The Crucible: �Majority vs. Minority
Many novels, plays, and essays� conflicts revolve around the will of the individual�s opposition to the will of the majority. Such a story is The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The character and society that represents this conflict were John Proctor and Salem, Massachusetts (1692 witch trials). John Proctor and Salem, Massachusetts stand in direct opposition to each other during the 1692 witch trials, leading to the ultimate destruction of John for what he believes is right.
Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 was a troubled place. Neighbors were arguing with one another about property boundaries, religious matters, and each other�s behavior. One of the main concerns the people of this time had was the distrust in any fun activities, including dancing or music. So when some young girls were caught dancing in the woods, the citizens went chaotic. The girls claimed to be possessed by witches, and people used this scheme to get revenge on the people they did not like. The people accused of being witches were either hung or banished from the community. John Proctor knew Abigail Williams, one of the �crying out girls� and found out it was a hoax. John Proctor was the only voice of reason during this chaotic time.
One area of opposition John Proctor faced was with Reverend Parris. He did not like Reverend Parris because he believed he cared for money more than his congregation. Proctor disliked Parris so much that he would not let him baptize his last child. Proctor also had opposition against the court because of his wife�s arrest for involvement in witchcraft. He went to the court to plead her innocence and was willing to put his life on the line for her. Although Danforth, the judge, did not like his judgment questioned, he allowed Proctor to plead his wife�s defense. A major area of opposition was with the �crying out girls� especially Abigail and Mary. Abigail �called out� Elizabeth Proctor because she wanted her husband. John did not approve of this so he had a conflict with her. His conflict with Mary Warren occurred when she turned against Proctor after making a promise to get Elizabeth out of jail. She claimed he was a witch also and caused turmoil for him. The last, but not the least, opposition was the society�s belief in the rightness of the witch trials. The society used two verses in the Bible to prove that witch trials were right. Proctor did not believe they were right because many innocent people died. All in all, these were the basic areas of opposition the story revolved around.
The outcome of the conflict was John Proctor�s death. He died because he was accused of being a witch and was thrown in a cell. He was going to plead guilty to witchcraft and live, but he decided he would rather die than have his name condemned in such a manner. Reverend Parris was voted from office after the witch trials, theocracy was broken, the �crying out girls� ran away overseas, and the society calmed down with the trials hysteria.
In conclusion, John Proctor�s death was an inevitable end to the conflict. Although he was apiece fighting the whole, he over powered them with his voice of reasons. All in all, John�s death symbolized the beginning and the end of the Salem Witch Trials hysteria. |
