The Journey of Self
The Salem Witch Trials brought a great deal of fear and suspicion to the dwellers of Salem, Massachusetts beginning as early as 1692. Arthur Miller presents many different ways that one handles the pressures of the trials and also the fear of behaving in a way that would get oneself accused of witchcraft. Two characters in particular, John Proctor and his servant, Mary Warren, deal with the pressures in different ways. John Proctor, after committing the sin of adultery, believes that he is eternally flawed in the eyes of his wife, God, and himself. However, he admits to committing the sin and gains back the trust of his wife and is able to respect himself again. John Proctor’s personal transformation reveals the significance …show more content…
In the beginning of the play, Mary and Abigail are talking in the room where Betty lies inert when Proctor comes in. Rigid with fear that Proctor will get angry at her, Mary runs back to his house, following his orders to avoid any conflict. Later on, one can see Mary transforming when Elizabeth is unable to order her around, unable to stop her from going into town. Elizabeth says to Proctor when he asks where Mary is, “I forbid her to go, and she raises up her chin like the daughter of a prince and says to me ‘I must go to Salem, Goody Proctor; I am an official of the court!’” (50). Although John forbids Mary to go to Salem, she disobeys his orders and goes anyway. Mary’s largest transformation of self comes when she is being questioned by Judge Danforth while the afflicted girls are pretending to see Mary with the Devil. She thinks quickly and deceitfully and accuses her own boss, John, of working with the Devil. She screams, pointing at Procter, “You’re the Devil’s man!...He come to me by night and everyday to sign, to sign… My name, he want my name” (110), claiming she is with God, and always was. Mary’s personal shift from beginning to end is very drastic, starting with an innocent girl to a disgraceful, lying woman, eventually accusing John of witchcraft and getting him placed in jail and hanged so that she can save her own
The Salem Witch Trials brought a great deal of fear and suspicion to the dwellers of Salem, Massachusetts beginning as early as 1692. Arthur Miller presents many different ways that one handles the pressures of the trials and also the fear of behaving in a way that would get oneself accused of witchcraft. Two characters in particular, John Proctor and his servant, Mary Warren, deal with the pressures in different ways. John Proctor, after committing the sin of adultery, believes that he is eternally flawed in the eyes of his wife, God, and himself. However, he admits to committing the sin and gains back the trust of his wife and is able to respect himself again. John Proctor’s personal transformation reveals the significance …show more content…
In the beginning of the play, Mary and Abigail are talking in the room where Betty lies inert when Proctor comes in. Rigid with fear that Proctor will get angry at her, Mary runs back to his house, following his orders to avoid any conflict. Later on, one can see Mary transforming when Elizabeth is unable to order her around, unable to stop her from going into town. Elizabeth says to Proctor when he asks where Mary is, “I forbid her to go, and she raises up her chin like the daughter of a prince and says to me ‘I must go to Salem, Goody Proctor; I am an official of the court!’” (50). Although John forbids Mary to go to Salem, she disobeys his orders and goes anyway. Mary’s largest transformation of self comes when she is being questioned by Judge Danforth while the afflicted girls are pretending to see Mary with the Devil. She thinks quickly and deceitfully and accuses her own boss, John, of working with the Devil. She screams, pointing at Procter, “You’re the Devil’s man!...He come to me by night and everyday to sign, to sign… My name, he want my name” (110), claiming she is with God, and always was. Mary’s personal shift from beginning to end is very drastic, starting with an innocent girl to a disgraceful, lying woman, eventually accusing John of witchcraft and getting him placed in jail and hanged so that she can save her own