Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The Crucible Act 2 Discussion Thread

Today we are going to have a discussion thread based on Act 2 of The Crucible. I want you to respond to the comments and questions of your classmates (you must have at least 4 constructive comments, using textual support, and I always want you to end with a question-interpretative or critical.
I do not want one word responses; I expect formal writing and intelligent thought showing your discerning observations, analysis, and interpretation. Please keep in mind the ideological statements and central questions as a means of helping you to analyze further. I would like to see some abstract thought as well.

To start: (each person should answer this question)

How far reaching has this epidemic become? Everyone should start here with comments and then take the thread where it will go.  (Again, make sure you are using specific textual support)

155 comments:

  1. This epidemic has become crazy. Abigail has scared these girls into fooling the court and acting bewitched. On page 56, Mary Warren gives Elizabeth a poppet, which has a needle in it, in the stomach, and Abigail found a two-inch nail in her stomach, just like the poppet. Leading to the arrest of Elizabeth Proctor, even though Mary said it wasn't Elizabeth's. Why do you think the court only believes the girls and the accused have to lie to not be killed?

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    1. I think that the court only believes the girls because they are supposed to be innocent, they are the innocence of the society. When everything is going wrong during this hysteria they turn to what is supposed to be the good of the society, they are too scared to think that even the innocent have gone bad.

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    2. Abigail convinced the girls to act bewitched using fear. She made the girls fearful that they will get in trouble with the court. The accused obviously don't want to die so they lie because they think that that is the only good way out of this. I think the court only believes the girls because they are a group of girls and everyone believes that they won't lie and are innocent girls.

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    3. I think that they only believe the girls because they are "innocent" they are "pure" they can't lie. In this culture they can not be considered unclean until they have reached a certain age, no matter how much that word may apply to their lives. I feel like if the town was to suddenly think that the children have also gone bad then all hell would break loose because it has always been that the children are innocent, they do not lie, they make minor mistakes but are forgiven, they are the white sheep of the town and for someone to think that the white has been inked would be too much for this tiny town to bear, especially with what has been happening to them lately.
      I think that they would rather confess because I mean seriously who wants to die? They would rather sit in a cell and get fed every day than have to have their family watch them be hung. Wouldn't you?

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    4. But how does fear have an impact on the ability for people to speak the truth and o it for a greater good? Most people are doing it for their own selfish reasons and it is justified in part, but fear again is at the heart of all of this.

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  2. The idea of Witchcraft, magic, or a knowledge that is only known to some, has almost always been a theme in Society. It's only been since biblical times that it has been seen as evil and unholy. What makes the idea of witches evil?

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    1. I think that the fact that witches hold a kind of power that could kill someone makes them seen as evil, even if they aren't evil they are portrayed as evil. The fear of the unknown is a huge part of this fear of witches, because the townspeople have no idea what could happen or what the supposed witches are capable of. The people of Salem have no idea what could end up happening, all they know is that these children seem to be in pain anytime an accused person looks at them in the court, so of course the people of the court would have no idea what else to do except get rid of the problem at hand.

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    2. Every person have the power to kill someone. And every person you meet knows something that you don't, so wouldn't that make everyone a witch?

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    3. I think the idea of witches being evil is that we don't know what witches are capable of and as humans we want to have our hands on everything. Not knowing about something is scary to us, so we blame them for being evil in hopes of saving ourselves.

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    4. Witches have always been the bad guys in stories. I think the reason why people think witches are evil is because they don't know much about them or what they do. Most of the time, people are scared of the unknown. I think everyone makes the witches the bad guys because they think what they do is weird. If it's weird it's scary and if it's scary, it's bad.

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    5. I think that one of the big reasons that witchcraft is seen as evil is because it is very uncommon, and hard to believe. I guarantee that there are people that don't believe in witchcraft. I also think that since witchcraft can be somewhat powerful in "cursing" someone or making them act differently, makes people see it as a very dangerous thing. On page 43, Abigail claims that Tituba made her drink blood. The act of drinking blood is very uncommon, and it is also very odd. Weird actions like this can easily make something seem evil, like witchcraft.

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    6. Do you think it is better to lie to protect oneself?

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    7. I think that the fact that these witches are almost trying to "play God" is what makes them so horrible in this society. Not that they drink blood and dance around a fire, even though dancing was not permitted. The fact that it was thought that witches could make people sick, or make plants grow, or even kill others messes with their minds and their beliefs.
      Yes Ian everyone does have the power to kill someone but the point that is frightening to them is that it doesn't have to be a physical thing with witches. When someone kills someone else, there is a bullet or a stab wound or some type of illness. People know how they died. But with witch craft someone perfectly healthy could just drop dead with no explanation at all. The witch doesn't have to be any where near the person who is afflicted, they can just do it. Which is what sets them apart from anyone else who can kill.

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    8. I think what makes witches seem so evil, is mostly the idea of them and the assumptions people make of them. That witches could be associated with the devil. So the people become cursed and do things they normal wouldn't do because "its not them." Do you think each girl has a different reason to why they are scared to confess?

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    9. I feel anything that disrupts or challenges what people believe as individuals makes for less open-mindedness. A new idea or theory that challenges the status quo is always dangerous in that people are scared of what they do not understand. This has been common throughout history and people will take on notions that disrupt the good of the whole for something that may put its mark as "evil." Yet, it all stems form ignorance and lack of knowledge. But in this time, for Puritans, the mark of what is unholy is definite.

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    10. Witches are talked about in the bible as being associated with the devil. Though they probably have no solid evidence of this, the people of Salem strongly do believe in anything the bible says. They may not have any idea what witches as capable of and that is what makes them so terrifying. Witches seem to be hidden and mysterious so no one is sure what they can do and what power they do have.

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  3. The epidemic has spread all over Salem. People on the outskirts of town have started to get accused. it is going to hold no bounds and it is going to consume this town in a very short amount of time. Why do you think it is spreading so quickly? How does hysera grab hold and cause fear for so many so fast?

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    1. I think it's spreading so quick is because the town is looking for a scapegoat. The idea that you sacrifice one thing or person, and it cleanses the rest of their sins, must have been pretty appealing to the town.

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    2. I think it is spreading so quickly because everyone is blaming each other and they don't want to always blame the people they are close to so they are now blaming people on the outskirts of town. They think that those people are close enough to be looked at and not be completely innocent. No one wants to get in trouble so they blame others in hope to get attention off them.

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    3. I think that this hysteria is spreading very quickly because it is such an important event, which is being talked about throughout the whole town. I think that everyone would know about it because of how quickly things like this spread because of word of mouth. I also think that this type hysteria causes fear because it is very uncommon, causing people to be scared because they have no idea what could happen.

