The Crucible Annotated Essay

Improved Essays
Annotated Bibliography:

Bonnet, Jean-Marie. “Society vs. the Individual in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.” English
Studies 63.1 (1982): 32-36

Bonnet argues that Miller fully contradicts himself in his standpoint between the individual and society in the Crucible. The play alternates between being about an individual’s self-discovery and being about a community’s uproar. Bonnet illustrates how Miller constantly forces the characters to deny themselves at the sack of the community’s unity. This is done through the characters lying about witchcraft in Salem. Bonnet reveals that statements made by the characters have to be lies because witchcraft can only be known between the witch and the victim. Bonnet’s critique of Miller’s work
…show more content…
Information should be presented in as much of an unbiased manner as possible this goes back to multiple views.
For example, blackness is presented in the community as a racial group full of oppression and inferiority. If positive viewpoints and negative viewpoints were associated with what is means to be black, the poet may be fine with being labeled as a black poet. In capture with the boy stated that he wants to be a “white poet” in order to communicate that he want to be successful” (Hughes).
Creating your own standpoint with this is original a viewpoint that has not been made by anyone at all but especially anyone that has tried to persuade one with their own experiences.
Agreeing with an existing standpoint, agreeing does not mean one is unauthentic.
Completely denying the community from which you come from is a form of self-denial.
Yet, how can one truly be an individual engulfed in community values. “American society has [been] founded by the belief that individuals” efforts and hard work will bring the success” (Collin &

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible in an allegory that ultimately addresses human behaviour. Death is a common denominator when societies are left to their own demise, as seen with the useless killings of the “witches” of Salem, Massachusetts to include our protagonist, John Proctor. Through the hysterics of the Salem villagers we see people struck with the fear of being accused of witchcraft; despite witchcraft being somewhat of a grey phenomenon, it was solidly used to indict and kill villagers to the benefit of others. When you look at two specific characters within the Crucible i.e. John Proctor and Reverend Hale you notice opposite reactions in response to their respective regret thus analyzing their actions, you notice threads of human action that continues…

    • 123 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    • Except for the Martians using a Heat-Ray to kill a lot of people in Chapter 5, things are pretty ordinary that Friday night around the rest of England. The news that a cylinder from Mars has landed on Earth doesn't get much attention and certainly isn't treated seriously. • For instance, Henderson wired his newspaper to tell this story, but they thought it was a hoax and didn't want to run the article until they could confirm it with him. But they couldn't confirm it with him because the Martians burned him. •…

    • 219 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After agreeing to sacrifice his horse and after a series of events, the barn in which Addie’s coffin was in caught on fire. Jewel saved the animals that were in the barn then risked his life to save the coffin, which resulted in him badly burning his back. That being said, that was the second time that Jewel saved his mother's coffin (from water and fire). In Cora’s chapter, Cora talks about how before Addie died they had a conversation about religion and how Cora felt that Jewel was Addie’s punishment, but Addie responded with, “He is my cross and he will be my salvation. He will save me from the water and from the fire.”…

    • 160 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “The Crucible”, directed by Nicholas Hytner, tells the story of how men of authority had persuaded those falsely accused of witchcraft, with fear of death or isolation, to give themselves in. On the other side of the dagger is “Good Night and Good Luck”, directed by George Clooney, is the tale of how CBS’s “See it Now” combats Senator MccArthy ’s crusade against communism where he preys upon the innocent and attempts to demoralize all who try to bring upon his fall from grace. Two different works that are two sides of the same dagger. The dagger of authoritative tyrants who pressure those to admit to crime they have not done to avoid social isolation and sometimes death.…

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible Summary

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Parris’s Synopsis: When the curtain rises on The Crucible, we are transported to Reverend Samuel house in Salem, Massachusetts in the spring of 1692. Shortly into the story, we learn that the Reverend’s daughter, Betty, and Goody Putnam’s daughter, Ruth, lie motionless on their beds after their outing in the forest the night before. Abigail, Reverend Parris’s niece, is questioned about the possibility of witchcraft in the forest, but she denies the claims made against her. Soon after, John Proctor comes to check on Betty and Abigail tells him that she is still very much in love with him, although he tried to end their affair.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible Act 3 Essay

