thou shall not bear false witness against their neighbor” Exodus 20:16) in The Crucible which leads to the very downfall of their community. The abandonment of religion and structure lead to social upheaval and in John Proctor’s case, the loss of his good name or identity.
Although strongly discouraged, sin is an occurrence among even devout Christians despite their commitment to God. This is evident in Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. In the town of Salem, John Proctor was a respectable man of integrity whose presence, "...a fool felt his foolishness instantly..." (1.19). He is stripped of this dignity, however, once his temptations lead him to commit infidelity. From then on, Proctor became a hypocrite. Ironically, when ordered to recite the Ten Commandments, he failed to remember the prohibition of adultery. His wife, Elizabeth, was a woman of great faith and held a clean record regarding honesty. Already having knowledge of her husband's transgression, she testified that he has done otherwise in order to preserve Proctor's reputation. This was an act against God's will, signifying that in the midst of a situation, those belonging to a religion can go astray.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of witchcraft ran rampant throughout the town, in which chaos ensued. What started as a rumor quickly became a concept the majority of Salem believed in. This was also backed by political ambitions and jealousy. Refusal to confess to being the Devil's accomplice in court was an automatic death penalty, and so many innocent lives were lost during this case of fraud. During Proctor's imprisonment, Elizabeth is told, " I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie " (4.122). Any evidence brought upon court was rendered useless, no match for the girls who stroke back with deception. Ultimately, the definition of justice in society was transformed, headed in the wrong direction. In turn, social upheaval was widespread in Salem during the 17th century.
Shannon Lin
ReplyDeleteThe Grapes of Wrath
Throughout the course of history, religion has satisfied both man’s thirst for explanation and its belief in miracles. If one had faith, faith would give back in return. This belief caused mankind to grow reliant on an idea of an upper power, with belief so strong that it took root in our daily lives, with many following godly doctrine habitually and subconsciously. During the Great Depression, the sudden and catastrophic sweep of the dust bowl left many devastated both financially and psychologically, thus shaking the strongly rooted belief in faith and its miracles. Religion, no matter how hard one prayed, could not solve this devastation. People can no longer rely on faith to solve their problems for them. In Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, religion is not lost, but rather mutated to suit one’s situation amongst the ruin and devastation that made up their lives. Despite the poverty and ruin that the Great Depression caused, it also symbolizes the beginning of a new life. A preacher, dissolved of his moral obligation to church order, can become a free man. Jim Casey, a former preacher, left his ministry upon the collapse of his personal faith and the local agricultural economy, with the belief that man should not suffer through life bearing the guilt of religious sin, when life itself was meant to be a gift from God. As he spoke with Tom Joad of his life of debauchery and freedom, he described the Holy Spirit is if it was the alcoholic water of life, and even when a godless man “…got a dose of the Holy Sperit you got to move fast to keep from gettin’ run down an’ tromped (38).” Casey, no longer a restrained man of church religion, has morphed God itself into one of life’s pleasures, incorporating his faith from his own personal God into his life as a human without hindering either belief, a balance between freedom and religious abnegation. Rather than a loss of religion, this showcases the change one can make upon abandoning reliance, and a faith that changes along with the times, the faith one has for oneself.
I can see that religion is a very strong part of many societies and for many individuals. For some people faith is the only thing motivating them. It is important for every person to respect every religious beliefs, and the malleability of religion under testing circumstances should be noted. It is very impressive to observe the extent to which a person can stay true to their beliefs. The identity of a person is completely self-created and it is fascinating to look at the strength and stubbornness of the individual who stands for what they believe in no matter what, which can be both a positive and a negative thing. This observation provides some hope for stability among societies in stressful times. This observation also provides hope of coexisting religions to survive.
DeleteVanessa Bontrager
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
In 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts every aspect of life revolved around religion. When people began to get blamed for witchcraft and being followers of the devil the whole town began to fear the evil that came with it. Being charged with witchcraft caused a loss of religion, in Elizabeth Proctor's case once she was arrested she told john, "Tell the children I have gone to visit someone sick"(2.78). This is a lie, and lying is against the ten commandments and in the play following the commandments is highly stressed in order to be a good christian. Meaning that being accused of being a witch often lead for the characters to have a loss of religion. Once people started to get blamed for being associated with the devil people began to fear for their reputation. In Mary Warren's case she said whatever she felt she needed to say in order to please the people around her and not ruin her own reputation. Mary Warren was caught up in her reputation because she had the decision of lying for Abigail and being forced to tell the truth for Elizabeth. With either option she would have made someone angry but she chose to side with Abigail in order to save her own reputation so that people would not see her as a liar or as a witch.