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    4. I think that it s spreading so quickly because other people need someone to blame, or their just mad at them for something. This is giving rivals a new sort of breeding ground for their hatred against one another. They can now have their enemies sent to prison or even put to death because they are mad. I also think that it is spreading so quickly because it is such a religious town and something like witch craft invading it and taking hold of its children is probably the scariest thing these people have ever encountered and they just want to be done with it. If you have a suspicion or even a suspicion of a suspicion that someone could be a witch then your life could be in danger, your children, your family, your friends, everyone so of course they are going to accuse them just for fear of their own safety.

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    5. what do you see a s the root causes for what is happening?

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    6. I agree with Ian, I think that it is spreading so quick because the town is looking for a scapegoat. I believe that there is a huge chunk of villagers that think the accused are innocent. But they are to scared of standing up for them because then they maybe accused. It is like a fire it just keeps spreading and spreading untill someone stands up to the issue and puts it out.

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    7. I think a big factor that's causing it to spread so quickly is the people who are falsely confessing. If no one confessed, they probably would eventually think "Hey, maybe they aren't witches", but the confessions are making it more real for them. They don't see why anyone would lie about such a thing as witchcraft, so they believe its hard proof. The confessions making the presence of witchcraft seem so real is causing the fear to grow even more rapidly. Would it have gone differently if no one confessed?

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  4. People are admitting falsely to these accusations in order to save their own lives. What does this say about their moral code and the religious implications of salvation? (Think in a Puirtanical mindset). what does it say about the morals of true, "devoted" Christians?

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    1. The fact that people are making false confessions in order to live is very hypocritical to what they say they 'believe'. The people say that if you lie you will be condemned to hell, but in this situation, if they do not lie, they will be hung. The society overall seems to be very hypocritical, everyone is trying to save themselves, no matter what it takes. It shows that the morals they have do not stand very strong, especially when they are put to the test.

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    2. People are going to be condemned to hell anyways based on their beliefs and their actions. Obviously majority of the accused have probably never even thought of trying witch craft they will say that they practiced it so they do not have to face the noose. I feel like the ones who are hung are almost more "righteous" than the ones who lied, because they held their own and stood up for what hey believed in. They didn't compromise themselves just because they did not want to die, they stayed with their religion and will probably get into the heaven that they believed in for doing so. Yes they were persecuted by the town and everyone there is thinking horrifically about them but at least they did what they thought to be right. I think that they are a true model of the hard core no buts ands ors and ifs puritan culture we've heard so much about because they were willing to die for their religion.

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    3. I feel like all of this lying and blaming others really shows who the girls are, their true colors really come out. It also shows how their morals are and that they are not really devoted Christians like they say they are, because if they were they would not be lying and blaming others for what is going on. Do you think the girls feel at all bad about lying and blaming one another?

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    4. I think the reason why the villagers are making false accusations, because I believe it is in our human nature to be more concerned with the present than with the future. I believe that everyone is afraid of death to some degree. It is just the matter how you confront it. Are you going to die a coward just to save your own skin? Or are you going to die knowing what you stand for and what you believe in?

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  5. I think that this epidemic has a reached a point of panic. All of these accusations are starting to freak people out, which is causing a panic throughout Salem. I think this also means that people will do odd things just to defend themselves, or to accuse someone. For example, Abigail injects a needle into herself only because she is trying to frame Elizabeth. How do you think we would handle this type of hysteria in modern day US?

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    1. I think in modern day we would throw whoever is accusing someone of witchcraft into a mental hospital. However, if we were to actually believe this stuff, they would probably be forced to take a lie detector test, or be able to have a lawyer and witnesses. I don't think modern day would be okay at all with just randomly putting people to death, so if they were found guilty, they would just have to serve a number of years in prison.

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    2. It's kind of different in our times because courts nowadays have a code where we are innocnet until proven guilty. If there was proof then maybe Abigail would get sent to prison.

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    3. In modern day America I think that close to no one would be found guilty of witchcraft if the exact same events happened. Today the accusers would need more evidence than just their witness to the event. The judges today are not basing their rulings off of religion, but set laws. The suspect would have just as much, if not more evidence proving their innocence with the help of a lawyer. If someone was convicted of witchcraft today society would react quickly and harshly in response.

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  6. What do you notice about John and Elizabeth Proctor's relationship at the beginning? What does Miller give you to show the tension?

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    1. John Procter has made his mistakes and you can see that he regrets them. You can see that Elizabeth is hesitant on giving her full trust back to him and he can't stand that she doesn't fully trust him. Miller makes Proctor uptight and insecure about the situation and his wife. When Elizabeth gets mad at John for not adding that he saw Abigail alone, you see that he gets mad her for even being the slitest bit concerned. Why is he mad that his wife doesn'y trust him fully?

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    2. The point where the tension peaks in my opinion is when Proctor goes on his rant about the lack of forgiveness Elizabeth has shown him, he states "Spare me! You forget nothin and forgive nothin. Learn charity woman...as though I come into a court when I come into this house". This shows more about Proctor than it does Elizabeth, he is almost pleading with her. When I read this I could practically hear the pain in his voice. Later in the act he states that, "My wife will not die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me". This shows how much he cares about Elizabeth and the fact that she has not forgiven him tears him up almost as much as his on conscious. In my opinion there is not tension, it is more a mix of pain, resentment, and anger.

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    3. John and Elizabeth Proctor don't really have trust. Like on page 55, they are talking about when John and Abigail talked, and Elizabeth says "John, you are not open with me. You saw her with a crowd, you said. Now you-" at which point John interrupts her to say, "I'll plead my honesty no more, Elizabeth." Showing that John doesn't respect Elizabeth and Elizabeth doesn't trust John very much. Is this how relationships were back then? The men controlled the relationship and the women were just kind of there?

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    4. I think that the tension rises on page 61, when Elizabeth states, "Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made." Elizabeth says this to John when they are talking about John's affair with Abigail. She says that even though John didn't make a commitment to Abigail by telling her, his actions did. I think at this point in their relationship, there trust is beginning to downfall, initially because of this event. Do you think John did this because he had no reason not to? How strong do you think relationships were back then?

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    5. Do you think Elizabeth is justified in her feelings? Are there certain things in life that are truly unforgivable?

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    6. I think Elizabeth is definitely justified in her feelings about what John did. She has no reason to forgive him. I think it depends on the person to determine if something is unforgivable. For some people, a certain situation could affect someone more than someone else. This would make it either harder or easier to forgive.

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    7. I think that their relationship is still pretty crappy, he says he's trying to be such a great husband but then on page 50 he lies to her. She has just said "You come so late I thought you'd gone to Salem this afternoon." and he replies with "Why? I have no business in Salem." He just said that he didn't go to Salem and we all know that he definitely did which really bugs me because he's acting so high and mighty about trying to please her and be a good husband and yet right off the bat he lies to her about where he was.
      I understand that Elizabeth is upset and what John did was completely wrong and she should be mad but at the same time she's being so hypocritical in the way that she's acting and what she's saying and how it says she is acting. Like on page 50 it says that it is hard for her to say that she knows he is trying to please her, I feel like that's fine because what he did was awful but later she says that she has forgotten Abigail. Which seems very hypocritical. Even though her feelings are justified she should be straight up about it and not try to hide the fact that she is still upset.

