Crucible Belonging Short Summaries
John Proctor -Proctor is an individual who has not put a high priority on ‘Belonging’ in his life. The fact that he hates and distrusts Parris adds to this sense of not belonging: “I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. (visual imagery related to hell) Take it to heart Mr Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God anymore. ” -Proctor chooses not to belong to Salem society.
His sin, even when only Elizabeth knows about it, makes him uncomfortable in terms of belonging in Salem society. He says, “l cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. (metaphor) It is a fraud. I am not that man” -Proctor doesnt’ belong in his own family. At the beginning of the play his sin is still having a negative influence on his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth. Proctor says: ‘Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin” Proctor uses repetition and alliteration to make his point to Elizabeth that she has not forgiven him. Proctor doesnt belong in the court. Danforth: ‘a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between’ -ln the end Proctor belongs to his own values. As he chooses truth over lies. He makes peace with himself and decides to die rather than sign a false confession and have it hung on the church door. Elizabeth says, ‘He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! ‘ Elizabeth’s use of the personal pronoun ‘his’ shows she appreciates that Proctor must judge himself. Abigail Williams Abigail is seventeen and therefore a ‘child’ in Salem society and so the only legitimate way for her to belong is to accept this status of ‘child and obey the rules. Her exclamation to Proctor- ‘How do you call me child! ‘ shows her resentment of the status of ‘child’ -Abigail ‘belongs’ in the sense that she finds a place, a role and power within Salem society Elizabeth immediately twigs to Abigail’s real motives, as shown in her words ‘She wants me dead. I knew all week it would come to this’ -Abigail lies in order to remove Elizabeth and have Proctor belong to her.
The audience shares Abigail’s view shown in her words ‘I never knew what pretence Salem was’ -Abigail can be seen as someone who wants to belong as a woman, but there are no socially acceptable ways for her to achieve this. In her words ‘You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! ’ Abigail’s repetition of the word ‘love’ is an attempt to pull Proctor back into a relationship with her. Elizabeth Proctor -initially, Elizabeth belongs in Salem society as a member of a family (the Proctors) and as a respectable Christian wife.
As she says, ‘I am a covenanted Christian woman’ – At the end of the play, Elizabeth is removed from belonging to Salem society. ‘Do as you will, do as you will! ‘ The repetition indicates the strength of Elizabeth’s resolve to allow proctor to die if he chooses to. Reverend Hale -Reverend Hale walks into Salem as the great saviour of the community and belongs instantly. Parris greets him: ‘Mr Hale! Oh! It’s good to see you again! ‘ (Happy thankful tone) -By Act 4 Hale does not belong to conventional Salem society. His conscience alienates him from the court which he denounces at the end of act 3. I denounce these proceedings! I quit this court! ” Mary Warren -Mary’s story is all about belonging. As a seventeen year old, she has no status or rights in adult society in Salem. Proctor tries to get Mary to act as a member of his family in order to save Elizabeth: ‘Mary, remember the angel Raphael – do that which is good’ -Mary’s fall in the court is a triumph for belonging. ‘I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God’ The command and repartition shows Marys choice to belong with Abigail even know she knows it is wrong.
