Review of Act 1 The Crucible

1
Review of Act 1The Crucible

• American Lit. Honors

2
Themes

• Greed
• Jealousy
• Hysteria
• The Social Functionalist or Social Accusations
  Theory
• Illness
• Social Control
• Intolerance (Irony)
• McCarthyism

3
Reverend Parris

• Reputation
• Not well liked
• Why?
• A. Preaches too often about hell/finances
• B. He obtained his position by unethical means.

4
Putnams

• Ann P.
• Seven babies died at birth
• She blames this ondemonic spirits/witchcraft.
• Implicates Tituba because she had her daughter
  Ruth go to the forest and conjure spirits of the
  dead babies.

5
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.

6
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!!

7
Tituba

• A Pawn
• Scapegoat
• A. Slave
• B. Has no social rank
• C. From Barbados (stereotype) is that they know
  more about witchcraft/superstitions)

8
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. Hales presence will cause more
  hysteria to be spread throughout Salem Village.

9
Reverend Hale

• Has the best of intentions,
• outside pressures and growing hysteria will prove
  to add to the struggles of the play.

10
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.

11
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.

12
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.