The Theme Of Conformity And Status In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Humans walk a fine line between conformity and status. They conform to the point where they eliminate any risk of becoming a pariah, but at the same time strive to be different enough to stand out among their peers and rise above them. In Puritan New England, a place where any oddity was indicative of God’s displeasure or perhaps even a pact with the Devil, it was easiest for an individual to fit the mold that society demanded of them. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, which takes place in Salem at the time of the town’s infamous witch trials, examines cultural conformity and its effect on a sequence of events. Through the characters Ezekiel Cheever, Marshal Herrick and Mary Warren, Miller shows that it is human nature to conform to and reinforce societal values despite misgivings; the characters’ inability to speak up and stand by their beliefs perpetuates the very societal values with which they disagree. As the paranoia in Salem rapidly spirals out of control, Ezekiel Cheever carries out the arrests of at least sixteen women despite expressing displeasure in the duty he has been given. When he comes to John Proctor’s house, intending to apprehend Elizabeth Proctor, he says “…how heavy be the law, all its tonnage I do carry on my back tonight” (72). As the scene in the Proctors’ house plays out, he is shown to be embarrassed and hesitant in his actions (73), knowing that there is something wrong with what he has been ordered to do. He doesn’t want to arrest any of the women, but he does so anyway, because to refuse would be to draw unwelcome attention to his own unpopular opinion. Cheever stands in a room with John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Marshal Herrick (who has his own unvoiced doubts) and Reverend Hale, in a position to state his mind without being persecuted or shamed, and even lend support to the cause of the accused witches and their loved ones. His choice to submit to cultural pressure rather than fight it condemns good people to an unspeakable fate. Later, when John Proctor comes to the trial proceedings in an attempt to save the lives of his wife and the other innocent women accused of witchery, Cheever gives evidence that undermines Proctor’s case. He tells Deputy Governor Danforth that Proctor ripped up an arrest warrant for Elizabeth Proctor (90) and that Proctor “plow[s] on Sunday” (90),when he should be in church. However, he doesn’t provide the evidence on moral grounds, rather, he claims that it is his duty (90). His true beliefs are irrelevant, because the society he lives in demands that he think and act a certain way. What Cheever refers to as his duty is more than just his job as a clerk of the court, it is his …show more content…
He is visibly drunk (122) and voices his disillusionment (122) to Sarah Good and Tituba, both of whom are accused witches and have been driven to delusion by the cruelty of their treatment in the prison. At this point, Herrick has lost all faith in the court’s actions, but other than vaguely implying his anger to Danforth (124), he does nothing. Herrick stands by because all of the anger in his heart is not enough to relieve him of the fear instilled in him by Puritan cultural beliefs. As the play ends, Herrick escorts John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and the others condemned to hang out of prison and to the gallows. His actions show the finality of his submission, and they tie together the theme of conformity in the …show more content…
It’s a survival instinct; oftentimes an individual must sacrifice personal beliefs in order to be protected by neighbors and peers. In The Crucible, Ezekiel Cheever and Marshal Herrick fear the court that employs them, and Mary Warren fears the girls who are causing the madness in Salem. None of them truly realize their ability to stand up for their beliefs and change the course of events in the town; neither do many of the other bystanders and unwilling participants, neither did people living during the time of the McCarthy hearings, and neither do people today. The power of a single human voice is tremendous, because of what it can do to lift others from a destructive herd mentality. Miller depicts a world where there aren’t enough voices, and he shows how a world can burn without