Dear Elizabeth,
I cannot stand this anymore. I hate to live under the darkness of my sin, so I need to confess, confess to you.
I have sinned; I broke one of the Ten Commandments; I betrayed you. The Devil sent a beast into my heart that day. I got no pleasure on that unfaithful night with Abigail, but great regret. That girl is Siren, the dangerous seductress that sings to let men die. She allured me and I was so stupid that I did not refused it. This is all my fault.
Elizabeth, my good wife, please give me a chance to wash away my sins. Although I have command the sin of lechery, I still hope I could go back to God. More important, I still want to go back to you and let your love embrace me. Abigail is nothing to me and God will punish her for being a whore. All you have to know, my wife Elizabeth, is that I love you. You are my wife and I shall love you with my life!
Wish time could go back, so that I can take back my unforgivable action. Nightmares are making me frustrated these days. In my dreams, you kept running away from me. I tried to chase after you, but I could not run. When I looked back, I saw Abigail, with her evil face, was holding me back… I could not sleep and I could not eat well anymore – I think this may be a punishment from God. I realized that do that which is good, and no harm shall come to thee. But it is too late because I have already sinned.
I really want to wash away my sin and start fresh, Elizabeth. So now I am here, writing this letter to ask for your forgiveness. Please grant me your forgiveness or my soul will die without the mercy of God. Please give me another chance to be a good husband and another chance to be a commendable Christian.
Asking for forgiveness,
Your husband John
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Letter #2 - Abigail to Proctor
Dear John,
You have not talked to me since that amazing night, my love John. This is driving me insane! I cannot stop thinking about you and I do not want to stop thinking about you. Your wife is acting weird these days – she found out what happened, isn’t she? Maybe that is why you stayed away from me these days. But this is killing me, my love. I cannot wait to see you again; I cannot wait to touch your face and feel your lips again!
You are the first man I have ever had so I will not let your wife to take you back like nothing had happened between us! Actually anything that she could imagine had happened between us – do u still remember, John? I spilled water on the jacket you were wearing. When I was wiping it for you, you suddenly pulled my close and pressed your lips on mine. You kissed my with great passion and front that moment, I knew that this man standing in front of me is going to be the love of my life… I woke up in your arms the next morning. While I was looking at your handsome face, I suddenly realized something. Love is waking up beside you and watch the sunrise on your face; love is telling that I love you in any given time or place. I love you John, and I will do anything I can just to please you.
That is why I cannot let your wife stand in the way of our happiness. I love you so much and I am sure you love me too. It is so not fair that we have to hide our love for each other. I cannot stand this anymore…
I want you John. I want you right now and I want you forever! Come to my place tonight – Your Abby will be waiting for you.
Love,
Abigail
You have not talked to me since that amazing night, my love John. This is driving me insane! I cannot stop thinking about you and I do not want to stop thinking about you. Your wife is acting weird these days – she found out what happened, isn’t she? Maybe that is why you stayed away from me these days. But this is killing me, my love. I cannot wait to see you again; I cannot wait to touch your face and feel your lips again!
You are the first man I have ever had so I will not let your wife to take you back like nothing had happened between us! Actually anything that she could imagine had happened between us – do u still remember, John? I spilled water on the jacket you were wearing. When I was wiping it for you, you suddenly pulled my close and pressed your lips on mine. You kissed my with great passion and front that moment, I knew that this man standing in front of me is going to be the love of my life… I woke up in your arms the next morning. While I was looking at your handsome face, I suddenly realized something. Love is waking up beside you and watch the sunrise on your face; love is telling that I love you in any given time or place. I love you John, and I will do anything I can just to please you.
That is why I cannot let your wife stand in the way of our happiness. I love you so much and I am sure you love me too. It is so not fair that we have to hide our love for each other. I cannot stand this anymore…
I want you John. I want you right now and I want you forever! Come to my place tonight – Your Abby will be waiting for you.
Love,
Abigail
Letter #1 - Hale to Elizabeth
Dear Goody Proctor,
Your husband’s life is on your hand!