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  7. The epidemic has consumed almost the entire community, on page Reverend Hale states, "Proctor, the court is just-". This shows that Hale is broken and caught up with the hysteria because he believes the hype more than logic and reason. This point is also evident to Proctor when he states, "You are a broken minister". With this quote, a pattern with Proctor emerges, he is very wary of the church. He states in act one, "I do not see the light of god in that man". Referring to Paris. I believe that this, along with Abigail's own agenda are both reasons that he and Elizabeth are being targeted. What other Instances can you find where a characters own secret agenda have been the motive of an action? Also, on the other side of this, what are instances where a character has acted selflessly? Is there a pattern of character actions? If so what can we draw from this? Can you argue that the antagonists in this book(primarily Abigail) are not actually evil, but are just acting practically?

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    1. I think that you can argue that Abigail is not evil and is just acting practically but I do not agree with that argument. I do not believe that she is evil but I also don't believe she is acting practically. She just seized the opportunity to get back at those who she felt had wronged her and to disrupt the society she views as hypocritical and crazy, Abigail: " 'I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men!' " (Miller 24).
      How would the witch trials be different had John never opened Abigail's eyes to the wrongs of Salem? How would they have changed if John continued his affair or if the affair never happened?

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  8. I think that this epidemic has crossed so many boundaries. It has gotten to the point where I feel like one of the girls is going to accuse me of being a witch because of reading this book decades later. Family members are turning on each other, people forget that they used to be friends and are using this as almost and excuse to get back at one another for seemingly petty things.
    People are having to watch what they say around others because something they think is harmless could potentially be incriminating. Like with Giles Corey (I know this was act 1) when he was telling them about how he couldn't pray while his wife was reading in the house and they took that and turned it into witch craft. I'm sure Giles did not mean to incriminate his wife, he was just asking if there was a reason why.
    The accusations have these crazy almost stupid proofs. "So many a time, Mr. Proctor, she come to this very door, beggin' bread and a cup of cider- and mark this whenever I turned her away empty, she mumbled." Mary Warren says this talking about Goody Osburn who will now hang for witch craft. This just seems so flimsy to me. I don't understand how that could get someone accused of being a witch.
    All of these are just examples of how this epidemic has crossed so many lines in the town and has turned it into this crazy hysteria that they can't seem to break free of.
    What makes a crazy situation into mass hysteria?

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    1. What makes a crazy situation into mass hysteria is when fear and revenge is at the center of the situation. In this case there is the fear of being accused as a witch, and people are becoming so paranoid that a crazy situation has become mass hysteria. Furthermore, when there is an option of revenge in the center of the situation, sense human beings are typically vengeful people, they will take the chance in most cases that they get. On page 72 Giles says, "That bloody mongrel Walcott charge her. Y'see, he but a pig of my wife four or five year ago, and the pig died soon after." This is an example of an opportunity for revenge, and Walcott took it, and since people are too afraid, they don't see that clear motive.

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  9. This epidemic has gone way too far. These people are taking this trial to an extreme. There isn't actually true solid proof of the girls being the cause of the illness the little girls have. On page 58 Mary Warren says, ''I told you the proof. It's hard proof, hard as rock''(The Crucible pg 58). These people believed anything that was told to them. They never questioned their religion because that's what they were taught as they grew up. When people started saying that the illness was the cause of the devil, they didn't even think twice about it. I think the real reason these people are like this is because they want someone or something to blame for everything. All people want something to blame because a lot of us get mad or frustrated when something goes wrong and natural instinct is to get mad at something so when people started saying it was the devil, everyone jumped on and never questioned it.

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  10. I think the epidemic has spread a bit too far. Abigail is still a crazy person who has gained even more power and makes people fear her even more than before. On page 80 Mary Warren says "She'll kill me for sayin' that! Abby'lll charge leechery on you, Mr. Proctor!" Mary Warrren is refferring to Abigail Williams. A grown woman is afraid of a young girl. She will lie and protect abigail just because she is afraid of her wrath.

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    1. What gives Abigail so much power and why do you think so many people fear her? Everyone seems to believe Abigail, She seems to be able to manipulate anyone into believing her, especially in the court room, even though she is lying. Especially in the court room Abigail puts on an act in order to condemn people to hangings, such as pretending she is freezing.

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    2. Abigial has so many different ways to manipulate people. I can't remember if it is act one or two, but she tells the girls to never speak of her drinking the blood or she will come to them in the night and make them wish they never closed their eyes. She has so much power because she has earned it. She uses blackmail and fear to gain her power. People believe her because she is known as an innocent person. Most people know the real Abigail so why does everyone believe her?

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    3. I agree with you, Kat. Abigail uses fear and intimidation to influence others to support her. Abigail harbors a special hatred for Proctor's wife, Elizabeth and has capitalized on this opportunity to get rid of her. Abigail explains to Proctor how his wife is supposedly tainting her reputation. "She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold sniveling woman, and you bend to her!" (Miller pg 24). Abigail is jealous of Elizabeth being with Proctor and so she will blackmail others to help wrongfully accuse her of witchcraft.

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  11. In Salem, people are being prosecuted without "fact". Why are people so quick to judge? Why are they so credulous of what is happening? Where is the proof?

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    1. People are so quick to judge and just accept that people are witches because if somebody steps out of line and goes against the flow, they will most likely be accused of witchcraft. An example of this is on page 70 when Elizabeth is telling Reverend Hale how she doesn't believe in witchcraft and how he is shocked and telling her that she shouldn't go against the Gospel. Surely this will come up and be used against her in court, and although Elizabeth is one of the few brave citizens of Salem, most people are judging others so quickly because they don't want to go against the norm and face the possibility of witchcraft themselves.

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    2. I disagree somewhat with Jaret. I believe people are so quick to judge because of how scared the town is of what is going on. The devil is their enemy, and they are extremely scared of coming under 'control' of the devil. This fear is causing the people of the town to make irrational decisions. There is no proof, other than the girls, headed by Abigail, making false accusations. They are putting on an 'act' in the court room in order to get people in trouble. That is all the "proof" that there is, a false witness.

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    3. Most people go with the flow. If the flow is blaming a certain group for not really any solid proof of anything, then that's what people are going to do. People just want someone to blame. This group of girls in the woods were doing something that most people don't, making it wrong. People just put two unknowns together. They didn't know how the girls got sick and they didn't know what the girls were doing in the woods so they just thought it had to have been the works of the devil because they didn't know the answer.

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    4. I think that people are blaming each other without "facts" because they want to believe that what they are saying is true because they want a reason to all this madness. I think that they are searching for reason in lies.

