This is apparent in the character of Reverend Parris who at first says, “Thomas, I pray you, leap not to witchcraft” (The Crucible 14). Although he attempts to stop the reports of witches early, he quickly changes positions when he realizes the momentum behind the rumors. For fear of losing his reputation, Parris surrenders to the will of others and allows the accusations of witchcraft to run rampant. For Miller, Parris is analogous to President Truman who “was outraged at the allegation of widespread Communist infiltration of the government… But such was the gathering power of raw belief in the great Soviet plot that Truman soon felt it necessary to institute loyalty boards of his own” (“Why I Wrote”). Truman is at first affronted by the accusations of Communist plots in America, but he, like Parris, quickly surrenders to the momentum of the claims. Miller uses Parris as an analogy to demonstrate Truman’s failure to uphold his integrity in the face of mob
This is apparent in the character of Reverend Parris who at first says, “Thomas, I pray you, leap not to witchcraft” (The Crucible 14). Although he attempts to stop the reports of witches early, he quickly changes positions when he realizes the momentum behind the rumors. For fear of losing his reputation, Parris surrenders to the will of others and allows the accusations of witchcraft to run rampant. For Miller, Parris is analogous to President Truman who “was outraged at the allegation of widespread Communist infiltration of the government… But such was the gathering power of raw belief in the great Soviet plot that Truman soon felt it necessary to institute loyalty boards of his own” (“Why I Wrote”). Truman is at first affronted by the accusations of Communist plots in America, but he, like Parris, quickly surrenders to the momentum of the claims. Miller uses Parris as an analogy to demonstrate Truman’s failure to uphold his integrity in the face of mob