Do you know that your husband will be hanged tomorrow morning? Do you know when the sun rise again you will be a widow with four kids? Do you know that all the townpeople do not want Proctor to be hanged? And do you know God do not want Proctor to be hanged, too?
Proctor’s vanity forbid him from making the right choice; so you, Goody Proctor, should try to persuade him to confess so that you can fulfill your duty as a wife. I am sure you know that the town had gone insane these days. Hatred, vengeance, and fatuity are prevailing among us. This world is turning up side down – the one who lie can survive and the one who hold onto the truth must die. Salem’s people have forgot God, but God did not forget His own people. Thus, you should let you and your husband to live, so that God can have a chance to spread his mercy on you and Proctor.
You know that life is the most precious gift God grants to us; no principle shall justify the taking of it. Without a life, how can you pursuit the happiness you want and the belief you have? Who cares if you have lied or not? As long as you are living, there will be a chance for you to wash away your sins.
Tell him to put aside his so-called dignity; tell him to sign the confession document; and tell him you still love him that you do not want him to die leaving you behind! Proctor is not only a responsible husband to you, but also a rare and precious good man to God. We cannot lose him. So please, Goody Proctor, please bring him back to us! Let him confess so you shall have your husband back. Let him confess so we can stop the court from killing another innocent person! In the name of God, LET HIM CONFESS!
Waiting for your good news,
Hale
Your husband’s life is on your hand!
Do you know that your husband will be hanged tomorrow morning? Do you know when the sun rise again you will be a widow with four kids? Do you know that all the townpeople do not want Proctor to be hanged? And do you know God do not want Proctor to be hanged, too?
Proctor’s vanity forbid him from making the right choice; so you, Goody Proctor, should try to persuade him to confess so that you can fulfill your duty as a wife. I am sure you know that the town had gone insane these days. Hatred, vengeance, and fatuity are prevailing among us. This world is turning up side down – the one who lie can survive and the one who hold onto the truth must die. Salem’s people have forgot God, but God did not forget His own people. Thus, you should let you and your husband to live, so that God can have a chance to spread his mercy on you and Proctor.
You know that life is the most precious gift God grants to us; no principle shall justify the taking of it. Without a life, how can you pursuit the happiness you want and the belief you have? Who cares if you have lied or not? As long as you are living, there will be a chance for you to wash away your sins.
Tell him to put aside his so-called dignity; tell him to sign the confession document; and tell him you still love him that you do not want him to die leaving you behind! Proctor is not only a responsible husband to you, but also a rare and precious good man to God. We cannot lose him. So please, Goody Proctor, please bring him back to us! Let him confess so you shall have your husband back. Let him confess so we can stop the court from killing another innocent person! In the name of God, LET HIM CONFESS!
Waiting for your good news,
Hale
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Crucible Essay
Lu Li
AP English (Period F) ---Mr. George
Date: Nov. / 24/ 2008
Assignment name: “The Crucible Essay”
There are clearly some logical holes in Danforth’s view of witchcraft. First of all, he cannot distinguish the difference between regular civil lawsuits and religious persecutions:
But witchcraft is ipso jacto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime […] we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself […] we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions (Miller 100).
From here, it is clear that Danforth thinks witch trails are too illusive to use normal civil proceedings to determine who is guilty or not. Second, he also messed up the differences between religious and civil duty. This is why when Proctor asked for a lawyer, he refused and said, “The pure in heart need no lawyers” (Miller 93). However, this is not taking a vow in a religious ceremony; this is in the court. In other words, people have the right to call for lawyers to defend themselves. Third, the quote “A person is either with the court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between” (Miller 94) shows that Danforth is an ultraist in some ways he drew a red line between the court and its people. It is obvious that the holes in Danforth’s logic disqualified him from being a good judge in Salem’s court.
Uncle Ben from the movie Spiderman gave us a good sense of how Danforth, as the head of the court, should be responsible for the Salem’s tragedy, “With great power, comes great responsibility” (Parker Spiderman). Because Danforth is in the highest rank of the social ladder, he represents the combined authority of the church and state in his theocratic society of the day. He is the puppeteer and everyone else is just a puppet on a string. In other words, he has the power to take control over other people’s lives, so for all the craziness and ridiculousness in Salem, Danforth should be responsible for it.
