Pola Matoga
IB 1B
English A
Abigail As A Victim Of Her Society In The Crucible
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play with many complex characters, and sends multiple messages. One of those dynamic characters is Abigail, a seventeen year old girl. At first glance it is easy to blame Abigail for the witch trials in Salem, as she is a devious and manipulative girl, however, the truth is that Abigail is a victim of a strict, Puritan society. Her upbringing and past led her to be the person she is in the play. Although one cannot excuse her for what she did, one can understand her, and even commiserate with her.
To begin with, Abigail was brought up by her uncle, Reverend Parris after her family was murdered by Native Americans in front of …show more content…
Although she condemns innocent people to most likely death, she does not do it out of spite, but so that she is not punished. As the story progresses, Abigail enjoys her new found authority in a society that previously shunned, ignored and mistreated her. This is a completely natural reaction, as the respect she gains and the power she suddenly acquires gets into her head, and she starts to use it for herself and manipulates the village by accusing Elizabeth Proctor and anyone who disagrees with her or disbelieves her of witchcraft to get what she wants. When Mary Warren lets her conscience get to her, and nearly confesses that the accusatory acts are fraudery, Abigail accuses her of witchcraft and manipulates and bullies Mary into obeying …show more content…
Not letting people be people will build up and eventually someone will rebel against the oppression. Abigail, although she is a mischievous and sly girl, is after all a human brought up in a terrible environment, one that you can either be a part of or hate. She is traumatised and starved for affection, but no one in Salem seems to care for her. What she did is inexcusable, however it can be understood. As a teenager or even young adult, she has already suffered enough, and she simply loses her mind when given a bit of authority in Salem. She sends a clear message how flawed a government system can be, and how by using fear, one person can be guaranteed supremacy.
To conclude, Abigail cannot be blamed for everything that occurred in Salem. Although partially at fault, she definitely cannot be said to have caused the witch hunts single handedly.
Abigail is, was and always will be a victim of her society, as will everyone else in Salem. To be raised in a certain way is how our opinions and ethics are formed, and in a Puritan society they just happen to be very strong, and Abigail tried to rebel against them in her own way. She was infatuated with Proctor, and because of him rashly letting her down, and combined with previous trauma and neglect, she snapped. Overall, everyone in Salem was a victim of their society,
IB 1B
English A
Abigail As A Victim Of Her Society In The Crucible
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play with many complex characters, and sends multiple messages. One of those dynamic characters is Abigail, a seventeen year old girl. At first glance it is easy to blame Abigail for the witch trials in Salem, as she is a devious and manipulative girl, however, the truth is that Abigail is a victim of a strict, Puritan society. Her upbringing and past led her to be the person she is in the play. Although one cannot excuse her for what she did, one can understand her, and even commiserate with her.
To begin with, Abigail was brought up by her uncle, Reverend Parris after her family was murdered by Native Americans in front of …show more content…
Although she condemns innocent people to most likely death, she does not do it out of spite, but so that she is not punished. As the story progresses, Abigail enjoys her new found authority in a society that previously shunned, ignored and mistreated her. This is a completely natural reaction, as the respect she gains and the power she suddenly acquires gets into her head, and she starts to use it for herself and manipulates the village by accusing Elizabeth Proctor and anyone who disagrees with her or disbelieves her of witchcraft to get what she wants. When Mary Warren lets her conscience get to her, and nearly confesses that the accusatory acts are fraudery, Abigail accuses her of witchcraft and manipulates and bullies Mary into obeying …show more content…
Not letting people be people will build up and eventually someone will rebel against the oppression. Abigail, although she is a mischievous and sly girl, is after all a human brought up in a terrible environment, one that you can either be a part of or hate. She is traumatised and starved for affection, but no one in Salem seems to care for her. What she did is inexcusable, however it can be understood. As a teenager or even young adult, she has already suffered enough, and she simply loses her mind when given a bit of authority in Salem. She sends a clear message how flawed a government system can be, and how by using fear, one person can be guaranteed supremacy.
To conclude, Abigail cannot be blamed for everything that occurred in Salem. Although partially at fault, she definitely cannot be said to have caused the witch hunts single handedly.
Abigail is, was and always will be a victim of her society, as will everyone else in Salem. To be raised in a certain way is how our opinions and ethics are formed, and in a Puritan society they just happen to be very strong, and Abigail tried to rebel against them in her own way. She was infatuated with Proctor, and because of him rashly letting her down, and combined with previous trauma and neglect, she snapped. Overall, everyone in Salem was a victim of their society,