(In addition to this post, remember to print the Crucible Organizer under Downloads above, and fill in as much as you can for Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, Reverend Parris, Tituba, and John Proctor.)
One person in your group should post a comment explain your group's initial ideas about the play. Then each individual in the class should post on at least one of the group explanations with a comment or suggestion.
44 Comments
Courtney Fenty
10/19/2015 02:57:04 pm
By: Suubi M., Kaitlyn V., and Courtney F.
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Seamus Cochrane
10/20/2015 05:26:11 pm
I agree with your point on how the Puritan's represent the idea of oppression in the post-colonial era. During their time period, Puritan's always sought ways to dominate others and put themselves on pedestals, whether that be through religious intoleration, the ownership of slaves, or the killing of so-called "witches". Puritans believed that they were the perfect religion, and that they were right, and that everyone else who said differently was going to burn in Hell.
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Rachel Kline
10/22/2015 02:55:48 pm
I think for the post colonial lens you could also bring in how Tituba is treated and what makes her the "other". Her being treated as the other could be seen as a negative thing or as a positive thing by the way you look at the situation.
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Jackie Izzo
10/22/2015 05:42:59 pm
I really like how you brought the feminist lens into your ideas. You can really tie these two lenses together and make an excellent piece. If you were to focus more into the feminist lens as well, you could mention the relationship between John Proctor and Abigail. You could write about the reputation between male and female and relate it back to this example. Also, I really like the point about Abigail's uncle abusing her, and I could use this example in my feminist lens piece as well. Great job guys!!
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sarah bailey lakatos
10/22/2015 05:47:53 pm
I agree with your statement on the Puritan's injustice during post-colonial era. During this time, the Puritan's always tried to find ways to take over people and rank themselves higher than the rest. It could be through knowledge of witches.
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Liliana Krupinski
10/20/2015 05:13:21 pm
Group: Jackie, Seamus, and Lili
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Lili Krupinski
10/20/2015 05:17:43 pm
*rumors not rummers*
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Courtney Fenty
10/20/2015 05:24:52 pm
This also connects to our idea that in these times, Puritan women were seen as unequal to their husbands or men in general. They are left to the side only to be used as servants.
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Allie Talavera
10/20/2015 05:35:28 pm
I completely agree with you with the fact that men and women are treated very unequally in this time. However, i believe the women are also at fault because they go around worshiping men like you said. This is seen when they are dancing around the campfire wishing to be loved by men. There are double standards when it comes to men and women and i think this is very well illustrated in the first act of the movie.
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Kathleen Patterson
10/20/2015 06:01:53 pm
The "disregarding [of] the women" also reminds me of how fathers used to pick out who their daughter would be married to, and then basically trade them like objects for a better social status, or a gain in land or money. Women today treat all of the traditions in a wedding as a precious, must-go-right thing, when many of them such as the white dress, veil, and not seeing your spouse on the wedding day actually date back to these times when a woman needed to be pure in order to be valuable in a trade and hadn`t met their husband before their wedding ceremony.
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Brad Chavero
10/20/2015 06:43:08 pm
Unfortunately, I don't see this play lightening up at all for any women. With what we've seen so far and our prior knowledge of the Salem witch trials, I believe it's safe to say women's inequality is just beginning. The Puritans already see men closer to God versus women, and with the women acting out of selfishness to get their desired "spells" to work, unfair scapegoating and death loom. The men are already on top of the operation with a new minister coming in to assist in the witch hunt. The question remains how many will die because they couldn't stand up for themselves because of their social standings?
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sarah bailey lakatos
10/20/2015 07:05:40 pm
i agree completely with your statement. Men and women were treated very differently in this time. I also agree with what Allie said because in some cases the women weren't entirely innocent. They broke the rules when dancing and telling the spirits to make the boys love them. Act 1 does a good job of showing the expectations of both men and women.
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Kay Franzese
10/20/2015 07:27:05 pm
I completely agree with this statement. Women were always seen as lesser to men. Even today some women have not gained complete equality to men. Women and men should be seen as equals and ,in this case, Abby and John should equally share the blame. Although Abby is not as innocent as she tells the townspeople, she still shouldn't be blamed for the whole adultery problem.
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Tyhler Harty
10/22/2015 06:20:09 pm
I agree with what you are saying about the Feminist lens. I do agree how Abby is socially being tortured for how she committed adultery with John Proctor.
