Major Thematic Concerns in The Crucible By Arthur Miller | Eureka Study Aids

Major Thematic Concerns in "The Crucible"

Introduction

     Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly. Themes are truths that exhibit universality and stand true for people of all cultures. Through themes, a writer tries to give his readers an insight into how the world works or how he or she views human life. Usually the theme of a work of literature can be stated in one word, such as "love" or "solitude". There seem to be a number of common themes in the masterpiece of Arthur Miller, "The Crucible". These themes not only show the problem of witchcraft during the 19th and early 20th centuries but also expose the dark sides of human nature. Of these themes, the most prevalent are; intolerance, hysteria, reputation, goodness, judgment, social status, ownership and property, justice and consequences.

1. Intolerance

     "The Crucible" is set in a theocratic society, in which the church and the state are one, and the religion is a strict, austere form of Protestantism. Because of the theocratic nature of the society, moral laws and state laws are one and the same: sin and the status of an individual's soul are matters of public concern. There is no room for deviation from social norms, since any individual whose private life doesn't conform to the established moral laws represents a threat not only to the public good but also to the rule of God and true religion. In Salem, everything and everyone belongs to either God or the devil; dissent is not merely unlawful, it is associated with satanic activity. This dichotomy functions as the underlying logic behind the witch trials which are the ultimate expression of intolerance.

2. Hysteria

     Hysteria supplants logic and enables people to believe that their neighbours, whom they have always considered upstanding people, are committing absurd and unbelievable crimes -- communing with the devil, killing babies, and so on. The townsfolk accept and become active in the hysterical climate not only out of genuine religious piety but also because it gives them a chance to express repressed sentiments and to act on long-held grudges. The most obvious case is Abigail, who uses the situation to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and have her sent to jail. In the end, hysteria cane thrive only because people benefit from it. It suspends the rules of daily life and allows the acting out of every dark desire and hateful urge under the cover of righteousness.

3. Reputation

     Reputation is tremendously important in theocratic Salem, where public and private moralities are one and the same. In an environment where reputation plays such an important role, the fear of guilt by association becomes particularly pernicious. Focused on maintaining public reputation, the townsfolk of Salem must fear that the sins of their friends and associates will taint their names. Various characters base their actions on the desire to protect their respective reputations. Parris fears that Abigail's increasingly questionable actions, and the hints of witchcraft surrounding his daughter's coma, will threaten hi reputation and force him from the pulpit. John Proctor also seeks to keep his good name from being tarnished. Early in the play, he has a chance to put a stop to the girls' accusations, but his desire to preserve his reputation keeps him from testifying against Abigail.

4. Goodness

     The idea of goodness is also a major theme. Almost every character is concerned with the concept of goodness, because their religion teaches them that the most important thing in life is how they will be judged by God after they die. They want to be found good, because being good will make them right with God. The characters want to be seen good by the whole village. Proctor suppresses his guilt and does not reveal the truth before the girls because he wants to be a good person. Abigail, when tries to confess about witchcraft following Tibuta's example, lies to prove herself good. Elizabeth is also portrayed as a good character, but toward the end, the acceptance of an affair reveals the truth about her nature. Thus several characters' concern over goodness goes beyond how they are seen and requires that they actually examine what it means to be good.

5. Judgment

     Another major theme is judgment, especially seen in the characters of Danforth and Rev. Hale. In the third act of the play, Deputy Governor Danforth sits in the judgment over the accused and imprisoned residents of Salem. Danforth's judgments, which he is always firm and resolute about, are clearly wrong: Elizabeth, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, and many others are not witches at all. Danforth is unable to change his mind, even when all evidence and logic points him towards concluding he is incorrect. Danforth mistakenly believes that a reliable judge never reconsiders his stance. Hale, on the other hand, Hale learns the foolishness of sitting in judgment over his fellow humans. By the end of the play, he no longer cares about the official judgments of the court of the land, only about saving people's lives. Danforth has not learned the danger of judging others, while Hale has.

6. Social Status

     The world of Salem in the 1600's contained many class divisions. Men were considered much more important than women. White people were considered of more valuable than people of colour. Any wealthy people had more status than the poor. The play reflects these divisions, and the way the privilege certain characters over others. The first character to confess to witchcraft is Tibuta, the only person of the colour in the play. She knows that her status is too low to withstand the accusations of being a witch and the only way she will survive is to confess. The girls are quick to accuse the poorest and weakest members of their society, correctly sensing that no one will bother to protect those women. When Elizabeth learns that Abigail has accused her, she immediately tells John that Abigail is taking a big risk in accusing her, since Elizabeth is a farmer's wife and has some more status in the town. Her quick realization shows that Abigail is risking it all to go after John.

7. Ownership and Property

     Concerns over property and ownership affect many of the decisions characters make. John Proctor reveals to Hale that he doesn't go to church because he doesn't like Parris's obsession with money. Tibuta falsely confesses to witchcraft because she knows, as a slave, she is the legal property of Parris, who can beat her if she doesn't confess. Mr. Putnam, who has a long history of false accusations, encourages his daughter to falsely accuse their neighbours of witchcraft so he can claim their property after the neighbours are jailed or executed. Giles Corey dies rather than falsely confess so that his children can inherit his land. In the new world of America, owing property was one of the few ways people could feel secure. The relentless ambition to own more and more land created an environment that encouraged falsehoods and deception among neighbours. 

8. Justice

     Many characters struggle with choices they made before and during the events of the play, trying to understand if the results of their actions are just or not. Elizabeth has a difficult time forgiving John for his affair with Abby, but by the end of the play, she has come to feel that  she is at least partly to blame for her husband's adultery. She accepts her imprisonment and John's decision to die as justice being served. Hale also changes his understanding of justice: at the beginning of the play, he believes himself adept at finding and combating witchcraft. By the end, he is encouraging residents of Salem to falsely confess to save themselves. While he would have once found false confessions a perversion of justice, he now sees false confession as a necessary act of self-preservation. Elizabeth doesn't agree with Hale, and their differing definitions of what justice is end the play on an ambiguous note. 

9. Consequences

     John's affair with Abby has ended by the time the events of the play begin, but the consequences of that affair have just begun. Because Abby doesn't believe that John no longer is interested in her, she seizes upon accusations of witchcraft as a way to get rid of Elizabeth. Because John allowed Abby to believe that he loved her, she thinks she can take Elizabeth's place as his wife. She is wrong, but doesn't realize her error until both John and Elizabeth have been accused of witchcraft. Another example of the unexpected consequences of one's actions can be seen in Tituba's false confession. She says she performed witchcraft in hopes of ending her master's beating, but soon the girls of Salem realize that they can punish many of their neighbours by accusing them. The girls fail to anticipate the consequences of their lies. 

Notes Prepared By: Prof. Shahbaz Asghar