The Crucible Psychological Analysis

Psychology behind the Afflicted Girls Even though The Crucible is fictional, psychology can explain why the girls were acting and accusing the townspeople of the unspeakable act of witchcraft. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a piece of literature that explains, in a fictional way uses a nonfictional event, what went on during the Salem witch trials. Miller’s purpose for writing this novel was to resemble his own problems of communism in his town. Miller himself was accused communism and he made the story of accusations of witchcraft to rebel against the madness. During these trials, women all across Salem were being accused of tampering with the devil and witchcraft. The story showcases young girls who are thought to be afflicted by …show more content…
Stress can be caused by a vast array of things, including guilt. As the conductor, Abigail, starts the lying trend as the others follow in her footsteps. But what drives Abigail to continuously do this and feel no guilt or stress? As Dan Ariely of the Association for Psychological Science in 2017 says, “Because of the commonality and danger of the first step, what is the difference between people who commit crimes and those who don’t? Is it just missed opportunity? We find that it’s all about the ability to rationalize dishonesty.” Abigail showed no signs of remorse towards her accusations because she found a way to make herself seem wholesome in the situation she was put in. That technique is rationalization. Abigail found a way to rationalize what she had been doing after Betty and her had taken the first step towards this long road of accusations. Since she used her rationalizing skills, Abigail, in return, did not feel the stress that was put on her. This is considered a defense mechanism, which is a mental process that unconsciously initiates a way to fight back anxiety or …show more content…
The girls claimed feelings of presences and getting cold and fainting. One claim that the ringleader of the afflicted girls made was that witches were the reason she was laughing during prayer. For all of these actions, the girls were not looked at as potential criminals against god, instead they were nurtured and many people tried to help and save them. “Rather than being reprimanded, the girls were pitied and placed on center stage.” the article states. This relates to the earlier topic of when the girls have the mentality of more accusations better pay off because they like the attention and pity they are receiving from the townspeople. The ability to play these acts is how real it felt to the girls but the rest of the town could not feel connected to their pain and