Danforth’s extreme obsession with pride “contributed” most to his blame on the Salem Witch Hunt. “While I speak God's law, I'll not crack its voice with whimpering" (Miller 129) shows that as a representation of God’s voice on earth, Danforth thinks he is infallible like God. His pride blinds him from seeing the truth, and once again, pride disassociated him from the honest people. Like Proctor said to Danforth in Act Three, “A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that” (Miller 110), Danforth does not want to cast away his so-called good name in the community. It is clear that vanity is corrupting Danforth’s mind. He does not want his reputation go down by admitting he had made an uncorrectable mistake. Pride, as the greatest sin of all time, is the downfall of Danforth. This is why he is the most blameful person in this play.
Some people pointed out that Hale and Parris should also be blamed for their breach of duty. Although Hale and Parris are also the authorities in Salem, as well as the heads of the court, they are less responsible for the tragedy of the witch trail compared to Danforth. “Can you not see the blood on my head” (Miller 131) shows that Hale realized his fault at the end and confessed. In comparison to him, Danforth the old fogey held onto his belief to the end. “Life is God’s most precious gift; no principle […] may justify the taking of it” (Miller 132) reveals that Parris thinks life is more important than pride. Danforth, however, put his pride over others' lives. In other words, he is a selfish person who sacrifices other people’s lives in order to let his brittle pride survive. He should be blame for his selfishness and his ignorance to people’s lives.
Danforth should be blamed for his misunderstood of religious and civil duty, his breach of duty, and his extreme lust for pride. Although lots of opinions lean to the belief that Abigail is the most blameful person, evidences in this essay have made it clear that Danforth should be responsible for the tragedy of Salem’s Witch Hunt.
Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. “The Crucible”. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1976.
“With great power, comes great responsibility.”
Ben, Park. Spiderman (the movie). QuotesHead.com. 24 Feb. 2007.
AP English (Period F) ---Mr. George
Date: Nov. / 24/ 2008
Assignment name: “The Crucible Essay”
The Person to Blame Most in “The Crucible”
Who should be responsible for the tragedy of Salem’s Witch Hunt? Although Governor Danforth did not appear in this play until Act Three, he should take the most blame for the ridiculous witch-hunt in Salem. In Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible”, Miller demonstrated clearly that it was Danforth’s flaws – the holes in his logic in the case of witchcraft, his lust for authority, and his extreme obsession with pride – that led him to be responsible the most for the tragedy of the holocaustic witch-hunt in Salem.There are clearly some logical holes in Danforth’s view of witchcraft. First of all, he cannot distinguish the difference between regular civil lawsuits and religious persecutions:
But witchcraft is ipso jacto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime […] we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself […] we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions (Miller 100).
From here, it is clear that Danforth thinks witch trails are too illusive to use normal civil proceedings to determine who is guilty or not. Second, he also messed up the differences between religious and civil duty. This is why when Proctor asked for a lawyer, he refused and said, “The pure in heart need no lawyers” (Miller 93). However, this is not taking a vow in a religious ceremony; this is in the court. In other words, people have the right to call for lawyers to defend themselves. Third, the quote “A person is either with the court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between” (Miller 94) shows that Danforth is an ultraist in some ways he drew a red line between the court and its people. It is obvious that the holes in Danforth’s logic disqualified him from being a good judge in Salem’s court.
Uncle Ben from the movie Spiderman gave us a good sense of how Danforth, as the head of the court, should be responsible for the Salem’s tragedy, “With great power, comes great responsibility” (Parker Spiderman). Because Danforth is in the highest rank of the social ladder, he represents the combined authority of the church and state in his theocratic society of the day. He is the puppeteer and everyone else is just a puppet on a string. In other words, he has the power to take control over other people’s lives, so for all the craziness and ridiculousness in Salem, Danforth should be responsible for it.
