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Who Is Thomas Putnam's Wealth In The Crucible

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Power, by definition, is one's authority or influence over others. Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, follows the town of Salem, Massachusetts as it experiences a witchcraft epidemic in the year of 1693. Salem, a very religious town with Puritan ideals, where the amount of land one owns dictates power within the society. The eldest son of the wealthiest man in Salem, Thomas Putnam, is a sinister, and selfish man who manipulates the townsfolk in his favor. Generally if one has a soiled reputation, they will not have much power in the Puritan society, yet, Thomas Putnam’s wealth overrides this determining factor, granting him power and the ability to beguile others. In the Puritan society, reputation, dictates how a person’s outward appearance …show more content…

In Salem, a person’s wealth directly correlates to how much land they own. Amidst the chaos of rumored witchcraft, Putnam picks a fight with John Proctor, telling him that where he gathered his wood “is in [his] bounds” and that the lumber is rightfully his (32). By emphasizing the sheer amount of land that he controls, Putnam emphasizes his societal power. Highlighting his wealth through conversation allows him to control others’ perception of him because he constructs it to have the most importance. Additionally, Putnam constantly asserts his power in disagreements in an effort to hide his reputation, as the person blamed cannot attack his persona because they have to disprove his allegations. Shortly after Betty and Ruth are found in a trance, Putnam comes over to Parris’ house. He immediately concludes that witchcraft caused the girls’ illness. Parris initially refutes this idea because he wants to keep his good reputation. However Putnam convinces him of it, because Putnam wants Parris to “let [his] enemies make of it what they will, [Parris] cannot blink it more” (16). To Parris, it seems as though Putnam seeks to aid him accept his daughter’s current predicament. However, Putnam really wants to have Parris hanged for witchcraft so he can purchase his land. Acquiring the land makes Putnam wealthier, and ultimately

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In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the setting is Salem, Massachusetts during the late 1600s where the town’s pious Puritan beliefs directly influence their government. A 17-year-old girl named Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor, a wealthy, married man. Abigail is told by John to move on but instead, Abigail starts accusing the townspeople of witchcraft, including John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth. As this hysteria begins to rise, other people such as Thomas Putnam, a rich landowner, start to also allege Salem villagers. In this play, the author illustrates the central idea that people should not allow jealousy to control their actions.

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