The Crucible Act 1

The Puritan lifestyle is commonly associated with religion, laws, and piety.  Through The Crucible, these Puritan values are shown in a distorted light, where corruption and selfish motives tarnish this self-righteous image.  This book shows how tradition and truth can often times get warped by the changing society around it.  The Crucible represents the Puritan lifestyle through religion, hospitality, and   government and reflects how these components breakdown during the Salem witch trials. 

                The Puritans took their religion very seriously.  They went as far as to hang or imprison people they thought who believed in something other than their beliefs.  Their lives centered on their religion, the position of Reverend in the community was the highest position, and all their rules centered on their religion.  However, their view of religion became twisted during the time of the Crucible and they began to use it as an excuse to destroy their neighbor instead of loving and helping them.  Religion became synonymous with punishment rather than love.  Another way the Puritan’s beliefs were falling apart is seen in when a lady named Abigail confronts a man named Proctor about their affair together.  (Miller 23).  Puritans were not permitted to commit adultery, but Proctor committed it with Abigail against his wife reflecting a breakdown in the community values.

In the community, outward hospitality was expected and people were not to seek vengeance or air their disagreements.  However, this value of hospitality breaks down during the witch trials when people begin to accuse their neighbors of heresy and witchcraft.  When Proctor loses his temper and accuses Parris of not preaching about God in church is one of many examples of this failing value.    The Puritan religion says that a person should not hold any grudges against another person or get vengeance for them.  This rule was broken as soon as people were blamed of witchcraft.  If a person did not like another person all he or she had to do to get rid of his or her adversary was to call them a witch.  This abuse of Puritan beliefs shows that people were willing to compromise their integrity for earthly happiness. 

The Puritan society during the time the book took place was governed by the people in the church. The people heading the trials were from the local community and they determined whether or not a person was a witch.  These people had the most power because they held the lives of many people in their hands.  Essentially the Puritan form of government broke down and people governed themselves during the time of The Crucible because they could blame anyone of being a witch and that person would soon be gone.  This situation made people watch their every move because they were paranoid that their neighbors would call them a witch.  During the Salem witch trials nature became important because they used it as evidence against people in court.  For example Goody Osburn, a midwife to Mrs. Putnam was accused of killing three of her children in childbirth when really they were all just still born or miscarried.   (Miller 47).  Also, they were able to use the supernatural as evidence, they could claim to have been visited by a spirit and use that as evidence against someone else.
            
         The overriding element in the Puritan society was their religion.  Once their religion was compromised, it impacted the other components of government, hospitality, and views about each other and nature. Without the sense of community, the Puritan society could not function.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.