Danforth’s extreme obsession with pride “contributed” most to his blame on the Salem Witch Hunt. “While I speak God's law, I'll not crack its voice with whimpering" (Miller 129) shows that as a representation of God’s voice on earth, Danforth thinks he is infallible like God. His pride blinds him from seeing the truth, and once again, pride disassociated him from the honest people. Like Proctor said to Danforth in Act Three, “A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that” (Miller 110), Danforth does not want to cast away his so-called good name in the community. It is clear that vanity is corrupting Danforth’s mind. He does not want his reputation go down by admitting he had made an uncorrectable mistake. Pride, as the greatest sin of all time, is the downfall of Danforth. This is why he is the most blameful person in this play.
Some people pointed out that Hale and Parris should also be blamed for their breach of duty. Although Hale and Parris are also the authorities in Salem, as well as the heads of the court, they are less responsible for the tragedy of the witch trail compared to Danforth. “Can you not see the blood on my head” (Miller 131) shows that Hale realized his fault at the end and confessed. In comparison to him, Danforth the old fogey held onto his belief to the end. “Life is God’s most precious gift; no principle […] may justify the taking of it” (Miller 132) reveals that Parris thinks life is more important than pride. Danforth, however, put his pride over others' lives. In other words, he is a selfish person who sacrifices other people’s lives in order to let his brittle pride survive. He should be blame for his selfishness and his ignorance to people’s lives.
Danforth should be blamed for his misunderstood of religious and civil duty, his breach of duty, and his extreme lust for pride. Although lots of opinions lean to the belief that Abigail is the most blameful person, evidences in this essay have made it clear that Danforth should be responsible for the tragedy of Salem’s Witch Hunt.
Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. “The Crucible”. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1976.
“With great power, comes great responsibility.”
Ben, Park. Spiderman (the movie). QuotesHead.com. 24 Feb. 2007.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Crucible Homework P128-145
I. Quotations
1. "Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement, now specks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God's law, I'll not crack its voice with whimpering." - Danforth (page 129)
II. Discussing Questions
1. What would the village react to the execution of Proctor?
2. What should we choose: make a lie to live or save the pride and die?
1. "Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement, now specks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God's law, I'll not crack its voice with whimpering." - Danforth (page 129)
- Vanity is corrupting Danforth's mind. It is his pride that tells him he cannot be wrong; it is his pride that blind himself from seeing the truth; it is his pride, once again, that makes him to think he is the voice of God on earth. Like every fatuous tyrant has been made in history, it is the curse of pride that drove Danforth insane. When people think they are superior than others, there would be a lack of embracing others opinions in their hearts. That's exactly what Danforth is struggling right now - he doesn't want his reputation to go down and he doesn't want people to think he made a mistake, especially his is a representation of God's voice on earth. We can see that Danforth is a selfish person who sacrifice others lives in order to let his brittle pride survive.
- This quote echoes another quote said by Elizabeth at the end of the play, "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" (p145) So here, the "goodness" is equal to Proctor. This shows Elizabeth put her faith in her husband again. Secondly, this quote answered the question I had yesterday - "should we follow the 'fashion' or should we follow our hearts?" Here, Elizabeth is telling Proctor (and readers like us) that we should make our decisions by ourselves. There is no higher judge other than God that can determine our lives. Although it seems to be a kind of pride, it is a positive one. When someone has to choose between his body or spirit, and he or she decides to die faithfully rather than live dishonestly, the so-called pride is actually self-esteem. Like Proctor's heroic actions at the end, he was saving his soul from being corrupted by lies. Make your own choice and be faithful to both you and God, then your resurrection will come. God bless Proctor...and the people like him.
II. Discussing Questions
1. What would the village react to the execution of Proctor?
2. What should we choose: make a lie to live or save the pride and die?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Crucible Homework P113-127
I. Quotations
1. "No, I love God; I go your way no more. I love God, I bless God. Sobbing, she rushes to Abigail. Abby, Abby I'll never hurt you more!" They all watch, as Abigail, out of her infinite charity, reaches out and draws the sobbing Mary to her, and then looks up to Danforth. - Marry Warren (page 119)
