The Theme Of Reputation In The Crucible, By Arthur Miller

Reputation is a theme that has been explored in literature, movies, and real-life since time immemorial. It is a measure of influence in society, and it only takes a short time to demolish. Reputation is the way people perceive you, whereas integrity, is the way you perceive yourself. The Crucible, a 1953 short novel, set in 17th-century Salem, by playwright Arthur Miller, displays the relevance of the text to current society through the theme of reputation. This can be solidified through the analysation of recent films relating to current society. A 2004 production by Mark Waters, Mean Girls, displays how Arthur Miller’s play, is still relevant in the 21st century.

Miller contends that reputation plays a crucial role in the individuals' standing

It can be seen during act 3, when the only way to save his wife, Elizabeth’s life, John sabotages his reputation by confessing to committing adultery realising it’s the only way to discredit Abigail and her accusations. John encounters a sudden shift in perspective when he’s accused of witchcraft. He realises that it will further damage his reputation and social standing within the community, by confessing to consorting with the devil. Due to this recent discovery, he has to make the difficult choice of wrecking his name and live to see another day or maintain his innocence and face the prospect of being subject to a public execution. Ultimately deciding he’d rather prioritise his reputation and standing in the community over the chance to save his own life. This is obvious from the quote, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another life! Because I sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet them that hang!” (Act 4). This declaration from Proctor clearly identified that he would sacrifice his life to maintain the way he is perceived in the eyes of the people and integrity he has for himself. Miller’s clever portrayal of John Proctor solidifies why The Crucible is still highly relevant through the theme

Reputation is an aspect that drives the plot forward. The social standing and reputation of the actors are key factors in their relationships with one another, which may result in conflict and find a resolution. Regina George, a master manipulator who would damage the reputation of anyone in order to further her own, similar to Miller’s portrayal of Parris. She utilises her reputation to control those around her, often belittling and manipulating others. When she began to notice the rapid growth of Cady’s social standing and the fear of Cady, “stealing her Queen Bee” status drives her to turn Cady back into the pathetic outcast she is. She aims to achieve this by starting to spread lies about Cady around the school, ruining her reputation allowing her to stay “on top of the pack”, temporarily. This shows how the fear of loss of reputation is prevalent throughout the movie. This fear is represented in Regina when her fear drives her to leak pages of the ‘Burn Book’ all over the school hallways to salvage her reputation by demeaning others’. These actions can be compared to Reverend Parris’ actions throughout The Crucible, as he begins to blame others of witchery. Both characters prove how they believe, reputation is the most significant value for humans in society, and the lengths they would go to, to improve or maintain their