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  12. One of the ideas of this society is that if you cannot do something simple such as memorize the 10 commandments, then you are going to hell. People are judging whether they go to hell based on the amount of sundays that they attend church, and not based on the lives they live out. For example, John is cheating on his wife, yet he claims his home is a "Christian home" How is this hypocritical, and how does this relate to people's modern day beliefs?

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    1. I like how you mentioned memorizing the ten commandments because that's what they used in the jury for Sarah Good, I believe. But this makes me question that their fate is already determined, but why do they still try to be faithful? Do they even try to be faithful or is it all act?

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    2. Both modern day people and people back in the days try to look good on the outside while they might be going through something on the inside because they might be insecure. What is more interesting is that Elizabeth is aware of Proctor sleeping with Abigail. On page 54, he says, "You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband any more." This quote clearly states that the men have a lot more power than the women. Why doesn't Elizabeth do anything although she knows that Proctor has slept Abigail? Is it because the men are more superior?

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    3. Jennie, I believe that Elizabeth should absolutely stand up to John for what he is doing. However, because of the strict Puritan beliefs, she knows that it would tremendously hurt her name, Johns name, and the town would simply no longer accept them because of the severe mistake John made. It shows how superior the men are in this society, and it also shows that Elizabeth is a coward for not standing up for herself.

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    4. Should people risk themselves for the ones they love?

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    5. One thing that I don't think has changed is that people try to look good for others or perfect when in reality they are not. We have this thought in our minds that people with tattoos are bad and the ones who go to church every week are good. That isn't always true though. Yes it is good for them to go to church but that doesn't always mean that they are living a good life that they should be. And people with tattoos may be living a life good but they are judged because of marks on their body. Why do you think that is the way so many people think?

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  13. This epidemic has become far reaching and it is getting so serious that it might be impossible for anybody to bring a stop to it anytime soon. This can be seen on page 62 through the character of Reverend Hale, "It is Mr. Hale. He is different now -drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner now." In Act 1 Reverend Hale had an arrogance about him and was very confident about his work, however now it seems that he is beginning to notice that this epidemic is getting out of hand, and there is not a whole lot he can do about it. Unless something happens and somebody does the brave thing and attacks the girls, the epidemic might not be able to be stopped, even by somebody as powerful as Reverend Hale. What is it going to take to stop this epidemic and at what cost will this be at?

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    1. I agree with you. I think that Reverend Hale is confused because of his situation in this event. It has grown to ridiculous proportions and he hasn't accounted for such a thing. I think Hale suspects that the girls may be lying about their experiences, but he doesn't know who to turn to. If Proctor, Hale, and others can band together and put forth strong evidence towards their argument I think that they can reveal the girls as liars.

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    2. If somebody attacks the girls, they will all accuse that person of witchcraft, the entire court needs to agree that too many people are being killed, so they should question the girls and bring this terrible thing to a screeching halt. However, I don't think that will happen, unfortunately, because there are too many girls in on this. Therefore, how do you think this epidemic will actually come to an end?

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    3. I don't think this will come to an end anytime soon. Hale has an idea that the girls are lying but has yet to find evidence of it and prove them wrong and show everyone what is really going on. How do you think they will prove that the girls are lying and have the truth come out? How many more people will have to die before this comes to an end?

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    4. People are just blaming each other what what is going on because they dont want to get in trouble. I think this won't come to an end until all of the ''witches'' are killed. I deal with the same thing at my house with my two brothers. There could be something like a hole in the wall and no body knows how it got there. My dad would ask my brothers and I if we knew what happened and we don't want to get in trouble so even if I have no idea who did it, I would usually say it was probably one of my brothers just because I dont want the blame to fall on me. Usually it ends up never being solved because it usually is some kind of accident that one of us did that we didn't even know that it happened. I think this trial is the same way because no one is the cause of this.

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    5. I also think that Hale suspects that the girls may be lying about their experience but he doesn't know who to go to. Also, I don't think he is sure that he wants to get involved in it. If he gets involved, it could cause a lot of other problems too.

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    6. I don't think that there will ever be solid proof that the girls are lying but I think sooner or later people are going to get sick of it. What it will take is for one of the girls to come out and say that she like all the others would fake their reactions to the "witches". I think this will take some time because no one wants to be the oddball out. Many people will probably die before this actually happens. Do you think that it will end this way, if not how?

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  14. This epidemic has consumed Salem. Everyone in the town has became hysteric and unreasonable. No one knows if their next door neighbor is going to mention their name in court. People are afraid and all they want to do is save their own skin, so they plead guilty. All they are doing is fueling the fire. On p.57 Mary Warren said "in open court she near chocked us all". When Mary says this do you think she is just following the crowd or does she believe what is happening?

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    1. I think that she believes it is actually happening only because she made herself believe it. I say this because as readers we know that what she said is not true but at the time that all this is going on they truly believed that "witches" were doing this to them. I also agree with what you said the concept of blaming one another is really what is fueling the fire like you said. Do you think they know that what they are saying is making the situation worst?

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    2. I believe that Mary does this for because at first she was scared of Abigail as shown on page 20 when Abigail says, "Now look you. All of you. We danced, And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a point reckoning that will shudder you." This is the initial reason Marry Warren got caught up in the accusations, out of sheer fear, however now I think she realizes she is in too deep and can't get out of the situation cleanly. If she doesn't go along with the crowd, people will see she has been lying and then there will be severe punishment for her. The reason she has continued with the madness is to save her own skin because she can't turn back now. If Abigail hadn't threatened the girls, how would of the story turned out differently? Would the other girls have come clean?

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  15. This whole situation is so confusing and has gone wild. Many innocent people have been accused of being involved in the "witchcraft." On page 56, Mary Warren states that there are 39 people arrested already.

    On page 76, Elizabeth gets arrested because the people find a poppet, that Mary Warren gave Proctor, with a needle stuck on its belly and coincidentally Abigail has been stabbed in the stomach that day.
    Why does Elizabeth get arrested instead of Mary Warren? Why do people believe that the doll has to related to Elizabeth's arrest or being accused?

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    1. I think that Elizabeth gets arrested and not Mary because Mary was a child and at that time people saw children as "innocent" and they didn't believe that they ever did anything wrong. On the other hand Elizabeth was an adult and so it as easier for them believe that she was he one who did it on purpose. Also Abigail has been trying to get ride of Elizabeth for a long time now and this was her chance to place blame on her even though she did nothing wrong. My question is why do you think that Hale jumped to the conclusion of murder without looking at all the facts first?

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    2. The people in the village already think that Elizabeth doesn't like Abigail. Elizabeth suspects that abigail and proctor had an affair. Abigail doesn't like Elizabeeth becasue she is "blackening her name in the village." On page 73 Cheever comes to Proctor "I am given sixteen warrants tonight, sir, and she is one. Proctor: Who charger her? Cheever: Why Abigail Williams charged her." Abigail is young "innocent" girl and everyone believes her because of that. I believe that Mary Warren is known as innocent too.

