The Crucible

eclipsedmoongoddess482 · Elder In Training Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 3703

I just finished reading [i]The Crucible[/i] and I'm really impressed by what I read. It got my emotions all stimulated and I kept like doing some serious thinking and contemplating about human nature after I read the book.

For example, why didn't the girls just tell the truth? They knew that innocent and good people were going to hang because of their lie so why didn't they just end the whole witch hunt fiasco and just fess up? I would think just telling the truth would be easier than having to live with yourself after those good people hung because of you. But maybe their fear was just too much for them.

Why did Marry Warren accuse John Proctor of doing Devil's work? Was she really that scared of Abigal? Or why didn't Danforth just let John and the others free? I understand that if they didn't do something then like the deaths of the other people who hanged before them would be meaningless but they were meaningless in the first place. And everyone did know that they were innocent. Just reveal the girls for the liars they are bring justice to the community.

Things like that frustrated me durring the story. Pride and fear are truely a person's downfall I suppose.

But what did you think of the story? Did you have any thoughts on it? Did you even like it? Did you hate it? What are your opinions?
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Shinigami-no-Kaze · Still very bored Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 370

I personally never read it, but from what I've heard from the people around my school, most people really liked it. I should probably pick it up and read it anyway. In AP English this year, we read a play by the same author. I enjoyed that. He's got a nice style.

Lord_of_Damnation · Newb Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 3

i haven't finished reading it, i'm up to the part where rev. hale complaints about forcing the accused to confess of being a witch

danforth didn't want to let the prosoners free because it would mean that he was easily tricked by a couple of little girls and would ruin his reputation

i really liked the story, i mean it's amazing how all this chaos was created by a couple of girls

eclipsedmoongoddess482 · Elder In Training Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 3703

[quote]though it didn't help proctor when he yelled out "god is dead!" [/quote]

Well in the metaphorical and spirtual sense, God was dead in Salem. Parris was a corrupt minister and in Proctor's eyes, the House of God became less and less holy since Parris arrived. I mean, Proctor didn't even baptize his last son because of Parris. To quote Proctor "I see no light with that man."

[quote]I personally never read it, but from what I've heard from the people around my school, most people really liked it. I should probably pick it up and read it anyway. In AP English this year, we read a play by the same author. I enjoyed that. He's got a nice style[/quote]

Arthur Miller has a really nice writing style, I totally agree with that. And when you take into consideration of the time period this was written in, it says a lot about human nature and society in general. This play was like written in the Cold War era where like America was constantly watching out for countries that could be communist. A "witch hunt" you might even say. Wink

Depending on what copy of the play you get, a detailed explination of that is like included in the middle of Act One.

[quote]i really liked the story, i mean it's amazing how all this chaos was created by a couple of girls [/quote]

That like pissed me off to be honest. Those brats were such manipulative liars and good people hung for it. Sad

Plus in the movie I saw, John Proctor was hot and a good man and he like died because Abigal and those other bratty girls couldn't fess up and tell the truth.

I just realized something. If Abigal ran away at the end of the play, why didn't the other girls fess up right then and there? The whole reason they went along with the witch story was because they were afraid of Abigal but when Abigal finally left, they were still silent. They could've saved the accused lives and they still stayed silent! What the hell? Sad

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Lord_of_Damnation · Newb Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 3

parris truly is not a man of god, i mean he talked about gold candlestick until he finally got them, man of god? i don't think so

he also lied about the girls dancing in the woods when he was talking to danforth, he said that he didn't saw no one naked when he did

also with all the people getting hanged everyone's dicussing who gets their stuff, that's were mr. putnam comes in, after all he's been after other people's land

i didn't understand why tituba and sarah good were acting strange, they were already acused of being a witch and they didn't get hanged, why keep up they act?

fallenangel · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 1:32 pm Post subject:

I absolutely hated it. Granted I already knew the story, so it was rehashing a tired topic, but it didn't hold my attention at all. The writing itself was fine, just the story I found boring.
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Pyrodragon125 · Forum Stalker Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 1257

I'm reading it in English now and this play is rediculous... Banghead

As we're going through it I want to do exactly this: Banghead

.

The reason that Abigal is lying is because she doesnt want to die. It's also because women had a negative amount of power back then. You have the chance to put someone to death in a world where you're nothing but something to beat or have sex with, hell yea you would do the same thing.

Duh. You have to think of the time period of the Salem witch trials.

