Mob Mentality In The Crucible, By Arthur Miller And Ray Bradbury

Register to read the introduction… When people are stressed, they don't think straight. In a state of confusion or fear, people tend to join forces, causing them to do the wrong things and follow the wrong leaders (Barnhart). They do not know what, when, or why they should do it. If a person is having a difficult time grasping concepts and ideas, they hold onto any example they can. Like those in The Crucible, the girls follow Abigail’s lead because they have absolutely no idea how to cope with the situation they are in, or they'll have to face the consequences. The young girls know that it's not a good decision to act the way Abigail does, but they cannot think of a better option for themselves. It was logical for the people of Salem to believe the girls could tell who were witches because, “They were part of an unhealthy, potentially dangerous social and psychological atmosphere that had long pervaded the Puritan communities,” (29) as Don Nardo states in The Salem Witch Trials. When people follow another person’s lead, they are hiding themselves from the world and everyone in it. Some people don't like to have attention directed toward them. In fact, some people will do anything to not stand out. They will blend into a crowd …show more content…
They throw tantrums, get angry and fights break out when in large numbers don't receive what they truly want. Even worse, incredible amounts of violence occur. Violence on great levels leads to mass destruction and staggering amounts of death. In The Crucible Abigail Williams has a horrible personality; she is constantly yelling or being rude to someone. When Betty says out loud that Abigail drank a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail slaps her across the face, shouting, “Shut it! Now shut it!” (Miller 1244). In the end, Abigail causes the death of multiple people and even the man she loves for the sole reason that she didn't get what she