The Crucible - Purging of Innocence

Purging of Innocence

Society often learns from mistakes made in the past to better the future. In Arthur Miller's case, the lesson of the past did not translate to the future. The purging of communism in the McCarthy trials bore a striking resemblance to the purging of witchcraft in Salem hundreds of years earlier. In both periods of hysteria, lives were destroyed because of individual's quests to preserve their own innocence. Miller's depiction of the Salem witch trials gives a definition to the human nature of betrayal that is occurring in Miller's present. In The Crucible, Miller calls for a change in the act of implicating others to save oneself through the development of his characters and their conflicts, as well as the underlying metaphor of the title.

The downfall of the town of Salem begins with the sinfulness of one girl, Abigail. Caught in the act of performing witchcraft, Abigail is sucked into a web of lies. Realizing the power behind her "ability" to determine who is controlled by the devil, she turns her accusations towards Elizabeth Proctor, the one person standing between her and John Proctor. Miller's development of Abigail's demise portrays how corrupt one can become when thinking only of oneself. Abigail and her followers construct a horrifying authority over the town and the court itself. Through their "visions" they are able to control the town, and to step out of their grasp would be fatal. Christopher Bigsby describes this power Abigail has over Salem by saying, "They authorize the language, the grammar, the vocabulary within which others must live their lives" (xx). With each pointing finger, the decision of life and death is placed in the determination between holding onto one's goodness or sacrificing reputation for freedom. John Proctor is placed in this very position. Once on the outside of the court proceedings, Proctor finds himself thrust into the heat of the matter when Abigail points her accusing glare at his wife. With Elizabeth's life at stake, Proctor has no choice but to put aside his guilt and fight for his marriage. Miller develops Proctor from a man wracked with guilt into a man that sacrifices his life to hold onto his goodness. Presented with the choice of giving up names or being hanged, Proctor chooses the latter. His perseverance for integrity and innocence is demonstrated in the selfless act of placing no blame on others. Miller writes from experience, as he was once put on the spot to give up the names of others in order to save himself. Proctor dies a condemned man, but did not bring about judgment on anyone but himself. Elizabeth accepts his death with acceptance by saying, "He have his goodness now" (Miller 134). The maturity of John Proctor illustrates how in the event of tragedy and hysteria the goodness of man can prevail only when the sacrifice of reputation and innocence is made. The development of John Proctor does not alone give meaning to the novel, but is reinforced by the significance of the title.

The definition of crucible gives deeper meaning to the trails in Salem and provides a metaphor between the past and present. A crucible is described as a severe test or place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. The town of Salem underwent a severe test of loyalty and betrayal. Innocent people were hanged, while the "convicted" found