Anuj Bastola
Professor Konstantinidis
CRWT 102-07
3rd March, 2017
The Crucible and Mass Hysteria Mass Hysteria is a quick spread of rumor, acceptance of unreasonable conduct or beliefs in the society that affects large number of population. People start to show real symptoms just from the rumor they heard that has no organic basis. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, mass hysteria acts as an important part in bringing chaos in Salem, Massachusetts after people started to believe in rumor of witch. The play is based on event of young girls led by Abigail Williams from Salem and slave named Tituba dancing in the woods. The mass hysteria first started after the girls started blaming others to avoid punishment, especially Tituba of having dark magic of devil. This goes on when …show more content…
Authors of Collective Behavior, Kurt Lang and Gladys Engel Lang explain that the more widespread a rumor, the more acceptance it gains or fashions, once adopted, can reach the height of absurdity (2). As the rumor pass on, more acceptance will be gained and there will be several interpretations done which makes situation even worse. Nobody knows the exact cause of the problem but due to gain in acceptance, people feel like they are experiencing the problem from the long time and start to express their grudges. When mass hysteria prevails in the society, people are forced to choose one of two sides. In Salem where everyone belongs to God, mass hysteria generated sufficient pressure to force all people to choose one of two sides and to disrupt all competing group allegiances that cut across the particular factional alignment (Lang and Engel Lang 3). In order to avoid punishment, people are accusing other of witchcraft. When Mary Warren, servant of Proctor and one of the girls in the group, tried to give evidence to disapprove witchcraft, Abigail and other girls disrupt her argument by accusing Mary of
Professor Konstantinidis
CRWT 102-07
3rd March, 2017
The Crucible and Mass Hysteria Mass Hysteria is a quick spread of rumor, acceptance of unreasonable conduct or beliefs in the society that affects large number of population. People start to show real symptoms just from the rumor they heard that has no organic basis. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, mass hysteria acts as an important part in bringing chaos in Salem, Massachusetts after people started to believe in rumor of witch. The play is based on event of young girls led by Abigail Williams from Salem and slave named Tituba dancing in the woods. The mass hysteria first started after the girls started blaming others to avoid punishment, especially Tituba of having dark magic of devil. This goes on when …show more content…
Authors of Collective Behavior, Kurt Lang and Gladys Engel Lang explain that the more widespread a rumor, the more acceptance it gains or fashions, once adopted, can reach the height of absurdity (2). As the rumor pass on, more acceptance will be gained and there will be several interpretations done which makes situation even worse. Nobody knows the exact cause of the problem but due to gain in acceptance, people feel like they are experiencing the problem from the long time and start to express their grudges. When mass hysteria prevails in the society, people are forced to choose one of two sides. In Salem where everyone belongs to God, mass hysteria generated sufficient pressure to force all people to choose one of two sides and to disrupt all competing group allegiances that cut across the particular factional alignment (Lang and Engel Lang 3). In order to avoid punishment, people are accusing other of witchcraft. When Mary Warren, servant of Proctor and one of the girls in the group, tried to give evidence to disapprove witchcraft, Abigail and other girls disrupt her argument by accusing Mary of