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  16. How do you see Reverend Hale changing? He ultimately is one of the few who started the hysterics and charging of others-do you think he feels any of the weight of what he has done?

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    1. On page 62, when it mentions Hale coming into scene, "It is Mr. Hale. He is different now-drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner now." Leading me to believe that Reverend Hale does in fact feel like he is the one who helped get this epidemic rolling. He is so different from how he was, which I think is a good thing because if he didn't feel guilty, the it would appear that he doesn't care. Why doesn't he just make this stop? Will the girls accuse him of witchcraft if he does follow how he feels?

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  17. Proctor says, "Is the accuser always holy now?" What hypocrisy exists in the court? what does this say about how power is manifesting? What do you notice about the corruption of social order? It seems like the truth is less important, but the appearance of justice is what sustains those who have control.

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  18. Obviously, lies are at the heart of this chaos. Would you risk losing your reputation for the good of the whole?

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    1. Mrs. Comp, if by this you mean would you rather lose your reputation than have death? I think I would absolutely lose my reputation, and I would hope that most people would do the same. A reputation is merely what others think about you, and what truly matters is how one views them self. I think worse come to worse, one could make a false confession to save themself, and then leave the town and start over somewhere else. But losing your reputation is much better than losing your own life.

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    2. If I was put into the situation of having to choose between getting hung and saving myself I would like to think I would choose the right path. I would want to stand up for what I believe in and not confess to something that I didn't do. It is so hard to know what I would do. The human instinct is to survive so if put in that situation most people would plead guilty I would assume. No one wants to be put to death for no reason. If a respectable person got some curage and said not I didn't not do this the whole would follow. I takes one good soul to start a trend. So in the end I think I would risk my life for the whole. If you saved yourself from death, do you think that you would regret your decision?

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    3. Overtime, you can rebuild a reputation. I think that if I was in this situation I would l loose my reputation. The good is worth not having a good reputation for a little while. You can start over with your reputation or you can live unhappy for a long time.

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    4. Mrs. Comp, That is a very broad question. I think it matters what the "whole" is, because if it's a bunch of lying hypocrites like those present in the crucible, I would definitely lose my reputation trying to help these people realize their mistakes, for the good of the whole. But if the chaos wasn't present, or if I was in a different place entirely, I would like to believe that I would be steadfast about my beliefs and I would also care about my reputation as well.

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  19. The epidemic in Salem has reached further and affected more people than it ever should have. Countless innocent townsfolk are being accused of witchcraft on the basis of a vindictive person's "honest" testimony. Mary Warren admitted to putting the needle in the poppet and still, Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft, solely based on Abigail's claim. "Why, I meant no harm by it, sir.' -Marry Warren
    'You stuck that needle in yourself?' -Proctor
    'I-I believe I did, sir'"(Miller pg 75). This quote shows exactly how flawed the legal system is in Salem. Elizabeth was proven to have no relation to that poppet and yet she was still arrested. The hysteria surrounding this event has reached an inconceivable and dangerous level.

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    1. How do you think Abigail and the other girls can be convicted of lying? Will anyone be able to convince the judges even though the girls are staging their reactions to the "spirits" in court?

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    2. In all honesty, these girls are never going to be accused. If anyone states that these young girls are making it up and they never did the things they are being accused of, they will be hung. i think everyone is more comfortable in accepting the blame.

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    3. I think if the girls were to be convicted of lying, it would take a change of mind of the whole town, and that is very unlikely. One person accusing them of lying would be sticking out of the norm, and therefore seen as working with the devil. If anyone did think they were lying, they'd be too afraid to say anything.

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    4. Do you think the whole town is just playing along at this point? Do you think they know what these girls have done and are just far to afraid to speak out?

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    5. Allyson, I think that's exactly what is happening. Because if they speak out against the children who "cannot tell lies", they are prone to being accused of witchcraft and they might be hung for it, maybe even go to hell. Fear is the tight control this Puritan society has, and their too afraid to speak out

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  20. I think that the epidemic has become a big problem in Salem. I think this because at first the only people that knew about what happened were the ones who with Betty. Now the whole town is hearing different things and making up stories just to make sense of all that is going on in their town. This leads into the motif of blame because everyone in Salem is blaming each other for different things that have happened in the past and blaming the devil. For example on page 59 Mary Warren say "I never knew it before... and all at once I remember everything she done to me!" To me this quote shows that in order to save herself from getting blamed she starts to blame others. In addition I think that has reached the point where people will do anything to get rid of the ones who are in their way. An example of this would be on page 61 when Elizabeth is taking to her husband John Proctor, she says " It is her dearest hope John, I know it...She thinks to take my place". This quotes sows that the only reason why Abigail is blaming Elizabeth is because she wants to get rid of her. With this said my questions is Why do you think that the people of Salem are going out of their way to make up lies so they wont be blamed, Do you think this goes against their morals? Or do you think they see this as "okay"?

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    1. I think that part of the problem with these people is that they are to confined. When something out of the ordinary happens they push aside their morals and play along with what is happening. It excites them. Also think that the They are acting like sheep, all they do is follow. So, why do you think that they follow the crowd?

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    2. I agree with Gina, I think it does excite the people accusing other people, maybe it gets some adrenaline going, and even makes them feel good about themselves because they are getting people out of their way. Of course that makes the girls seem like little angels if they are "helping God get rid of the Devil in Salem" and I say that in quotations because really all the girls are actually doing is killing innocent people, even their friends and neighbors. Also, I think they are following the crowd because in this case if they don't, they're going to be accused of using witchcraft. Why do you think these girls are so terrible? Why doesn't Abigail even feel a tiny bit guilty? Obviously she started it and doesn't feel bad.

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  21. The epidemic has escalated since act 1. Proctor believes and tells Elizabeth that Abigail's dancing has nothing to do with the witchcraft going on. But Elizabeth is sure it was Abigail who accused her of witchcraft just so that she could take Elizabeth's spot with John. On page 56 it sounds as if proctor is surprised that hanging will be the consequence. Do you think that if people do not confess that they should be hung or is there another punishment that is not so harsh but responsible?

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    1. I definitely think that people shouldn't be hung just because they don't confess. I think the reasoning in Salem is flawed. Someone could be completely innocent, and they were accused, and just because they don't confess they could lose their life. I think there are many answers to this problem for punishment such as prison, but I don't believe that people should be in trouble just because they don't confess. I think it relates to modern day that people are innocent until proven guilty, and I think this would have been a better way to handle this whole situation in Salem.

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  22. How is John Proctor, who is a personified definition of Christian hypocrisy, one of the only ones who see things as they are? Is there a way to stop this hysteria?