Were people REALLY all that bright back then?? Wink

August · Still very bored Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 341

[quote]why didn't the girls just tell the truth?[/quote]

Mostly, they were afraid of Abigail. She threatened their lives in the beginning. They were also afraid of being hung themselves for lying and causing all of those deaths. Of course, they loved the power they over everyone in Salem. Want someone to do everything you want? Threaten to call them a witch and they will.

[quote]Why did Marry Warren accuse John Proctor of doing Devil's work?[/quote]

She was afraid of Abigail and her friends. If she said that they'd lied, she would lose all of her friends and probably be shunned by everyone in the community for lying. Danforth was also appearing to take their side in the argument when she sided with Abigail.

[quote]Was she really that scared of Abigal?[/quote]

Yes, especially when they had an idiot for a judge. I'd be afraid of her, too. Someone who'll do anything to get what they want, even kill an innocent woman to be with her husband? Yikes.

[quote]Or why didn't Danforth just let John and the others free?[/quote]

Easy. The position Danforth was in gave him a LOT of power over everyone in Salem. He did not want to let that power go. Also, by letting everyone go, he would be showing the community he was wrong. He did not want to be wrong, ever. Even if being wrong meant killing many people. He was worried about losing respect and power.

[quote]But what did you think of the story? Did you have any thoughts on it? Did you even like it? Did you hate it? What are your opinions?[/quote]

I loved it. We recently read it in my AP English 11 class! I was Mrs. Putnam, what a lame role Sad

I got like... 113% on my test. cool, huh? I was angry about the treatment of women back then and how stupid the people were. I know one thing, if I were John Proctor, I would've lied and saved my life. I look up to someone who can do that. He was a great character Smile

My favorite!

We went through it really fast in my AP English class... it only took a few days because we read it outloud. We never really went over anything, just did questions, watched the movie, and took the class.

Abigail is also lying, Matt, because she wants to screw John Proctor... though that's kind of just a perk Smile

BUT, it is a great part of her plan. She's angry because he screwed her and now he won't be with her. Back then, when two people had sex, one usually expected the other to stay with them forever.

Sux4them

eclipsedmoongoddess482 · Elder In Training Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 3703

[quote]QUOTE
But what did you think of the story? Did you have any thoughts on it? Did you even like it? Did you hate it? What are your opinions?

I loved it. We recently read it in my AP English 11 class! I was Mrs. Putnam, what a lame role I got like... 113% on my test. cool, huh? I was angry about the treatment of women back then and how stupid the people were. I know one thing, if I were John Proctor, I would've lied and saved my life. I look up to someone who can do that. He was a great character My favorite!
[/quote]

Hey, someone else who loved it too. It was a summer reading assignment over here but I didn't know about it. But the book was so intriguing that I borrowed it for the weekend and read it then. It just amazed me how a weak judicial system could endanger so many lives like that. And the fact that religion was so intertwined with law just made everything so much harder. What a touchy situation.

Damn, 113? Congrats on that grade. Thats totally impressive. I only got a 90% and I don't even remember what questions I got wrong.

What angered me the most was the ending and when John Proctor and the other innocents were hanged. I really wanted them to just lie and live. But I do understand why John did that..it was like all about having the goodness to his name and seeing his name on the church door along with all the other people accused of witchcraft was too great a lie to bear. I have to agree with you, I like wouldn't be able to do that myself but I greatly admire John for doing that.

[quote]Were people REALLY all that bright back then?? [/quote]

The ones in power weren't that bright. I mean, there was no way to prove these girls right or wrong because witchcraft was claimed to be invisible and only visible to the witch and victim. So like, how do you even bring justice to that when its very possible that the victim is lying? Plus, it was all about making themselves look better to the public and staying in power. By hanging a few "witches" they'll seem like they are doing their job right and the people won't get on their case for that.

We got through the book really fast too considering we didn't read it at all in class. We mostly discussed the same issues we're talking about now and it was cool because I ended up learning like about half of the stuff Kate mentioned. I just think its one of the more interesting books required for school in terms of human nature and the mix of religion and justice in those times.

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fallenangel · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 5:23 pm Post subject:

More interesting assignment: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

Talk about messed up system...
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August · Still very bored Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 341

It's not that people were stupid back then, they were just extremely religious. People now have more of a free will than people did back then. If it's in the bible, they believed it.

I have One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, but I haven't read it yet. Right now I'm kind of working my way through 1984 between books.