I think that compared to modern day society this community is very disturbing indeed. In modern day society we learn that rumors are wrong and not to be believed or made up, however, in Salem it seems much the opposite. Every hint of a rumor is not even doubted and people seem compelled to believe them. Some of the rumors made up are ludicrous. ”How high did she fly, how high?” shows Goody Putnam’s obvious belief of Mr. Collin’s rumor. The people in this town are so self-obsessed that they make up these rumors to make others look bad or at least worse than themselves. They are like monsters, which have targets and will destroy anything in their way to get to this target.
The Devil seems to play a rather large part in their society. Anything linked to abnormality is linked to the devil. “It is a marvel. It is surely a stroke of hell upon you,” yet again an accusation of Goody Putnam that the Devil is upon Betty. It seems that Goody Putnam is having fun making these accusations, which could ruin Reverend Parris’ establishment in Salem. It refers to Goody Putnam being shiny-eyed and very pleased with it while accusing Parris’ household.
There is some history leading back to her accusing Parris’ household. Her brother, James Bailey, was sure to be accepted in to the Ministry of Salem. He had all the qualifications and a two-thirds vote in to the bargain, but a faction stopped his acceptance, for no clear reason. This is the reason for her resentfulness of Parris. She is described by Miller as a twisted soul of forty-five, a death ridden woman haunted by dreams. I can see his reasoning as she has laid to rest seven babies just because they withered in her arms, obviously a sure sign of the devil! After observing this one has to question her parental skills, maybe not a bad mother, but herself twisted by the devil.
Reverend Parris is the Minister of Salem. He is in his mid-forties. He came from Barbados where he spent some years as a merchant. He continues professing how he left a thrifty business in Barbados to serve the Lord. He feels persecuted in Salem and indeed everywhere he goes. He feels like he has authority and is insulted if someone opens the door without his permission. He is a widower and has no care for children or any parental ability. However, he has a daughter, Betty, aged ten. He is very self-obsessed and only cares about his appearance to the community of Salem and tries to keep the respect he has built up for himself.
Overall I think this book “The Crucible” is a strange but interesting book, it must of taken a lot of consideration to write a book like this, I did enjoy the book but I found it difficult to do the written work of it, mainly because it is extremely confusing.