II. Discussing Questions
1. Why did Hale come back?
2. What is the real reason for Parris to change his mind? His conscience or his pride (because Abigail robbed him)?
1. "No, I love God; I go your way no more. I love God, I bless God. Sobbing, she rushes to Abigail. Abby, Abby I'll never hurt you more!" They all watch, as Abigail, out of her infinite charity, reaches out and draws the sobbing Mary to her, and then looks up to Danforth. - Marry Warren (page 119)
- Quiet a show to watch. However, we've seen this sort of things happened many times in this play. For example, "I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus!" (Abigail, p48) They are all shameless liars, I have to say. Marry Warren is a pathetic creature that put cowardice over consciousness. We can see how peer pressure is working in the court. Humans are by nature gregarious animals - we rely on the opinions of others. When the whole society is worshiping the wrong thing, virtuous people (the minority) always become the “sinners”. Maybe this is one of the reason why people always need to keep up-to-date, no matter it's right or wrong. So this bring up a question to us - what is the definition of right and wrong? Should we follow the "fashion" or should we follow our hearts? It's obvious that what Marry was wrong, but aren't we doing the same thing in life too?
- There are three "quails" in one sentence. This shows the sense of fear is hanging over the town. People may have different opinions on the cause of Salem's witch trail, but I have to say that all the revenge, lust, power, and so on, came from the curse of fear. People were afraid of losing their powers; people were afraid of facing the consequences of lust; people were afraid of admitting the mistakes they've made... "in all your black hearts that this be fraud" (p120) When people are surrounded by fear, they use lies to cover their cowardice. That's why almost everyone in Salem were dishonest. However, when everyone is lying, the virtue of the society would gradually break into pieces. That's why Proctor said "God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!" at last. This indicates the doom of Salem - people will pay for their unconsciousness in the end.
II. Discussing Questions
1. Why did Hale come back?
2. What is the real reason for Parris to change his mind? His conscience or his pride (because Abigail robbed him)?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Crucible Homework P98-113
I. Quotations
1. "I have signed seventy-two death warrants; I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it." - John Hale (page 94)
II. Discussing Questions
1. What will happen to Elizabeth and Proctor? Will Danforth free them although their testimonies didn't matched up well?
2. What will Marry Warren do under the peer pressure of Abigail and the other girls in the group?
1. "I have signed seventy-two death warrants; I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it." - John Hale (page 94)
- This is a turning point of Hale's position toward Salem's witch trail. His consciousness and righteousness led him out of the ridiculous and vicious cycle of the witch hunt. As an outsider, he came to Salem without the awareness of the relationships and true faces of the townpeolpe. He naively thought that Salem is a peaceful little town with virtuous Christian living in it. However, as he found out later on, in front of the curse of revenge and conflicts of interest, people are evil. It's so pathetic that honesty and morality are so brittle when the lust of power and revenge is at the helm. But thank God that Hale recognized it and withdraw from the fatuous court (later on by the end of Act Three).
- In Proctor's word, "It is a whore!" (page 110 & more; and pay attention to the word choice: 'It is', not 'she is'). I was surprised by Abigail's talent of using psychological tactics. By stating out the "fact" that she sacrificed herself to the court, to the town, and even to God, Abigail made herself not only a naive and powerless teenage girl but also a valiant warrior of righteousness and justice. I have to say that Abigail is a wicked smart girl. Unfortunately, she used her intelligence in the wrong place. We cannot blame for what she is because she, from some perspectives, is a victim of lust and revenge.
II. Discussing Questions
1. What will happen to Elizabeth and Proctor? Will Danforth free them although their testimonies didn't matched up well?
2. What will Marry Warren do under the peer pressure of Abigail and the other girls in the group?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Crucible Homework P83-98
I. Quotations
1. "This is a clear attack upon the court!" - Reverend Parris (page 94)
II. Discussing Questions
1. Why did the judges keep denying the evidences that the witch trail was wrong?
2. What is Marry Warren going to say? Is she really on Proctor's side?
1. "This is a clear attack upon the court!" - Reverend Parris (page 94)
- From here we can see that justice is no longer in the court. The judges' rationality was carried away by the pleasantness of power. As Governor Danforth had said "A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between." There is a sense of insecure in their voice - they are afraid to lose their power, they are afraid that they might be wrong! We cannot only judge those vengeful girls who accused a rival of witchcraft; those face-saving and fatuous authorities are also responsible for this tragedy. Those innocent women were victims of the power-greedy society - powerless girls wanted to gain powers; powerful authorities wanted to preserve powers.
