Understanding The Crucible by Arthur Miller

[ehs13]

So I have to read The Crucible by Arthur Miller for my summer honors english project for the coming fall. I am not too far into it but already I am pretty confused. One example is when Reverend Parris refers to Ann Putnam he says " Goody Ann....". Is that a title or her name? There are a few other things I am unsure of. Any advice as to how to get through this project a bit easier?

[Drkshadow03]

So I have to read The Crucible by Arthur Miller for my summer honors english project for the coming fall. I am not too far into it but already I am pretty confused. One example is when Reverend Parris refers to Ann Putnam he says " Goody Ann....". Is that a title or her name? There are a few other things I am unsure of. Any advice as to how to get through this project a bit easier?

Goody is a title for women in Puritan New England, stemming from Goodwife. (see: wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwife)).

What else are you unsure about?

It takes place in Puritan England loosely based off the Puritan Witch trials. It is about religious zealotry, misogyny, being an outcast, and allegorically it is about the McCarthy "witch hunt" for clandestine Communists hiding among us. It is basically a play about playing the blame-game without evidence and allowing your convictions and assumptions about people who deviate from the normal habits of society to lead to punishment for those reasons.

Or something like that. I haven't read the work since high school, but remember liking it.

[Scheherazade]

You might fiind these threads useful:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28200&highlight=crucible

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4298

[mollie]

A good companion piece to The Crucible is Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, if you have already read that, or if not, if you have time to do so. It deals with the same period, and with themes of religious zealotry and trial by gossip and hearsay and of outsiders in society.

[kelby_lake]

So I have to read The Crucible by Arthur Miller for my summer honors english project for the coming fall. I am not too far into it but already I am pretty confused. One example is when Reverend Parris refers to Ann Putnam he says " Goody Ann....". Is that a title or her name? There are a few other things I am unsure of. Any advice as to how to get through this project a bit easier?

'Goody' basically just means 'Mrs'. Anything else you're stuck on?

[*Classic*Charm*]

As the others have suggested, your best bet for understanding the allegory is to do some basic research on McCarthyism and the communist witch hunt in the US, and some basic research into the religious practices of the New England puritans to understand their beliefs and practices.

If you have other specific questions, feel free to ask!

I hope it starts to make more sense to you- this play is my favourite work of literature.

[ehs13]

Thanks for the help so far. One other thing I am confused on is Nurse Rebecca. It mentions her background to the story briefly when she is called in to help Betty. I can't quite understand what the author is trying to say about her. Was she once accused of being a witch? Or is it just about the land fued she had with the neighbors? Also is her part in this play that important? Should I pay attention to her background or not so much?

[mono]

Thanks for the help so far. One other thing I am confused on is Nurse Rebecca. It mentions her background to the story briefly when she is called in to help Betty. I can't quite understand what the author is trying to say about her. Was she once accused of being a witch? Or is it just about the land fued she had with the neighbors? Also is her part in this play that important? Should I pay attention to her background or not so much?
In terms of the Nurses, whether Rebecca or Francis, yes, you ought to pay attention to them, primarily as well-respected, revered, and warm individuals of the town, and give way to their past, especially that of their feud with the Putnams, and, if you keep reading, you will understand. The whole story does not revolve around the Nurses, so I would not place Rebecca and Francis in the nucleus of The Crucible, but keep in mind the mayoral arguments between the Putnams and Nurses, and it will make sense in the end as to why that received mention, and why the Nurses exist at all in the story.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Yeah, as Mono said, the Nurses are good to keep in mind as the story progresses. As you're reading, it's really good to keep in mind the apparent integrity of each of the characters, first in light of the societal guidelines of the puritans, and then in terms of what John Proctor sees is a good person as the play progresses through the trial. You'll see that there is a different definition of what makes someone "good".

Those that are considered "good" people within the society are those that follow dutifully and don't cause problems, while by the end of the play, John Proctor has figured out (and thus, the audience has figured out) that the people who are truly good are those who are able to maintain their integrity throughout the trial (those who are willing to sacrifice themselves instead of lying). The Nurses are perfect examples of this.

The characters you really want to be paying attention to are John Proctor, his wife Elizabeth, and Abby.

Sorry if that's kind of confusing. I'm terrible at describing what I mean.