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Matthew Vanderveer
10/23/2015 03:42:24 am
It seems like the women also get the blame because they are tempting the good men to commit adultery like this. Also it seems like the people think that John proctor was married and that she came in and stole him from his wife. They might think of him as the victim.
Rachel Kline
10/20/2015 05:24:36 pm
Group: Rachel Kline, Sarah Bailey Lakatos, Daisy Major, Allie Talavera
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Jackie Izzo
10/20/2015 07:12:54 pm
I agree with all of these points. They are excellent ideas and very thought provoking. The psychoanalytic lens could also tie directly into the feminist lens. Women were looked down upon and are not appreciated in this society. Puritan women were not able to express themselves or even have an out spoken mind. The ladies are not allowed to let their ID show in public, this is one reason they hide out in the woods. They dance and feel free when they are not in the presence of men. They hide in fear of the heavy consequences they would face if the men or the Reverend were to discover their secrets. Also when Abigail kisses John Proctor, showing her ID, she is immediately rejected and receives all the blame for the entire affair. This shows sexist feelings towards women in a Puritan society.
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Tyhler Harty
10/20/2015 08:14:39 pm
I agree with all of the points you have made about the psychoanalytic theory. I agree with how Abigail shows her id by drinking chicken's blood,slaps Betty, kisses John Proctor, and threatens the girls. The only complaint about it is that there isn't enough explanation on Abigail's id and can cause people to wonder what you may be saying.
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Liliana Krupinski
10/21/2015 04:18:57 am
I agree with all of these ideas. At this time, the superego was extremely influential and fitting in to what the society wanted was very important to them. Abby is seen as a bad person for letting her id show through all of the actions you named.
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Kaitlyn Viola
10/21/2015 05:51:38 am
I agree with your claim about Abigail doing things that show her "id". The things she does, such as slapping Betty, were on impulse. They represent the id because she did them on pure instinct and not morals.
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Makenzie Lowrey
10/22/2015 05:30:01 pm
I agree with your viewpoint on the ID and Super Ego, but maybe you can add about how everyone was looking down on Abigail when she walked by and how John Proctor acted as the voice of the Superego when he pushed Abigail away?
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Matthew Vanderveer
10/20/2015 05:39:25 pm
My groups discussion about the crucible was from a theological lens. We spoke about the fact that the people are the puritans and that they are supposed to be the example of what people are supposed to act like while there is people committing adultery and a minister who cares more about his position and social status than he does about his actual duty. We also talked about how the people who are accused of witchcraft are the peoples scape goat, while the people are doing things that go against their beliefs they are blaming it all on the devil and witches.
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Brad Chavero
10/20/2015 06:31:28 pm
In continuation, our group really jumped on the idea that the characters we've met so far are such hypocrites to their so called "purified" religion. With Abby and John Proctor committing adultery, and the minister hiding the fact that his family is involved in satanic performances, commandments one and seven have already been violated from the Bible's readings. However, this Puritan village does take one thing seriously, witchcraft. They are directly in line with the book of Exodus which states that "thou shall not suffer a witch," as another special priest is being called in to hunt down who has Satan within. Finally, mixing in with Rene Girard's theory, we also talked about why it was likely the women were portrayed as the witches. With Eve being the first to submit to the devil back in the Garden of Eden, women have since then imitated such behavior which is why they were the ones crazily being outlaws in the forest in the beginning, and not the men.
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Seamus Cochrane
10/22/2015 05:36:11 pm
I think that your group has a good theme from which to write your essays. The point about their Puritan society being hypocritical is excellent because you can then tie it back into how the entire Puritan way of thinking was hypocritical because their ministers would preach how nothing you did mattered due to predestination, but at the same time everything you did mattered because you wanted to appear to be one of the saved. I also liked how your group went into Girard's theory
Kathleen Patterson
10/20/2015 05:51:42 pm
Meghan Pawlak, Makenzie Lowery, Kay Franzese, Kathleen Patterson
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Akin Gaddis
10/21/2015 04:29:22 am
I completely agree with almost all of the points that you make. The point that you made about how the chicken is a symbol of healing and God was the part that i agreed with the most. The part that I agreed with the least is your observation that Betty had her eyes closed and the other girl had her eyes open. Possibly something is wrong with the other girl. She may be in shock because of everything that is happening.
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Biggs
10/22/2015 03:44:11 pm
Very cool! Symbols are always tied up with our emotions and desires. What's interesting is these symbols are all very "bodily" (especially the chicken-murder) whereas the Puritans disdain the physical messiness of mortal existence in favor of a "spiritual" focus (think Anne Bradstreet's poems). Does that relate to the idea of unconscious physical desires? Are there TWO sets of symbols in the play, the "official" (conscious/mental) ones that Reverend Hale and others look for to determine witchcraft, and these "unconscious" physical ones where characters reveal desires they have ignored?