I agree with your point that Mary Warren would say or do whatever it took to please others. Her sense of self identity was loss when she became so caught up in only doing things that would look good to other people, rather than making decisions based on what she believed was was the right thing to do. It became a priority to her to make decisions that would make her look good and keep her reputation positive. Her fear of what others would think of her played a part in why her weak attempt at revealing the truth about the witch trials ultimately failed.
DeleteAngelina Pavao
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
17th Century Salem, Massachusetts was a village where respect was received not upon wealth, but upon a good name. The witch trials that Arthur Miller depicted in his work The Crucible tested how much good was really behind the names of its citizens. Although it would make sense that those accused of witchcraft would be those most tested, I believe that the loss of religion in this story weighed most heavily on the rest of the courtroom. Because religion was the court of law, the loss of religion was directly correlated with social disorder. The “theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together and to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies,” (1.15) that took over Salem was blatantly ironic because although it was created to maintain unity, it allowed for self-destruction and social upheaval, as well as their grasp on their religion. The sense of power that the accusers gained from these trials ruined all sense of morality in Salem. There was never a complete loss of religion, but there was testing of traditional Christian values. Although those who were accused of witchcraft were put up for judgment by the court, but as explicitly stated, God damns all liars, therefore God being the final judge for the plaintiff that knowingly brought wrongful accusations to the courtroom.
In today’s society, land is often seen as a high form of wealth. One without land would not only struggle to thrive but also to provide. In The Grapes of Wrath, many American’s agricultural line of work fell out of sight as their land was threatened by the overpowering drought, severe dust storms, and “the bank”, so called the monster. The banks are seen as “...creatures [that] don’t breathe air, don’t eat side-meat. They breathe profits; they eat the interest on money. If they don’t get it, they die…”(5.43). In addition to the bank robbing the tenants of their property, they also destroy the kinships that the families had passed down from generation to generation. This leaves the tenants frustrated and lost in helplessness.Yet, there is nothing to do. No one to kill. No one person to blame. This moment of realization brings what is most feared into reality: the inability to reflect a positive view of the future.
ReplyDeleteFunctioning under a patriarchal structure, most families during the Great Depression looked up to the males as leaders to guide them. In response to the women questioning what will happen next, after being shoved off of their own land, the men were perplexed, repeating, “We don’t know. We don’t know”(5.47). As the men become helpless, they lose their own self pride and ability to perceive who they are. Lacking a leader, much like a bee hive without its queen, results in poor decisions and the slow decline of people’s morals and beliefs. Once known as former farmers, the Joads soon become victims of the Dust Bowl instead.
Kenneth Bourquin
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible by Arthur Miller
The Crucible's story takes place in Salem the home of the Salem Witch Trails, and is the focus of the play. With the town of Salem having a deep engraving of religion among its inhabitants. It's no surprise that with the rumors of Witchcraft and false accusations being spread by Abigail to further the claims of witchcraft from her and the other girls, Mercy, Mary, and Betty. These false accusations are the cause for the social Upheaval that begins in Salem. With every person that Abigail accusing being killed. This starts to reveals Salem's true colors with these trails making even those known for their faith to question it like John Proctor after learning of the truth about Abigail's lies losses his faith in god. But other members of the town also using these trails to further their own gains such as Thomas Putin who shows his true identity by trying to gain land from his neighbors.
Cheyenne Korfman
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible by Arthur Miller
In Salem, your faith was tied to your identity. That is a hard way to live in a theocracy. Suddenly your faith could be the only thing keeping you alive. In the beginning of the book, Miller monologues that the Europeans sent to colonize the America’s “preferred to take land from heathens rather than from fellow Christians.” (1.5) This shows the similarities between Europeans taking land from the Native’s because they do not share the same religion and Abigail and the others are removing the obstacles that stand in the way of what they want by accusing them of a lack of faith. In both instances faith meant superiority.
