Hero's Value and Death
An important element of literature is the theme, or the overall message a story wants to convey to its readers. The themes can make a story appear more interesting and compelling as it grabs the readers' attention. It also connects all parts of a story together, including the characters, the conflicts, and the plot. As a result, it makes a story easier to understand and readers are able make more connections to it. The theme, "heroes die", is a common theme that can be found in many types of literature. The play, The Crucible, and the short story, Little Starlight, both demonstrate the theme of real heroes dying in the end. The characters that represent this theme are; Starlight from Little Starlight and John Proctor from The Crucible.
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In The Crucible, John became a hero after his wife, Elizabeth, was falsely accused of practicing witchcraft. John revealed his affair with Abigail, the antagonist, in order to protect his wife and exposed Abigail's true intention of getting him for herself. Mary Warren, John's maid, turned her back on John and accused him of being the Devil's man. Faced with death, John was given two options; confess to witchcraft and live or remain silent and die. John ultimately chose death in order to protect his wife, pride, and name. John exhibited the qualities of a hero, which are honor, dignity, and sacrifice. Even though he was executed, he can be seen as a hero who died an honorable