“It must come out-my enemies will bring it out. Let me know what you have done there. Abigail, do you understand that I have many enemies?” (Miller 10)(direct characterization). Parris had recently discovered that his daughter is “sick” and unresponsive. The sudden illness was worrying for him, but not for a reason that necessarily showed his interest in the health of his daughter. With the hysteria surrounding witchcraft during the time period, it was natural for people to assume witchcraft as the cause. Parris only cared for the health of his daughter as if she did not get better, the accusation of witchcraft in his household would be strengthened which would ruin his name due to witchcraft charges bearing a sinister social weight when …show more content…
Despite the blood on his hands, he grieves not for the lives lost, but for the money he lacks after getting robbed by his niece. Parris’ reservation of tears for the amount of cash in his wallet over the lives of other beings truly emphasizes the amount of greed he contains. Parris acts so continuously for himself that a unit of money is valued more than lives of people. Parris’ crucible and reputation had its first floor break as his niece flees Salem and Parris lost a great sum of money to robbery. His accountability becomes less credible with each moment, his power nearing …show more content…
Parris steps up to the judges of the court not for Proctor’s life alone, but his too as a dagger was left on his door: a message of threat. Parris now begins to act for his own life as he scrambles to undo the inevitable consequences of what he had started. Parris’ urgency in cancelling the remaining trials to save himself heightens the idea that humans only act when they truly need to save/benefit themselves. Parris’ crucible at this point, also begins to crash and burn. He can no longer protect his name as there is blood on it that cannot be