When the church is state and losing your faith is now a crime, being accused is as well as being hanged. Either way, it was either a distraction until they confessed or a death sentence. And if they did confess, then the only thing left for them was a damaged reputation and nothing to their name. Parris is entirely consumed with the state of his name in town, mentioning it several times. “I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.”(1.11) He states this to Abigail, before she hangs half the town on her scorned love. It didn’t matter if the accused were actually witches or not, that was never the intended purpose, Abigail and the rest of the girls played the church. They got the high priests to remove their obstacles for them. As soon as the girls cried “heathens” the people of Salem were goners. Because to deny would be to hang and to confess is to sin, truly lose your faith because they would be lying to save their life and even if the church thinks it’s right, doesn’t mean there is any moral standing to it. Those who defended the accused were seen as guilty as well. Proctor knew it was wrong and he died an honorable man because he chose honesty over a life of lies.
Vinh Nguyen
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
Every human cares about their identity. It gives them their social rank, their physical and cognitively traits. It’s when their identity are viewed negatively that it changes the person’s image to others. In the novel, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, many accusations of witchcraft among the innocent people of the seventeenth century city of Salem. These accusations causes many of the characters to lose their identity. One example in The Crucible is John Proctor. He lost his identity after confessing that he is with the devil and for having an affair with Abigail Williams. He said “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!” (4.132). John loses everything he has gather up, his reputation, his identity, and his wife. With all of the witchcraft accusations by Abigail Williams in The Crucible, social upheaval was bound to happened. Due to the accusations, it takes many innocent lives over something that has never happened.
As seen in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a community bound together by religion can quickly turn to chaos when the authority and validity of that religion is compromised by its citizens. Religion is the glue that holds together the Massachusetts town of Salem in 1692. During the outburst of witch trials that strike the city that year many of the involved individuals attempt to maintain their faith. However, others turn to the work of the devil to both acknowledge darkness and seek vengeance. Abigail Williams, for example, is the niece of the town reverend. She meets with several other girls to indulge in satanic acts with the intention of killing Elizabeth Proctor, the wife of the man she loves. It is this defiance of religion that starts the calamity of the witch trials. In a different case, protagonist John Proctor exhibits a loss of religion after his wife is accused of witchcraft and he begins to lose hope and the respect of his neighbors. He states, “I say--I say--God is dead!... I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face…” (3.945-948). These instances demonstrate the loss and opposition toward the religious values of the townspeople, which leads to further distress and social unrest.
ReplyDeleteAs any colonists must, the people of Salem valued unity as a necessity for survival. This view was quickly abandoned when suspicions of witchcraft allowed neighbors to openly accuse one another with the purpose of revenge. The first to do so is Abigail Williams, who blames the slave Tituba for all attempts of contacting the devil. When Abby and her cousin realize they have the ability to accuse anyone they desire, they start saying names of many others who are then forced to go to trial for witchcraft. This causes expanding distrust among others in the town, distrust that intensifies to overturn society and sentence many citizens to hang. The tensions between the people of Salem seem unresolved toward the end of the play due to the severity of the accusations, and the impact of the events remains. Social upheaval is usually accompanied by irresponsibility, however those who were hanged shared great responsibility for a crime they were not guilty of.
Emily MacDonald
ReplyDeleteThe Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck shows a society torn apart by social conflict. In the book, a drought has taken hold of the farmlands killing the crops and covering the land in a thick layer of dust. The banks, always out to make a profit, decide to seize the suffering farmers land, making the situation worse for the farmers. The banks force the people off their land and bulldoze their homes even if they have not left. Many of these farmers including the Joad family decide to leave for California in hopes of a better life. Some stubborn people such as a man named Muley, refuse to leave their old homes despite what the bank says. Muley has become almost wild due to living on the outskirts of the broken society he had once called home. He is always on the run, toying with the people that are patrolling the fields. Due to the tension the situation has created, many people consider fighting against or killing the people trying to work for the banks.
A person’s identity is associated with their qualities, beliefs, and how they choose to conduct oneself to others and themselves with their expected behavior. Identity is the very crucial to humans as it defines individuality and reflects how people regard others and themselves. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, depicts the loss of identity through the Salem Witch Trials that take place in the little town of Massachusetts. This social disturbance during the late sixteenth century caused many individuals’ reputation to be damaged, as more and more people are being accused of being associated with the Devil and practicing witchcraft. This is especially dangerous in Salem since religion is heavily emphasized there. The town is home to many devotees of Christianity and under a theocratic government, where the people recognize God as the supreme civil leader. Because of this, any signs of loss in religion lead to accusations that can ruin one’s reputation. Whether it be by not attending church often or what they say to others, that will be part of their identity. John Proctor faces these accusations, which led to him to defend his identity. This is demonstrated when he proclaims, “God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are!” (4.132). At this point, he views himself as unfaithful towards his own religion and this causes him to view his own identity differently than before. Proctor is required to name those he saw associate themselves with the Devil or he will be sent to death. In response to this difficult task, he says, “I have three children - how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?... Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence!”(4.132) Through his confession, he is able to realize that by saving his identity and life, he would have to put innocent people to death. He becomes more concern for his personal integrity rather than his public reputation, which is far more different than what he had felt initially. His refusal to provide a false confession is a true religious and personal stand.