- Old Giles revealed the hidden secret of Putnam - this land-greedy man wants the land from his neighbor. Putnam is just one of the town people who wanted to benefit from the witch hunt. This shows us the ugly side of human - the ruthless selfishness. It is such an irony that when the court was hunting for the sins devil seeded, the real sinners were still out there.
II. Discussing Questions
1. Why did the judges keep denying the evidences that the witch trail was wrong?
2. What is Marry Warren going to say? Is she really on Proctor's side?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Crucible Homework P67-83
I. Quotations
1. "Vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant's vengeance! I'll not give my wife to vengeance!" - John Proctor (page 77)
II. Discussing Questions
1. Is Marry Warren with Abigail? Did Warren plane giving the doll with a needle in it to Elizabeth and accuse her as a witch?
2. Why don't the Proctors believe in witchcraft when everyone else believes it?
1. "Vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant's vengeance! I'll not give my wife to vengeance!" - John Proctor (page 77)
- Finally, someone pointed out what is the root cause of all the blaming and suspicion between people living in Salem. Vengeance is the "devil" they are always been looking for. From the previous reading, it is clear that hatreds and prejudice are profound in Salem. When they found the way to express their angers to others - by calling the one you dislike a witch - they will use it as much as they can. The Salem witch hunt is not an accident, it's just an radical outcome of the losing morality in the society.
- I have to say that human nature is ugly deep in our heart. The reason why there are good and bad people is that people used to overcome their sinful nature by following the standard morality. It is like you are wearing layers of clothes to cover up your body. In the case of the Salem witch trail, people were "naked". They teared off the chains of justice, righteousness, trust... and all that sort of things regardless the sense of morality. Why is this happening? The bitterness and prejudice among the townpeople over time was meant to be the primacord of conflicts - once it's being lighted, no one can stop it. When everyone is under the examination that is based on vengeance, they are meant to be hurt in some ways -like those pathetic little guinea pigs, waiting to sacrifice themselves in order to fulfill those "supreme philosophy of life" (in this case it's "the will of God")
II. Discussing Questions
1. Is Marry Warren with Abigail? Did Warren plane giving the doll with a needle in it to Elizabeth and accuse her as a witch?
2. Why don't the Proctors believe in witchcraft when everyone else believes it?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Crucible Homework P49-67
I. Quotations
1. " You must see it, sir, it's God's work we do. So I'll be gone every day fir sine tune. I'm-I am an official of the court, they say, and I-" - Marry Warren (page 59)
1. What's the point of Hale's visit to Proctor's house?
2. What might the conflict between Proctor & Parris be? How is this an reflection of the relationship between religion & relations in the townpeople's eyes?
1. " You must see it, sir, it's God's work we do. So I'll be gone every day fir sine tune. I'm-I am an official of the court, they say, and I-" - Marry Warren (page 59)
- Girls like Marry Warren and Abigail Williams are living at the foot of the social ladder - just little above the slaves. They have no power over other people, and they even don't have the power to make their own decisions! So when they were finally being recognized in something - the ability to identify the devil and witches, the self-worth of those girls was being boosted. No wonder why those girls kept accusing innocent people - they're enjoying the pleasure of power which they always wanted.
- It's clear that Elizabeth is mocking and blaming John Proctor indirectly. It is such an irony that John Proctor forgot the Commandment that is exactly what he had broke. From here we can see that either Proctor was ashamed of the affair he had with Abigail (doesn't want to talk about it) or he doesn't considered adultery as a sin (totally forgot about this Commandment). We can see the internal struggle in Proctor's heart and the external conflict he has with his wife, Elizabeth. This person is meant to have a downfall - the flaw he has is causing more and more troubles as time goes on.
1. What's the point of Hale's visit to Proctor's house?
2. What might the conflict between Proctor & Parris be? How is this an reflection of the relationship between religion & relations in the townpeople's eyes?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Character List
- Reverend Parris - the minister of Salem's church; in his mid forties; paranoid & suspicious; many of the town folks, like John Proctor, dislike him; cares about building his status & reputation in the community.
