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Response to Literature
Responding to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
English, grade 11 university level
Teacher: Danica Lalich
Task type: summative
Due date: Response to literature essay
Date: November 2013
Course Code: EAE 3U
Project duration: 2 weeks
Description
In their writing, author’s make many
choices in order to achieve their writing
goals. For example, they give characters
certain traits in order to make them
likeable or unlikeable, funny or tragic, or
even to make them into a symbolic
representation of someone or something
else. The author’s agency is not,
however, limited to characterization;
indeed, authors use all of the elements of
story (plot, character, conflict, theme, and
setting) to explore and convey their
meaning. Arthur Miller is a great example of an author’s intention and its role in his work. In his
play, The Crucible, he uses the plot, characters, conflicts, setting, and themes to construct an
allegory for the Red Scare that took place during the anti-communist era of 1950s USA. In class,
we have explored the elements of story for this play and different ways in which Miller achieves
his goal of indirectly commenting on the Red Scare. For this assignment, you are asked to explore
how Miller uses one of the elements of story to convey meaning or a message.
Write
Use the writing process (read and annotate example texts, brainstorm, outline, draft, final copy) to
write a 600-700 word response to literature essay that briefly resumes the play in the introduction,
that reflects upon your chosen topic in the development, and that responds to how the author
achieved his intent. Your essay should rely on the play as a source, secondary/outside sources, if
used very sparingly and appropriately, will be permitted.
Topics
1. Discuss the changes that ONE of the following characters undergoes in the course of the
play:
a. John Proctor
b. Reverend Hale
2. Discuss how ONE of the following themes is at work throughout the play:
a. Guilty until proven innocent
b. The truth shall set you free.
c. Power for the powerless.
d. The dangers of ultimate power/authority.
3. Discuss how the witch hunt in the play is a universal and enduring theme that many
different audiences can relate to.
4. Discuss how The Crucible is an allegory for the Red Scare of the anti-communist USA of
the 1950s.
5. Discuss how Miller uses internal and external conflict in the play to comment on human
nature.
Process
1. Choose and analyze your topic. (What are you being asked to do? What information will
you need to respond to the topic?)
2. Brainstorm/Research (in play)
3. Create an outline that includes a brief summary of the play, your thesis, your main
arguments, and your conclusion.
4. Begin writing your draft
5. Fill in the peer editing form during writer’s workshop
6. Fill in your checklist as you revise and edit your own essay
7. Publish the essay
Due Dates
1. Outline __________________________
2. Rough Draft _________________________
3. Final Draft ___________________
Web-Aid
Purdue on-line Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/