Review of Act 1
The Crucible
American Lit. Honors
Themes
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Greed
Jealousy
Hysteria
The Social Functionalist or Social Accusations
Theory
Illness
Social Control
Intolerance (Irony)
McCarthyism
Reverend Parris
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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
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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.