- Betty Parris - Reverend Parris' ten-year-old daughter, falls into a stupor after dancing in the woods with Tituba; believed to bewitched; can't bear to hear the Lord's name
- Tituba - Mr. Parris' black slave from Barbados; fearful; have the ability to talk to the death (maybe); drink chicken blood; perform witchcraft for the girls
- Abigail Williams -once the servant for the Proctors, but got kicked out by Mrs. Proctor because she had an affair with her husband, John Proctor; a strikingly beautiful girl; passionate in love with John Proctor; hates Mrs. Proctor; a liar.
- Mrs. Ann Putnam - Thomas Putnam's wife; have given birth to 8 children, but only Ruth Putnam survived; believes her children were killed by the witches
- Thomas Putnam - rich, influential citizen of Salem; deep interested in parish affairs; hold against Francis Nurse for preventing his brother-in-law from being elected to the office minister; greedy of money & power; accuse his neighbors to take over their lands
- Mercy Lewis - the Purtnams' servant; a fat, sly merciless girl from Abigail's group
- Mary Warren - a servant in the Proctor's house & a member of Abigail's group of girls; timid & naive; easy-influenced； gave the puppet to Elizabeth
- John Proctor -in his mid thirties; stern & harsh-tongued; hates hypocrisy; had an affair with Abigail; love his wife Elizabeth; trying to be a good & responsible man; doesn't like Mr. Parris; doesn't go to church every week
- Giles Corey - eighty-three; suspect his wife, Martha, has a hidden secret;not trusted by the town folks;a crank & a nuisance, but withal a deeply innocent & brave man; been in court for many times
- Rebecca Nurse - Francis Nurse's wife; held in tremendous regard by most of the Salem community; accused by the Putnams of her witchcraft
- Francis Nurse - a wealthy, influential man in Salem; land war with Purnam
- Reverend John Hale - nearing forty; a minister reputed to be an expert on witchcraft; called to Salem to examine Parris' daughter Betty; hates witchcraft; a committed Christian; called Tituba & Abigail to "ally" with him
- Ezekiel Cheever - clerk of the court;
- Marshal Herrick - in his early thirties; marshal of Salem; works in the court
- Judge Hathorne - in his sixties; a bitter, remorseless Salem judge
- Governar Danforth - a grave man in his sixties; of some humor & sophistication that does not; interfere with an exact loyalty to his position & his cause
The Crucible Homework P36-49
I. Quotations
1. " You're the God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us. You're selected, Tituba, you're chosen to help us cleanse our villages. So speak utterly, Tituba, turn your back on him & face God - face God, Tituba, & God will protect you." - Hale (page 46)
"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!" - Abigail (page 48)
1. How does peer pressure effect townpeople's action s & decisions? Are they positive or negative influences? Why?
2. What were the girls actually doing in the woods?
1. " You're the God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us. You're selected, Tituba, you're chosen to help us cleanse our villages. So speak utterly, Tituba, turn your back on him & face God - face God, Tituba, & God will protect you." - Hale (page 46)
- From here we can see that Hale is using Tituba as a tool. As the author had addressed before, Hale "felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicity called for" (p33). He view himself as a supreme figure about all the townpeople. When he was trying to convince Tituba to tell the "truth", he has this tone as if he was God! No wonder letting a person like this to determine the life of others would lead to a big irresistible mistake.
"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!" - Abigail (page 48)
- The forgiveness & love people gave to Tituba after her confession are exactly what Abigail wants. The rumors about her adultery with the minister & the suspicion of her getting involved in witchcraft made her overwhelmingly stressful - she wants to get rid of these. No wonder she would blame all the fault to others as a relief for herself. Also, it is really pathetic that people like Abigail use religion as a weapon (either for attract or defense).
