After today's class, we will have finished half of the play - Acts 1 and 2. Let's take a minute to go back through the text to really look at what Arthur Miller is doing...
Each character represents different ideals and propels the plot in a different way...
He often interjects his own voice throughout the play to give the watcher information... what is the affect of this?
Go back through Acts 1 and 2 and post an excerpt of text with analysis where Miller is giving us what he thinks and how it adds to the dramatic effect (remember the disclaimer at the beginning of the play.)
For example:
in my version of the text: "The concept of unity, in which positive and negative are attributes of the same force, in which good an devil are relative, ever-changing, and always joined to the same phenomenon - such a concept is still reserved to the physical sciences and to the few who have grasped the history of ideas. When it is recalled that until the Christian era the underworld was never regarded as a hostile area, that all gods were useful and essentially friendly to man despite occasional lapses; when we see teh steady and methodical inculcation into humanity of the idea of man's worthlessness - until redeemed - the necessity of the Devil may become evident as a weapon, a weapon designed and used time and time again in every age to whip men into a surrender to a particular church or church-state" (Miller 33-34).
Arthur Miller gives us a very clear understanding here that this play is supposed to mimic and judge those who judge others. This idea of "unity" that he speaks of where "positive and negative" are of the same force. He uses these strong words which carry great connotation and emotion to rile the reader into into understanding the frenzy that was both present during the witchhunts in Salem and later during the McCarthy era hearings. Whenever we don't like what is going on, it is easier to persecute people for "wrong doing" then it is to accept difference or allow people to associate with it. Invoking the "Devil" with a capital d, shows that Miller intentionally calls upon the Puritan rigidity to help us understand the hysteria that Hale and Parris as well as others in the play are working with. Having young women (or anyone who appeared to sympathized with communism) who were not practicing strict puritan beliefs was a threat to their society as they understood it. They had to work had to make sure that their society stayed as it was for the preservation of life as they understood it.
He also mentions that these people can be "redeemed" and in such, like when the people confess in Act 2 and therefore will not be hanged, it is a way for society to take back their strong hold and dispell the different beliefs thus keeping the status quo and preserving life as they understand it.
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2 comments:
hale seems to believe the accussions made against Elizabeth are true. Johns lack of faith in the church which is evident in his absences during sunday mass. Only makes Hale more convinced that witchcraft is afoot inthe Procter home. Johns absences seems be to do Mr Parris.
examples that support that putnam beleives he is better than everyone else....
"he undoubtly felt it poor payment that tthe village showed so blantantly disregard his cndaite foor one of its important offices"pg 13-14
without a doubt he felt he was the best for the job. the most important should get the most important job. it shows his conceited attitude. miller shows putnams chaacter describing him as a man who is very ful of himself. by him saying he "undoubtly"felt it poor payment. like he should be reewardes for his citizenship of the town this was a key point in the second act because putnams role in the town is being shown
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