book report on the Crucible
The term, "innocent until proven guilty" is synonymous with the justice system. The saying also applies to people while among their peers. In the sleepy little town of Salem, Massachusetts, however, it turns out to be quite the opposite. When lies and rumors run rampant through their community, the townspeople destroy each other's lives. Why does this happen? Simply because the beliefs of a society are led astray. In Salem, people forget about morals and respect for life, and head toward tragedy. In his play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller displays how feelings such as revenge, greed and jealousy can distort the views of a small population.One of the contributive factors towards the downfall of Salem is revenge. Elizabeth's need to be vengeful towards Abigail sprouts from the affair Abigail and Elizabeth's husband, John Proctor. When the topic of Abigail is comes up, Elizabeth remarks that she should be, "... ripped from the earth" (Miller 76). She goes further by telling John Proctor to, "... go and tell her she's a whore" (62). Never acting upon her rage, Elizabeth only dismisses Abigail fro
Next, the influence of rapacity, and how it affects the ruin of Salem. Thomas Putnam, a prominent man in Salem, is so insatiable for land that he, "... prompted [his] daughter to cry witchery..." (96) upon people to obtain their land. He knows what his daughter, Ruth said are lies, however greed blinds him to his moral wrong doings. Inevitably, people realize what he is doing and confront the court with his treachery. Giles Corey proclaims that "... [Thomas] is killing his neighbors for their land" (96). However, when he refuses to reveal the name of his witness to the deed, he goes to jail. Equally greedy, is Reverend Samuel Parris. Unlike Thomas Putnam though, his greed is not for the possessions of others, they are for material wealth for himself. Early on in the play, it is established that he has a selfish persona when he exclaims "My contract provides I be supplied with all my firewood" (29). Like Thomas Putnam, his greed is obvious to the village. Further, jealousy added to the wreck of Salem. It led to the trivial deaths of innocent people. For example, because Anne Putnam's jealousy for Rebecca Nurse was so i
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 766
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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