1. How does peer pressure effect townpeople's action s & decisions? Are they positive or negative influences? Why?
2. What were the girls actually doing in the woods?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Crucible Homework P20-36
I. Quotations
1. " These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. It is another trait we inherited from them, and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us." (page 20)
1. How does Parris view his job as the minister of Salem's church? How does this effect his behavior?
2. What would Abigail do after Proctor ended their relationship?
1. " These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. It is another trait we inherited from them, and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us." (page 20)
- This quote reveals the townpeople's attitudes to sins. What is hypocrisy? It is an action of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you don't really have. In another word, it is an action of lying. It is good to have the desire to be virtuous, but when you pretend to be good & use lies to cover it up, you are running in the opposite direction of your original desire. The same thing goes to the witch-hunt. Although the purpose of the witch-hunt is positive, in some ways, when people started to point fingers at each others as a revenge, the action of driving sins out of lives became a sin itself.
- This quote shows the image of government in the villagers' mind. The authority standardized the so-called moral virtues, & people must follow it. If not, as the quote said, those minorities will be seen as the diabolical malevolence to the society. In Salem, being different was unacceptable. There was no right or wrong - being normal or evil was the only difference between people. The government was no longer an arbiter, it was just a ruthless headsman - the only thing he cares about is chopping off heads.
1. How does Parris view his job as the minister of Salem's church? How does this effect his behavior?
2. What would Abigail do after Proctor ended their relationship?
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Crucible Homework P8-20
I. Quotations
1. "No. There be no unnatural cause here... Let him look to medicine & put out all thought of unnatural causes here. There be none." (page 9)
1. Does Mr. Parris believe in witchcraft? Why or why not?
Hint: the paradox - his negation of "unnatural causes" vs. his certain of Abigail's witchcraft
2. Betty's abnormal actions in the last scene show us what? What will happen to Abigail?
1. "No. There be no unnatural cause here... Let him look to medicine & put out all thought of unnatural causes here. There be none." (page 9)
- From here it seems Mr. Parris does not believed in witch-craft or anything unnatural. However, when he talked to his niece Abigail, he seemed to be very certain that she is a witch. This is kind of paradoxical because Mr. Parris acts differently when talking to different people under different circumstance.
- This quote shows the fatuity of people at that time. It is clear that most of the villagers were horrified by the rumors of witchcraft. They thought the Devil is reaching them by sending witches to their world. We can feel the sense of fear among those people - no doubt they would do what ever they can to drive the so-called witchcraft away.
1. Does Mr. Parris believe in witchcraft? Why or why not?
Hint: the paradox - his negation of "unnatural causes" vs. his certain of Abigail's witchcraft
2. Betty's abnormal actions in the last scene show us what? What will happen to Abigail?
The Crucible In-Class Work
I. Characters in the Play
1. Reverend Parris:
Although some of the senses were dramatized by the author, the play was written based on historical facts. Most events were true & all the characters in the play have the same or similar references from the history.
The play took place in Salem, a small village in Massachusetts early in the year of 1692. The village people were extremely religious. "The people of Salem developed 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.” (p7) People were frightened by the rumors of the arrival of devil, so they began the ridiculous witch hunt, which a lot of people were hanged for witchcraft.
As the book said, "The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom. (p7)"
1. Reverend Parris:
- in his mid forties
- suspicious but religious - "He believed he was being persecuted wherever he went, despite his best efforts to win people & God to his side"
- over-sensitive & tetchy - "In meeting, he felt insulted if someone rose to shut the door without first asking his permission"
- unamiable - "He was a widower with no interest in children, or talent with them"
- Reverend's daughter at the age of ten
- probably ill beyond cure - "but his daughter does not stir on the bed"
- A rebel - "would rebel against, for he time of he armed camp had almost passed, the old disciplines were beginning to rankle"
- a female slave Parris brought from Barbados
- frightened - "trouble in this house eventually lands on her back"
Although some of the senses were dramatized by the author, the play was written based on historical facts. Most events were true & all the characters in the play have the same or similar references from the history.
The play took place in Salem, a small village in Massachusetts early in the year of 1692. The village people were extremely religious. "The people of Salem developed 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.” (p7) People were frightened by the rumors of the arrival of devil, so they began the ridiculous witch hunt, which a lot of people were hanged for witchcraft.
As the book said, "The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom. (p7)"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
