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sorry read this about 3 weeks ago for school and never updated!
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had to read this book for my AP Composition and Writing class and in all honesty, it wasn't bad. Since the author wrote this in the time of McCarthyism, there were a lot of real-world connections that could be made throughout the story. I think that this book was also very interesting for a bunch of teens due to there being drama and the humor of everyone being accused of being a witch was amusing to us (Lots of Monty Python jokes were made while reading this book). I would definitely recommend this book to any teacher who is deciding what to have their students read, and in my opinion, I think this play is good enough to read for pleasure as well.
One of my favorite plays to teach, shortly behind The Taming of the Shrew.
I read this play as part of my mission this year to read at least one "classic" or piece of formal literature per month in order to expand/broaden my reading horizons. And I'm so glad I picked The Crucible up.
As both a theater literature nut and a reading nerd, I ate this story up. I was pleasantly surprised by how I found the struggles and conflicts between the characters in the play were similar to those of today's society. Obviously we aren't suffering through the Salem Witch Trials anymore, but the basis in gender politics and religious influence on political influence contained many more similarities to today.
Each character, in my opinion, was neither write nor wrong. This story is in such a morally grey area, that it's difficult to really "pick a side." It might seem obvious to support the characters fighting against the witch hangings and burnings, but as I read the play, I found myself realizing the struggles the characters such as Mr. Parris, Judge Danforth, and even Abigail faced when it comes to blind faith in a religion. The Salem Witch Trials weren't the only time in history that religion played a key factor in bad decisions resulting in disastrous consequences being made.
I rate this a 4/5 stars because, despite how much I utterly loved this story and these characters, I didn't enjoy how chopped together the acts were. It felt almost as if I was watching several different plotlines get started but never finished, even though they do all relate to each other. I wish there had been somewhat of a smoother transition between acts. I still highly recommend this to someone looking for a classical play that dabbles in feminist politics, religious conflict, and history.
As both a theater literature nut and a reading nerd, I ate this story up. I was pleasantly surprised by how I found the struggles and conflicts between the characters in the play were similar to those of today's society. Obviously we aren't suffering through the Salem Witch Trials anymore, but the basis in gender politics and religious influence on political influence contained many more similarities to today.
Each character, in my opinion, was neither write nor wrong. This story is in such a morally grey area, that it's difficult to really "pick a side." It might seem obvious to support the characters fighting against the witch hangings and burnings, but as I read the play, I found myself realizing the struggles the characters such as Mr. Parris, Judge Danforth, and even Abigail faced when it comes to blind faith in a religion. The Salem Witch Trials weren't the only time in history that religion played a key factor in bad decisions resulting in disastrous consequences being made.
I rate this a 4/5 stars because, despite how much I utterly loved this story and these characters, I didn't enjoy how chopped together the acts were. It felt almost as if I was watching several different plotlines get started but never finished, even though they do all relate to each other. I wish there had been somewhat of a smoother transition between acts. I still highly recommend this to someone looking for a classical play that dabbles in feminist politics, religious conflict, and history.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This wasn't the worst book I've had to read for school. I think I do tend to appreciate the historically situated ones more, so it was good to learn about McCarthyism and the Red Scare stuff for this. I also liked some of the extra writings at the back of the edition I read.
Not much else to say for this one, but here are a few quotes as per usual (minor spoilers):
-"Their fathers had, of course, been persecuted in England. So now they and their church found it necessary to deny any other sect its freedom, lest their New Jerusalem be defiled and corrupted by wrong ways and deceitful ideas."
-"The Salem tragedy... developed from a paradox. It is a paradox in whose grip we still live, and there is no prospect yet that we will discover its resolution. Simply, it was this: for good purposes, even high purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy... to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies.... But all organization is and must be grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition... The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom. When one rises above the individual villainy displayed, one can only pity them all, just as we shall be pitied someday. It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions, and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom."
-"If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now?...I'll tell you what's walking in Salem—vengeance is walking in Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!"
-"Reproach me not with the fear in the country; there is a fear in the country because there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!"
-"Is there no good penitence but it be public?"
-"Who weeps for these, weeps for corruption!"
Not much else to say for this one, but here are a few quotes as per usual (minor spoilers):
-"Their fathers had, of course, been persecuted in England. So now they and their church found it necessary to deny any other sect its freedom, lest their New Jerusalem be defiled and corrupted by wrong ways and deceitful ideas."
-"The Salem tragedy... developed from a paradox. It is a paradox in whose grip we still live, and there is no prospect yet that we will discover its resolution. Simply, it was this: for good purposes, even high purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy... to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies.... But all organization is and must be grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition... The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom. When one rises above the individual villainy displayed, one can only pity them all, just as we shall be pitied someday. It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions, and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom."
-"If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now?...I'll tell you what's walking in Salem—vengeance is walking in Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!"
-"Reproach me not with the fear in the country; there is a fear in the country because there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!"
-"Is there no good penitence but it be public?"
-"Who weeps for these, weeps for corruption!"