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    1. I think John Proctor is the only one to see how things truly are because everyone else is either to caught up in what is going on to step back and see how things are from a different perspective, or that the refuse to see the truth and don't want to. Is John Proctor the only reasonable one?

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    2. John Proctor is the only person who sees things as they are because he doesn't fully believe in the faith of the village. He has created adultery, which is against his own religion. He kissed Abigail. He is also the character of logic. He can see past what the girls are doing and assume they are overreacting.

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    3. So, does it take rebellion to see truth?

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    4. I see Proctor as having a mind of his own; unlike everyone else who share the same thinking of Salem. I think that he knows that he's sinned by having an affair with Abigail, and according to the puritan rules he's going to hell, but he doesn't want to believe it. He doesn't go to church as much as everyone else, and this allows him to do his own thinking and questioning. I don't think it takes rebellion to see truth. I think it takes a change of mind/heart. People who are incredibly set on their beliefs won't change if others are fighting against them. If anything, rebellion could only feed the fire.

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  23. I think this epidemic has implemented fear in this society and with fear comes doubt. On page 70 Proctor says, " She do not mean to doubt the gospel sir, you cannot think it. This is a Christian house." This quote shows the doubt these people had during this epidemic and that they would start to doubt their religion because they couldn't figure out why this was happening. This type of reaction will surely send Salem into a social decline and will turn their tight nit society against each other.

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    1. I disagree with that statement in a way, and don't believe that people are starting to doubt their religion. On page 70 Proctor says, "She believe in the Gospel, every word!" Despite the fact that Proctor might be saying this just to possible save his wife, I believe that it is the truth. The people of Salem are not beginning to lose trust in their faith, but rather just losing faith in each other. For most people, this epidemic is bring people closer to God because they don't want to be possessed by the devil, or be accused of being possessed by the devil. I believe Elizabeth is not questioning her faith, but rather saying that the idea of witches all throughout Salem is stupid and that they should not believe those little girls just because the Gospel mentions witches.

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  24. The epidemic has reached a whole new level. The epidemic has turned from a few acusings, to an all out war between the villagers. The villagers of Salem blame innocent people for participating in witch craft. They do this only to save their own skin. In Act 2 the girls in the village start to accuse everyone they can of witch craft. Abigail has been blackmailing the other children, forcing them to accuse innocent people. Why do you think that the other girls don't stick up for themselves? Isnt a whole village of girls is more powerful than just one? Also, on pg. 64 Elizabeth says “You will never believe, I hope, that Rebecca trafficked with the Devil.” Why do you think anyone would ever want another person to be communicating with the Devil?

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    1. I think the girls are too scared to stick up for themselves. I don't think that they realize how powerful they will be if they stick up for themselves together as a group. They are so caught up in all the chaos that has happened that they can't see how powerful they are together. I think they believe they are powerless so they just go with what they think is best for themselves.

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    2. Well, why not? The devil is seen as evil because he disagreed with God and gave humans thought. I don't see that as evil. It's not like he flooded the Earth.

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    3. I think that Abigail has been accusing many other people just to save her own life. People who have been accused can't stand up for themselves because obviously they don't have any power. Children and considered innocent and everything they say is believed to be true. And also I don't think anyone would like to communicate with the devil, but when you do, that might be a sign that they're going to hell afterlife. Do you think that this blaming is more towards people they're holding grudges against?

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    4. First off, I applaud you Ian for saying that, second, it is because faith is dropped when it is used against you. If your religion claimed that you must do something against your moral belief, and if not your going to hell, your most likely not going to do it because you think otherwise. it may not seem like you dropped your belief but if you truly believe in that religion, you will follow what your faith believes no matter what.

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    5. Ian you couldn't be more wrong. The reason why God flooded the Earth was because everyone on earth was worshiping false gods and participating in sinful acts. The strong believers of god was Noah and his family. That is why he let them live. It is the devil who causes people to sin.

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  25. I think this whole situation has brought out the true character of Salem as a community. And it's a pretty human way to act, but it's been amplified by the fact that they've kinda been enslaved by the religion. It's like adding air into a balloon; eventually it will pop. You can only keep so much of your personal belief quiet until it explodes out of you, and when it does, its very angry and unstable.Having one single idea, religion, belief, devotion, whatever, be the base of a society, it's going to crumble really fast.

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    1. I agree. I think that this society was so controlled by their religion that they were blinded to the truth. I think also that these people were to focused on being the perfect person and doing everything that their religion demanded from them that they lost sight of their own morals.

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    2. Should religion be a sole controller of someones life? Or does it function better as a set of guidelines and lessons?

      Is your personal code of beliefs more important than a religion? Why was religion invented?

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    3. Going off Tylerann, I agree also that their community is so controlled by their religion that they're blinded to the truth. I also agree with Ian in the sense that having only one belief in a community will make it crumble in times of crisis because it's like trying to hold up a roof: if you have just one pillar and it gets damaged, what keeps the roof from falling down? Nothing. The same thing goes with beleifs in a community. Also, as teenagers show us every day, heavy control of someone will always lead to rebellion, big or small.

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    4. Off Dom's question, I think that religion functions better as a set of guidelines and lessons because this allows for more self expression and personal beliefs. People don't like to be controlled, so if religion controls every aspect of a persons life that person is more likely to rebel. As guidelines, religion can still influence a persons life and they can choose how strict they want to follow those guide lines. Ian talked above about one religion not being a good base of a society, but having multiple religions in a society often causes conflict. Is it better to base a society of one religion or multiple? Does the strictness of the religion(s) matter?

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  26. “And why not, if they must hang for denyin’ it?...” Pg. 69
    In this short piece of text, Proctor is discussing with Hale the idea that people are confessing to avoid being killed, this lead me to the questions, Are these people not as faithful in their religious dogma as they once said to be? Are we willing to give our life if it means staying true to our faith and what we know to be true in this world?

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    1. I believe when your faith is being used against you, you will refute what you believe to save yourself. No matter what religion whether it values life or diminishes it, you will abandon it in certain situations for the better good of yourself.

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    2. Do you think the faith of the people of Salem was strictly a facade to fit in with "the norms" of the time because they gave it up so easily?

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  27. This epidemic has poisoned the common sense of the people of Salem. Normally, if someone got a chill they would assume it was because of a draft, but now they blame it on witchcraft. When Cheever comes to arrest Elizabeth, he completely ignores the fact that the poppet wasn't even hers. On page 77 referring to the poppet Mary Warren says "Why--I made it in the court, sir, and--gave it to Goody Proctor tonight." Even after Mary Warren admitted that she made the poppet, Cheever refuses to leave without Elizabeth. Even though its a sin people still lie, but they take the word of people over material proof sitting right in front of them. The warrant for Elizabeth's arrest was written before the poppet was even discovered; it was made simply off the word of Abigail. They aren't even taking a second to think about the accusations before acting out on them.
    Why do you think the people of Salem believe the accusers so readily?