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible by Arthur Miller shows a loss of religion from an entire community. Many citizens in Salem at the time abandoned or were weakened in their religious faith when chaos arose. Friends and family members turned on one another to protect themselves. Salem was a "theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together and to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies" (1.15). The Puritan religion was transformed from a faith that brought a sense of unity to Salem into a vessel used to accuse others for their own benefit. Religious belief became something that provided a basis for people to turn on each other. John Wesley stated "'The giving up of witchcraft is, in effect, giving up the Bible'" (Introduction). The two go hand in hand. The core values of the Puritan religion are lost as the witch trials go on. A wide variety of characters experience a loss of identity, as well. One that stands out is John Proctor. After his affair with Abigail Williams, Proctor struggles within himself. He feels extremely guilty as well as angry with himself for his affair and it leads to him questioning himself about whether or not to come forward and confess to adultery. Abigail is the one who caused such a widespread social upheaval and he believes that only he can put an end to it. It is not until he confesses that he realizes that what Abigail has started won't end with one single confession.
ReplyDeleteThe abandonment of religion and structure lead to social upheaval and the loss of personal identity. “Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers? I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem- vengeance is walking Salem.” (2. 73). This reflects the result of suspicions in the town of Salem when witch craft occurs. Even though one person may be completely innocent, if he or she holds the jealousy of another person they will be easily accused of witchcraft. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller accurately describes the irony of the Puritanical society which is the fact that even though they are considered to hold themselves to strict Christian values, they abandon the 10 commandments- the basis of their religion- which leads to the very downfall of their community. The hypocracy of human nature shows that people will seize an opportunity by all means necessary. Abigail is in love with John who has cheated on his wife and is ashamed of himself eternally. He refuses to leave his wife which causes Abigail to throw a Puritan style tantrum. She jeopardizes her family’s “good name” in order to get the attention she craves by claiming Emily, John’s wife, is a witch out of pure spite and vengeance. Such are the flaws of human nature, looking to get to their goal regardless of whatever or whomever we hurt. We disregard our religion and principles and become the predator that wreaks havoc on society. In the end, what truly separates us from animals?
ReplyDeleteRichard Yu
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible takes place in a town called Salem. In the story, the majority of the characters are Puritan, and most suspicions are perceived as working for the devil as shown in Rebecca Nurse’s scenario, where she was accused of worshiping the devil despite being faithful to the church for most of her life (act 3 page 85) . In the story, religion was loss due the the hypocrisy of the people of Salem. Such hypocrisy was shown in act 4 page 125, where Giles was murdered. Such murder was against the ten commandments in the bible which was shown in act two page 63. Another example of such hypocrisy would when John Proctor cheated on his wife, which was an act of adultery. An example the loss of identity in the book would be when a character confesses something he or she did not do. in act 4 Proctor was given an ultimatum, to either confess a sin that he didn't commit, or die. He was shown to have loss his identity in act 4 page 128, when Danforth asked if he saw the devil, which he replied “ I did”, and confessed a sin that he did not commit. An example of social upheaval in the story would be when innocent citizens such as Giles Corey, John Proctor, and Rebecca Nurse were executed for working with the devil(act 4 page 125 and 134), which they did not do.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about the Salem Witch Trials of the seventeenth century. Salem’s theocratic society was originally founded with good intentions; all citizens hold the same religious values, therefore a society legally functioning according to those values should be stable. In Salem, there was no difference between religious code and legislative code. The danger of this is apparent in the destruction of the society during the course of the play. The Bible can be interpreted in many ways. Witchcraft is “…ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime…” of which proof does not exist (Miller 93). The accusations that the townspeople were hurling at each other endangered the entire structure of society, which was that each person must live a holy life. The citizens of Salem, opposing their own religious beliefs, accused their neighbors of witchcraft to protect their own lives and reputations. The judge chose to believe or disbelieve anyone who proposed a conviction to him. The judge usually decided in favor of the individual who seemed interested in the destruction of the devil’s work and the worship of God, because working alongside the devil is the worst of crimes in Salem. Because reputable and devout individuals were being hung, the legislative system could no longer be trusted. That, in turn, meant that the Puritan faith was no longer reliable either. Since religion was the foundation of society, Salem faced destruction. Individuals who previously lived a pious life were discredited and hung at the hand of hearsay. The citizens were losing their personal identity as well as what it meant to be a Christian. Individuals take extreme actions when they are panicked.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChris Clark
