Emotions In The Crucible Analysis

John Mellencamp, a well known American rock singer-songwriter, once said, “When you live in hysteria, people start thinking emotionally.” What he is essentially saying is that when people are a part of an environment where emotions (typically fear or anger) are suddenly heightened, they start to behave in an uncontrolled way. In such a case, emotions can become so strong that they can cause people to lose sight of reality and their morals. This is evident when one stops taking the time to think about the things they say and lets their feelings dictate their actions, eventually coming to a point where right from wrong can become indistinguishable. The meaning of this quote can be used as a description of the way society was set up in the late …show more content…
For instance, in the beginning of the play, Proctor truthfully tells Parris why he has not been at church recently, “I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God anymore” (Miller Act One 20). In this quote, Proctor is talking about the hypocrisy of the theology in Salem. Instead of preaching about the goodness of God and having faith, witch trials are underway. People accuse each other of using witchcraft, for their own benefit and to seek vengeance. Proctor sees the corruption in the church and says that because of these witch trials, God seems so unimportant. He believes they are no longer praising God, but praying or preaching about each other 's damnation. What Proctor does not realize that in speaking to Reverend Parris this way, suspicions about his loyalty to the court are rising. Proctor takes great pride in his thoughts and values but does not stop to think how it could affect him later. Similarly, in the Burn Book app, people did not consider or censor anything they posted online and posted slanderous comments about their fellow classmates. In conclusion, in both The Crucible and the Burn Book app, people said things about others and did not mind about how it would change the victims life or affect …show more content…
For example, when Abigail admits to casting charms with her friends in the forest, she also confesses, “I saw Sarah Good with the Devil I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (Miller Act One 32). This outburst from Abigail comes after she has worried desperately about the possibility of being disgraced for practicing witchcraft. However, when the slave-girl named Tituba confesses to it, Abigail sees a way out and takes it. According to the theology of Salem, if Abigail confesses it means that she is redeemed. Therefore, the next step in exonerating herself was to accuse others of being witches, thus shifting the burden of shame and guilt from her shoulders to those she falsely blames. Seeing Abigail’s success, the other girls copy her, and with this pattern of frantic, self-concerned accusations, the witch trials become possible. Peoples lives were taken over careless actions and words said by the girls in Salem. The atmosphere of hysteria caused people to become blind to the seriousness of their actions and the harm in their lies. Although less intense, the play can be connected to the Burn Book app because people were making up negative comments and personal stories about others. Students did not think about the outcomes of their actions and were bullying others via the internet to hide their own personal shame. When one