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Suubi Mondesir
10/20/2015 07:19:23 pm
I agree with your groups point. Many events in the Crucible so far are related to desire and symbolism. Everything that has happened in the play represents something or occurs because of want or desire for "what the characters can't have".
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Suubi Mondesir
10/21/2015 02:07:43 pm
Thesis statement- It is human nature to protect ones self, at any cost by placing the blame on others.
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Lili Krupinski
10/23/2015 04:21:41 am
I think you have a really strong thesis statement. We see a lot of this in act one. First of all, Abby is a very manipulative character. At one point, she watched Reverend Hale beat Tituba for being a witch because Abby would rather get someone else in trouble than take the blame herself.
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Brad Chavero
10/21/2015 05:32:50 pm
The following are the theological lens group's day two additions:
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Biggs
10/22/2015 03:39:55 pm
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Allie Talavera
10/22/2015 08:23:40 am
In act 1 of the crucibles, Reverend Hale appears as the superego. He introduces himself as a powerful man that posses "the books of authority". Everyone looks to him for the answers about the frequent use of witchcraft in Salem. The ID comes out when all of the girls confess to witchcraft because they crave the power that comes with being able to accuse anyone of witchcraft.
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Biggs
10/22/2015 03:19:35 pm
So basically, Hale has power because he has knowledge to control witchcraft (book of authority) while Abby gains power because she allows the girls to freely pursue their desires.
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Liliana Krupinski
10/22/2015 04:55:29 pm
Jackie, Seamus, and Lili Thesis Statement:
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Brad Chavero
10/22/2015 07:06:42 pm
You guys are spot on that women are getting a bad reputation in The Crucible. A possible way to maybe expand on this comparison to today's world may be to talk about the work hiarchy. You could probably easily find accounts or histories of corporations having a track record for not accepting women because they believe the company won't benefit. This along with salary comparisons and other statistics could be a strong paragraph to support your thesis. It would give a great taste of today's world and relate it to older women practices and beliefs.
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Kay Franzese
10/22/2015 08:42:39 pm
I agree that it was normal for women to be given a bad reputation in The Crucible. Women were the scapegoat for men because they were written in the bible as evil temptations. Men could take advantage of the story of Adam and Eve when they need someone to put the blame on. If Eve was easily tempted by the serpent then women must be more tempted by the devil. Men cannot get away with blaming everything wrong on women now, but some men still act condescending towards women. Could women escape the reputation that the bible has given them?
Kathleen Patterson
10/23/2015 06:17:43 am
I agree with this thesis, and it is exemplified in small details, such as the husband that claimed to Reverend Hale that he couldn't pray until his wife left the house.
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Biggs
10/25/2015 10:28:17 am
So do you think that this double standard goes back to the Puritans? Or is it "inherent in human nature" as some people would say? Personally, I think so-called human nature is actually very flexible - for instance, there exist "matriarchal" cultures where women have the major responsibilities of governing. Both De Beauvoir and Judith Butler emphasize that gender roles are much less tied to "biology" than to cultural hierarchy - that could be part of your argument :)
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Rachel Kline
10/27/2015 06:34:17 pm
I don't think that this is necessarily true. Men are blamed much more than women in a lot of settings. Many more men are in jail then women, for example.
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Biggs
10/27/2015 08:02:52 pm
So maybe consider how different CONTEXTS place blame on women vs. men. Are these things tied together in some way? For example, are men more likely blamed for crime and women for sexual sins because of the stereotypes of masculine and feminism that we impose?
Meghan Pawlak
10/22/2015 06:59:33 pm
Meghan P., Mak L., Kathleen P., Kay F.,
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Akin Gaddis
10/23/2015 04:29:45 am
I agree with your observation of Reverend Hales so called interpretation of signs. He doesn't do much of anything in the !st Act. The only thing that he has done in his time in Salem is "firestart." Hale is like the gasoline to the fire. The fire is ready to be started before Hale gets there, but he provides the spark that sets the town alight.
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Biggs
10/25/2015 10:25:12 am
Great point Akin. The town is already saturated in the "gasoline" of anxiety, jealousy and frustration before Hale gives them to the excuse to start killing each other with his claim to have found the true signs of witchcraft. So, Leave a Reply. |
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