ReplyDeleteGrapes of Wrath
Blog#1: Loss of Religion/identity and social upheaval
In “The Grapes of Wrath”, Jim Casy, a former reverend explains to Tom Joad when they meet under the willow tree, “ "I ain't preachin' no more much. The sperit ain't in the people much no more; and worse'n that, the sperit ain't in me no more. 'Course now an' again the sperit gets movin' an' I rip out a meetin', or when folks sets out food, I give 'em a grace, but my heart ain't in it. I on'y do it 'cause they expect it." (4.16) This quote illustrates Casy’s loss of religion because of his own sinful drive to lay in the grass with the girls, while not realizing that this was a sinful act. Casy’s lack of understanding of how the devil could arise in his “holy vessels” also led him to retreat from religion because he realized that his identity was being lost from preaching. This tragic loss of faith is emphasized many times in the novel in order to point out the social conflicts shown during the Depression Era. Ever since the Middle Ages, religion has been used to elevate one’s feelings, thoughts, or actions when they are in a dark time in their lives. However, the Joad’s migration to California exemplifies the harshness of life during the time, leading to people questioning their faith in god or any other higher power. The reverend explains that all of life's worth is on earth, not heaven nor hell. However, the people included in the Dust Bowl even begin to question their time on Earth. The social conflicts demonstrated in “The Grapes of Wrath” symbolize the stressful lives, the traumatic experiences, and the forfeiture of religion of the people during the Great Depression.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKyle Stark
ReplyDeleteGrapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
When we are at our lowest point, our abyss, religion is always there to show us a glimmer of hope for us. Through tough times like bankruptcy, or homelessness faith in God might be the only thing we have left, and will keep on guiding us in the right direction. In the 30s the Great Depression and catastrophic dust bowl left people of the United States in financial and mental turmoil. During these times would they find that religion would be the only thing that could keep their lives intact. But in the case of Jim Casy in "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, religion was just an empty hole in him caused by the loss of faith in God and loss of local agricultural growth. This loss of religion is express in him when Jim is talking: The sperit ain't in the people much no more; and worse'n that, the sperit ain't in me no more. [...], or when folks sets out food, I give 'em a grace, but my heart ain't in it. I on'y do it 'cause they expect it." (4.27). The social and psychological conflict during these times cause Casy to lose his faith in religion. He also loses his identity as a preacher of a church during these times as he believes now that your actions in life determine who you are. Before, he believed that the number of sins you have committed determines the kind of person you are. Certain people's actions and kindness towards him lead him to change his beliefs and identity as a person, doing acts of kindness not because they are required, but because you want to.
Kyle Stark
Grapes of Wrath
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSarah Aggarwal
ReplyDeleteThe Crucible
In the seventeenth century, Salem, Massachusetts was a town where a good name and a godly conscience earned one respect. Governmental disputes were solved in the root of religion and in regards to the Christian faith. However, their paranoia of supernatural activity lead them to accuse their fellow townspeople of witchcraft. Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, depicts the way an individual’s character and integrity are tested through these trials, and how a society can be torn apart and turned against each other. In one case, John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth are caught in the middle of the accusations. Proctor is forced to either confess he had contact with the Devil or to reveal who has been. Proctor says, “They think to go like saints. I like not to spoil their names” (4.130). This shows how he is willing to disintegrate his own name but will not do the same to other people. Others, such as Abigail Williams and the other girls, are disposed to go against Christian values and lie, in order to keep their reputation intact. As Danforth, Parris, and Hathorne continue to convict and put away innocent, God-loving women, religion was turned upside down.
As this loss of religion occurred, society divided into those of the accusers, and those of the accused. People began turning on each other without a second look in order to acquit and protect their own name. Religion was once what allied them together, what was once so clear cut now had blurred lines. People believed the Devil was after their friends, neighbors, and family, and relentlessly presented evidence to have them condemned, causing all to lose faith in the world and the people around them.