Literary Analysis #1: The Crucible

1.) The Crucible is a playwright about the Salem Witch Trials. The story starts with a group of girls trying out spells and forbidden things on a black servant. Then they are caught but they choose to deny it so that they do not get killed. To cover there usage of spells , they say they have been possesed and controlled by witches. Soon, the whole Puritan town is filled with uneasiness and many innocent women are taken into jail because of accusations that they are witches. John Proctor is sent to the gallows, but the main character, Abigail Williams wants to be with him. The whole witch hunt had cause many conflicts that cannot be taken back and later on it ends.

2.) A theme I thought was significant is that people are easily rattled up or will take wrong actions due to fear or other feelings that make them give in. In the novel, the whole town hears about the witches and start to make accusations towards innocent women. You can see that people can make quick irrational choices that can't be erased or backtracked.

3.) Since the story is a playwirght, most of the reading consisted of dialogues. The tones used were fearful, scared, careful and never truely at ease.
"Mrs. Putnam, softly:Aye. Her voice breaks; she looks up at him. Silence." - Act One, pg. 39
"Hale: Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning." - Act Two, pg. 71
"Mary Warren, hysterically, pointing at Proctor, fearful of him: My name, he want my name. 'I'll murder you,' he says, 'if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court he says!'" - Act Three, pg. 119
4.) The author used dramatic irony throughout the story, making it noticable if not obvious what the girls were thinking of doing. The author uses indirect characterization for all the characters where you are not given the exact figures of each character or properly introduced visually. Also, the usage of the tone and mood makes the playwright more dramatic, where it is dark and gloomy and full of fear and hesitation.