Out of the many characters, both in Katherine Howe’s Conversion and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, two stand firm in their convictions, doubting what is the supposed truth. John Proctor and Colleen Rowley keep their stance on their beliefs until own self-doubt creeps up, stemming from personal connections to the controversy. But in Conversion, the character Ann Putnam is not doubting the witchcraft in Salem, but perpetuating the rumor, and is one of the main accusers. Reputation and how others view reputation is also a deciding factor in the comparison between the three. While the witchcraft in The Crucible and the Interlude in Conversion are fake, conversion disorder is real in Conversion. The situations in both Salem and at St. Joan’s are
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Outspoken and a honorable man, he has a good “name”. When the girls, led by Abigail Williams, start crying witch he is skeptical. Giles Corey even says “He don’t believe in witches” (Miller 37). John eventually concludes the girls are faking and discusses whether he should tell the courts about it with his wife. When his wife is accused by Abigail, he convinces his servant Mary Warren to confess that the girls are faking. Even when Mary threatens that Abigail will charge lechery against him, he would rather ruin his reputation than allow more innocent people die. John Proctor’s honor and integrity are foils to the girls’ wild accusations based off of personal dislike and hate of those that they are …show more content…
In Conversion, reputation, social pressure, and conformity are examined in how they affect young girls’ mentally and physically. The girls are not faking, contrary to the belief of many, but actually ill with conversion disorder. The woman from the Massachusetts Department of Health defines conversion disorder as: “happening when you are experiencing really serious, really unusual stress in your life, that your body does not know how to handle, and it ‘converts’ into physical symptoms” (330). The girls at St. Joan’s are under high pressure with them being in a competitive learning environment, college applications, and outside social lives. Colleen wants to maintain her reputation by winning valedictorian, but all the stress she was under manifested itself into conversion disorder. Compared to John Proctor, Colleen is under more external pressure, unlike John who is under internal pressure stemming from his conscience. He is expected to conform to the strict religious expectations of the Puritans and how they behave. His internal battle with his demons and his sins put a strain on his relationship with his wife and family. He risks his reputation to tell the truth in Act Three, but Elizabeth lies to save it. She hears from John that he already confessed too late, to which he exclaims “She only thought to save my name!” (Miller 113). Elizabeth is put under
Outspoken and a honorable man, he has a good “name”. When the girls, led by Abigail Williams, start crying witch he is skeptical. Giles Corey even says “He don’t believe in witches” (Miller 37). John eventually concludes the girls are faking and discusses whether he should tell the courts about it with his wife. When his wife is accused by Abigail, he convinces his servant Mary Warren to confess that the girls are faking. Even when Mary threatens that Abigail will charge lechery against him, he would rather ruin his reputation than allow more innocent people die. John Proctor’s honor and integrity are foils to the girls’ wild accusations based off of personal dislike and hate of those that they are …show more content…
In Conversion, reputation, social pressure, and conformity are examined in how they affect young girls’ mentally and physically. The girls are not faking, contrary to the belief of many, but actually ill with conversion disorder. The woman from the Massachusetts Department of Health defines conversion disorder as: “happening when you are experiencing really serious, really unusual stress in your life, that your body does not know how to handle, and it ‘converts’ into physical symptoms” (330). The girls at St. Joan’s are under high pressure with them being in a competitive learning environment, college applications, and outside social lives. Colleen wants to maintain her reputation by winning valedictorian, but all the stress she was under manifested itself into conversion disorder. Compared to John Proctor, Colleen is under more external pressure, unlike John who is under internal pressure stemming from his conscience. He is expected to conform to the strict religious expectations of the Puritans and how they behave. His internal battle with his demons and his sins put a strain on his relationship with his wife and family. He risks his reputation to tell the truth in Act Three, but Elizabeth lies to save it. She hears from John that he already confessed too late, to which he exclaims “She only thought to save my name!” (Miller 113). Elizabeth is put under