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    1. I think that people believed that children are all innocent and whatever said are all true. People of Salem are naĂŻve in so many ways and somehow simple. They are either white or black and once they've made a decision, they are all for that. Is the "simplicity" of people causing more trouble and make things complicated?

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  28. The entire situation has completely gone crazy. People are losing their morals and admitting to things that they have not done causing them to lie. Reverent Hale was one of the people that started everyone blaming others. Do you think he feels guilty for starting some of the chaos and kind of giving people the idea of blaming others and even getting people living in the outskirts of town involved?

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    1. I don't believe he feels guilty because in his mind, he is doing God's will and bringing out the devil from their town. He wants the citizens of Salem to blame each other to narrow down his subjects on the witches.

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    2. I don't think that Reverend Hale feels guilty just because he started the blaming. I think he has contributed to the chaos but he didn't actually start it. Even if he wasn't to start the blaming, someone eventually would have.

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    3. I think that he does not necessarily have a reason to feel guilty because in his mind he has done nothing wrong and what is doing is the right thing to do in order to fix the situation at hand. I think that the citizens of Salem would have started to blame other regardless of what Reverent Hale did. I think this because everyone relies on blaming each other to save themselves. Do you think that it will get to a point when they stop blaming each other?

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  29. The epidemic spread to the whole town of Salem. There are people going all different directions now. From what I see it is the girls versus the town. The girls are finding excuse after excuse for their actions and are blaming other people all in fear. Fear of being punished for witchcraft has lead to this. The girls have the higher hand when they are brought under accusations because they give the impression that they are being taken advantage of and being forced under witchcraft. Why do you think the girls are looked at so innocently?

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    1. I think the girls have such a big influence over the town because they are younger than the adults and thought to be more pure. I also think the girls hold so much power in the court because how the system works. If someone accuses another of witchcraft and provides a detailed account of what happened, it's likely they'll be believed rather than someone who can do nothing but simply deny the they are responsible. The suspect has no strong evidence or explanation supporting the fact that they are innocent. I think it will take more people in the town to realize what the girls are up to and they will need to gather the courage to risk their lives and go against the girls and the court.

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    2. The girls are looked at so innocently because I believe that the villagers think that young kids are not capable of sin. Abigail is smart blaming everyone else for witchcraft making her the "poor little victim." No one wants to accuse the girls of witch craft because majority of the town believes Abigail.

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  30. In the Crucible, the epidemic has become far reaching because everything is being blown out of proportion. The citizens of Salem are overreacting to save themselves. They also seem to blame their enemies. For example, when Abigail gave Elizabeth the poppet, she had earlier placed a needle in it. This was to place blame on Elizabeth so she will be taken away. She only did this because she is in love with Proctor, Elizabeth's husband. Hale came to her saying, "Abigail were stabbed tonight; a needle were found stuck into her belly-" thus blaming Elizabeth for Abigail being charged.

    Why is it that when events such as this happens, Everybody forgets about logic and basis their ideals on belief?

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    1. Thai-do you believe rationality has gone out the window? Why? How aren't people seeing the truth? what do you think Miller was trying to show about how power manifests itself?

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    2. People aren't seeing the truth because they are blinded by faith. The idea of a demon possessing a human was a very widely believe tale in Salem and in that religion. So you could say their scapegoat was their own belief. There was no thought of real investigation, Nobody went to look for the dance circle, nobody inspected what they ate, it was based off of what everybody else said. It was never from "The horses mouth" it was rumors forced to become truths.

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  31. Why do we have a tendency to rally around figures of power instead of finding our own morality?

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    1. It has to do with people not wanting to be themselves, and instead they follow a crowd. This is also something very relatable modern day in our own lives. People would rather follow the ways of society in order to be cool, than find their own personal happiness and do the things they enjoy. People often break their morals in order to fit in.

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    2. We feel like it is safer to be a follower rather than a leader (or individual) because we are afraid to stand on our own, what if no one follows us, or what if people go against us? We would rather follow figures of power because it is easier to obey than rebel, there is no risk to it. Also it is easier to conform and just do what everyone else is doing so we don't stand out or cause any trouble.

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    3. But why Trey? Isn't it more noble to have some integrity and rally around your own beliefs? What is inherent in our society that makes us rally around the dominant? Are we that gullible and impressionable? This goes back to the idea of how we know what we know. We look to those in higher places to tell us what is true, but why can't we trust the voices within us that may challenge those notions, that allow us to step away from the common and speak our own heart?

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    4. I thinks is easier for people to let someone who seems to be so great think for them instead of thinking for themselves. Questioning authority can lead to realizing whats wrong with the way things are run, and that would be too scary to handle. Its also easier to just conform. Because of the fear of being looked at differently, its easier to just follow instead of fighting for what one believes in. My point is that in a way, its just the easy way out.

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    5. Following someone else allows people an out when things go wrong. For example, all the people of Salem follow Hale's witch hunt and when things go wrong at the end they can blame everything on Hale. Where as if they stuck with their own ideas they would be the only one to blame, and they can't have that. Now, some people probably wanted the witch hunt or something like it to occur before Hale came along, but they waited until there was a leader for the hunt so they would have a scapegoat in case of emergencies.

      How does self preservation dictate what ideas people express? How does fear change how ideas are expressed?

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  32. This epidemic has left the realm of a simple search for the person responsible for the girls' sickness, and has entered the realm of people using the search to get back at the people they feel have done them wrong. People blame other people and the devil for their misfortunes because if it is not the devil causing the problems then it must be God, and they don't want to believe that because that would mean they are going to hell. Mrs. Putnam blames Sarah Good, Sarah Osborn, and the devil for killing seven of her children and scoffs at the idea that it may be God's work, " Mrs. Putnam, 'But I must! You think it God's work you should never lose a child, nor grandchild either and I bury all but one? There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!'" Abigail like Mrs. Putnam blames someone else for her misfortune. She blames Elizabeth for taking John away from her, so she uses the search for witches, and her innocence to get Elizabeth out of the way and me John pay for leaving her. " Mary Warren: 'She'll kill me for sayin' that!' Proctor continues toward her. 'Abby'll charge lechery on you Mr. Proctor!' No one wants to admit,even to themselves, the sins they have committed.

    How does the idea of image in the eyes of others, God and self affect people's actions and sense of right and wrong?

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    1. Appearances are everything. Many hide behind what is right and wrong and are only concerned with how things look, not what people are. People can twist and turn the truth to make everything believable, but many people do not look at what is hidden. We put up facades constantly, and I sometimes feel that we pursue more action through keeping up the appearance of truth rather than reflecting an actual truth that deems us of good nature and solid character.

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  33. How long will the manipulation of Salem go on? Will Proctor convince anyone to see reason? if so, who?

    Will John find a way to make things right with Elizabeth and atone for his adultery? Can he do this? Or is he right that Elizabeth "forgets nothin and forgives nothin"?

    How will the outcomes of both of these questions effect Abigail? Will they effect another character greatly? If so, who?

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    1. Dom, I believe that John does feel some guilt for breaking morals and cheating on Elizabeth. I believe he will take a stand for her. I believe proctor is going to be the big man in the town, he is going to stand up for what is right, and he is going to call out Abigail for her false confessions.

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  34. The epidemic in Salem has spread much more than disease. It has influenced distrust, hypocrisy, suspicion and false accusations, all leading Salem into chaos. This epidemic has shifted their culture into something the complete opposite of what they stand for. People are lying and killing, and everything they are doing is going against the ten commandments. For example John Proctor has committed adultery, details like this help reveal truth about Salem and how they are all sinful people and not the kind of people they say they are.

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    1. I agree that people are going against the ten commandments, but why? If they are such a religous society why do they commit so many sins?

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    2. Kat- Their religion is so strict and very pressured on others. Many people of Salem probably would like to live another way and not follow the religion of Salem, but they are seen as suspicious or impure if they do anything wrong. So they try their best to conform so no one thinks they are a bad person. But in reality I think most of the people are just pretending to be Christians when really they do sinful things in private, during the hysteria of Salem those sins seem to come more into view.

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  35. I think that all of the accusations and the hysteria has caused almost every single character to change in some type of way, whether they do it because they want to or because they are required to. What character do you think has changed in the most interesting way? Why have they changed?

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    1. I think Abigail has changed the most. She is a follower and does whatever everyone else is doing. People like this change a lot. Abigail was a sweet girl at one point and then stated hanging out with the wrong crowd. This is what made her do what she did in the forest. I think she sort of got pressured into what she did.

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    2. I think one of the most interesting change that has happened is Hale. I think that he has established his power in the society but since this epidemic has happened people have not been shy to challenge him which scares him.

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    3. I agree with Tylerann, I think Hale is afraid that he might lose authority because people are challenging him. I believe that the characters chose to change, to save their own skin.

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    4. I agree with Tylerann, but I don't think Hale is shy, I think he is naive. Hale tried to avoid confrontation to the fact that witch craft was actually happening in Salem. Then he acts as he is better than everyone else in not getting involved in it.

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  36. I have been following the motif of manipulation, so far Abigail Williams seems to be at the center of it all. She uses different techniques of manipulation with different people, she plays "daddy's little girl", threatens murder, and then tries to seduce Proctor. Is there a modern day example of someone this manipulative? Could someone get away with this in the modern day?

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    1. I think what's very interesting is that the most innocent looking people are the double, or even triple faced. Abigail is one of the "innocent" children but obviously she isn't and she blames many other people to get them arrested. In today's society, there are many people like Abigail but modern people aren't dumb enough to just believe everything and finalize it. Would there be less revenge against each other if there were proper investigations performed?

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  37. I don't think I would risk my reputation, especially if I was losing it based on a lie. Your reputation is based on what you do and who you are and if you lie because you are scared of the consequences then it shows that you have little respect/ confidence in yourself. I believe that if the people in the Salem society would have told the truth they might of been able to draw a conclusion to what was happening. Your reputation can also get in the way of what you believe. John Procter was so afraid to lose his reputation that he was ashamed of his own daughter.

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    1. I think in Puritanical society or any society your name is the most important thing to you. Especially for Proctor because he thinks of himself as the most respected manin the town. He can't have his own neice be doing the things that he is trying to get the village not to do. This reminds me of Footlose where the reverend is yelling at his daughter "if I can't enforce the rules in my own house, how can I enforce them in the town." Proctor has to have control over his family to prove that he is worthy of being "leader."

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  38. At one point, Proctor asks something about what makes Hale and Abigail as right as Gods fingers or something, and it brings up a good point. What makes right right and wrong wrong?

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    1. I think the town has lost its sense of right and wrong because everyone is simply trying to to save themselves and their families. It is very clear that people have lost their personal morals. What is 'right' in the town is what everyone is starting to do, which is lying etc. People have lost their sense of right and wrong.

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    2. I think what makes the right right and wrong wrong are political figures and figures of power. In our society powerful figures determine the rules, even if they are wrong. It isn't always a good thing to follow a powerful figures rules because somethings are corrupt and not always good in terms of personal values and morals. For instance in Iraq the government might ask a citizen to start making heroine. Just because the government said to make heroine doesn't make it right. In terms of the Crucible I think the powerful religious figures are what make right and wrong. Religious figures aren't always to be trusted. Now that people are being accused of witch craft the religious figures are loosing peoples trust because they could be putting the wrong people to justice.

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  39. The epidemic of hysteria is far reaching in Salem, as there are accusation happening seemingly left and right, with little evidence to support their claims that these people are witches. This witch hunt in Salem isn't about hunting witches any more, but to settle petty grievances one has against another, as Proctor said on page 77 when his wife was about to be taken to prison: "If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? I'll tell you what's walking Salem-vengeance is walking 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! This warrant's vengeance! I'll not give my wife to vengeance!". What proctor said encompasses the whole idea that the hysteria is so hypocritical, and who it is caused by- Abigail and Parris. It also brings up another issue- in any situation, can we rely that the accuser is always telling the truth? In Salem, during the cold war, and even during modern times this answer is not the case. So when something like this threatens the well being of a community,most will become selfish and blame others for their own personal gain, or understanding seen with Mrs. Putnam, who is looking for answers to why only 1 out of 8 of her kids have survived their early life. This leads to the destruction of the community from the inside out. I have a question: When your life is at stake, should you go against your own ideals to stay alive or stand with your ideals and run the risk of death?

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  40. We have a tendency to rally around powerful figures if we have doubt in ourselves. I think many people look to others to lead them when they are in fear or if they don’t want to face the situation they are in. A powerful figure gives people a sense of trust and if you don’t have trust in yourself then you have to find trust in someone else. On page 72 Proctor says, “I hope you come not on business of the court.” Why has the court earned his trust? I think a person of the court is less trustworthy because they can bring guilt to others and punishment to others while they are always looked at as perfect figures. I think people look to powerful figures because they bring accusations to others. These figures can be the most guilty because they can get away with everything.

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    1. I agree with you Evan, about 80% of people are followers and not leaders. Back than probley about 10% of people were followers. It is in our human nature to follow the superior person or thing. Following someone gives us a sense of trust and security. Also it can make us feel superior to others that are not participating.

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  41. When Proctor says, "Now Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretense is ripped away-make your peace!...Peace. It is a providence, and no great change; we are only what we always were, but naked now...Aye, naked! And the wind, god's icy wind will blow!" What does Miller use stylistically to convey truth here? Hence, what does he mean by "naked?" How is he using diction, figurative language, syntax, diction, connotation to make a point?

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