review of act 1 the crucible american lit. honors

Review of Act 1Review of Act 1The CrucibleThe Crucible

American Lit. HonorsAmerican Lit. Honors

Themes

• Greed• Jealousy• Hysteria• The Social Functionalist or Social Accusations

Theory• Illness• Social Control • Intolerance (Irony)• McCarthyism

Reverend Parris

• Reputation

• Not well liked

• Why?

• A. Preaches too often about hell/finances

• B. He obtained his position by unethical means.

Putnams

• Ann P.

• Seven babies died at birth

• She blames this on…demonic spirits/witchcraft.

• Implicates Tituba because she had her daughter Ruth go to the forest and conjure spirits of the dead babies.

Putnams cont…

• Thomas Putnam• “a man with many grievances”• A. James Bayley was supposed to become

minister of Salem.• B. Had grievances against him because he was

the eldest son of the richest man in the village.• C. He attempted to contest his fathers

will/stepbrother was going to receive more money than him.

Abigail

• In order to preserve her name and to divert attention away from her, she condemns others.

• Blames Tituba for conjuring spirits and making her drink chicken blood.

• Liar/Harmful• Controlling/Bully/Manipulator• Threatens the girls of Salem to keep their

mouths shut OR ELSE!!

Tituba

• A Pawn

• Scapegoat

• A. Slave

• B. Has no social rank

• C. From Barbados (stereotype) is that they know more about witchcraft/superstitions)

John Proctor

• Recognizes Hypocrisy

• Tragically Flawed

• A. Christian man who has an affair with a 17 year old girl.

• B. He is married.

• Senses that Rev. Hale’s presence will cause more hysteria to be spread throughout Salem Village.

Reverend Hale

• Has the best of intentions,

• outside pressures and growing hysteria will prove to add to the struggles of the play.

Betty Parris/Ruth Putnam

• Young girls and daughters of squabbling families.

• Both afflicted with a “mysterious” illness

• Ruth has been known to act out (crazy) in court when her family was up against their enemies.

Rebecca Nurse

• In her 70s

• The people in Beverly speak well of her because of her charitable work in the village of Salem and neighboring villages as well.

Giles Corey

• 83 years old

• Unknowingly accuses his wife of being involved in “peculiar” activities.

• A. Reading a book

• B. Giles is illiterate and a little DUMB!!!

• Blamed for everything that goes wrong in the village.?? Because he is DUMB.