    • 1136 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Crucible Act III Questions 1. In the beginning of Act III, Miller describes the courtroom III as solemn and forbidding (83). There are several features in the courtroom that make Miller describe the courtroom this way. First, he says there are high windows (83), which makes for an imposing room because it means the walls must be very tall.…

    • 1136 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible Theme Essay

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Can disastrous consequences happen when people put their own needs before others in society? That theme is in "The Crucibles", a story where the Salem witch trials are taking place in this historical play created by Arthur Miller. In addition, there are many different characters that Miller shows that theme from. Overall, Miller shows that theme through the characters Proctor, Abigail and Danforth. One character Miller uses to display that theme is Proctor.…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People do not tend to stand up for others or for themselves, because they think people will judge them. Letting the world know who you are is all that matters, be proud of yourself and have goodness in your heart. This reminds me of the time I stood up to and for my dad who I love, but likes to blame things on me because he has a drinking problem. He did not like the way I raised myself nor was he proud of the person I am. This is kind of like Elizabeth Proctor who stood up for someone she loved, but also for herself.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Crucible Act I Summary The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It begins in Reverend Parris 's house where Betty Parris is lying in bed unconscious. The night before Parris found Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, and their slave Tituba dancing in the woods naked.…

    • 1579 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Truth In The Crucible

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ruble of the Truth Dumbledore once said, "The truth, it is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution” (J.K. Rowling). People will find throughout their lives what is true is what decides their fate. The truth keeps people wondering, scared, awake, confused, and even alive (or not). In the past what people said is what built the future, but what is not true will eventually show in the repercussions of choices they make. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, truth is a factor that people cannot control; therefore, it seems to decides the fate of the prosecuted and the people around them.…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    American Playwright, Arthur Miller, in his allegorical play, The Crucible, recounts a story of the Salem witch trials which took place between 1692 and 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. Miller’s purpose is to narrate a fictional account of a story of the Salem witch trials in third-person omniscient as a metaphorical statement against the spread of McCarthyism during the 1950s in America. In order to appeal to similar feelings and experience in his audience, a critical tone is adopted. Miller begins his allegorical play by acknowledging that John Proctor tries to obtain an understanding among parties in a discussion by pointing out simple facts. In Act 1 with Reverend Parris and further in the text with Putnam Miller displays this.…

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nicholas Hytner may have chosen to open the film with the scene of Tituba and the girls dancing in the forest to provide context for the coming events in the story. By showing this scene, the audience can infer that Betty decides to fake her illness in order to evade punishment from her father, Reverend Parris, who walks in on the girls’ nighttime activity in the forest. This opening scene also provides a clue about Abigail’s infatuation with John Proctor, since the other girls in the scene make requests concerning boys to Tituba, and also say to her, “Get her [Abigail] John Proctor, Tituba!”. Additionally, the inclusion of this scene in the movie provides a visual for proof of later references, such as when whether Parris saw someone naked…

    • 1760 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible: Character List Betty Parris: (Age:10) This is Reverend Parris' daughter, and is considered the first "sick" girl. She is a weak girl who was threatened by her cousin Abigail to follow her in the woods one night and was caught by Parris dancing in the woods along with her cousin and other girls. Until Abigail tells Betty to wake up from her fake sickness she lies silent and motionless in her bed, worried what her father's reaction will be. Her sickness spikes the witchcraft rumors and causes further accusation.…

    • 1448 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pointing Fingers Facing The Invisible Audience During the 1950s, the United States evolved from a stable country to a nation filled with terror and suspicion. This unfortunate event took place, by the cause of a senator named Joseph McCarthy. He, who had the power to express a convincing speech, convincingly shared accusatory confessions to the public relating to people, in the government, following communism beliefs. This lead to Arthur Miller writing the play The Crucible, because many people, including his friends, were accused of following communism.…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction and Thesis Statement – Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a novel set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Its primary focus is the description of the chaos, struggles and difficulties which arise as a result of the witch trials taking place during this time. The Crucible has been referred to as a “Morality” play. A morality play is a drama in which the characters personify qualities or concepts such a having virtues or vices and generally involves a conflict between right and wrong or good and evil from which a moral lesson may be drawn. There are numerous characters and circumstances in The Crucible that support the assertion that it does indeed represent a morality play.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays