The Crucible Q3 SNR When answering the following questions in complete sentences, keep in outline form. Exposition and other mechanics Title: The Crucible by Arthur Miller How might the title relate to the text? What does it suggest? Why might the author have chosen it over any other title? How does the title relate to the story? (You may not be able to fully answer this last question until you’ve completed the book.) A crucible is a “severe test” or a “place or situation that forces people to change or make difficult decisions”, both of which can be easily applied to the novel; the people of Salem underwent numerous character changes as a result of the stressful times. Both pious and impious individuals suffered repercussions of the bloody …show more content…
In the first scene, the author begins the story with the image of Reverend Parris kneeling and praying for his daughter, Betty Parris, who was unresponsive on the bed. The room of the first scene is described as spaceful, airy, and pristine. In the first scene, the audience receives a brief inside look on Reverend Parris’ history, such as his struggle to be liked by the Congregation and his indifference toward others. The opening scene also introduces the small town of Salem that serves as the setting of the novel. The “village” by our standards was historically nothing more than a trade post to the rest of Europe, but the people within the region felt a sense of moral responsibility to be a model for the rest of the Christian world. He lives in the tiny “town” of Salem, Massachusetts. The town was led by a very strict and somber code, although they did have occasional special gatherings, and of course there were some people who did not work as hard as the rest. The people were very snobbish, and refused to associate with people who were not of the Puritan faith. The opening pages also provide a certain insight to the plot, saying that “one could cry witch against one’s neighbor and feel perfectly justified in the bargain” (8). This will be, of course, one of the main conflicts of the