The Crucible and Lord of the Flies are books about mob mentality and paranoia. Both books make it clear that if society feeds into the fear of the unknown, there will be a loss of innocence. Fear targets the innocent and naive. Therefore, innocence is lost and replaced with regret and guilt. A society governed by such strong emotions and no sense of logic is sure to fail. The Crucible gives a firsthand account of the Salem witch trials in 1692. Although the characters are fictional, the story is not. One thing that can be learned from The Crucible is that nobody is safe when it comes to paranoia. Paranoia is the first step into societal failure. For example, "I have seen too many frightful proofs in court—the Devil is alive in Salem, and …show more content…
Paranoia has rendered Reverend Hale aggressive and that shows as he exemplifies the need to get rid of whoever is accused of witchcraft. It is clear how paranoia can lead to aggression toward others even when there is nothing to be aggressive about, and that aggression can generally lead to violence. This paranoia and unhealthy aggression is prominent in Lord of the Flies as well. As the boys set up their society and rules, it is clear that Ralph and Jack are the two best fit to be leaders. Ralph gets elected leader and Jack does not like that although he seems to be kind about it. Then, when talk of a beast that lurks on the island breaks out, so does paranoia. "Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us." (Golding 80). Simon advises them to fear themselves instead …show more content…
Mob mentality is based on a sphere of influence. Because of this influence, people adopt behaviors, purchase goods, and follow trends. It shows how a person's viewpoint can be quickly swayed by others around them. The Crucible exhibits many situations in which Mob Mentality gets people hurt. A great example of this is when Judge Danforth says, “None of you is to be trusted when it comes to laying blame. We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment,” (Miller). Here Danforth refers to the mob that has formed blaming those who they believe are guilty of witchcraft. Danforth acknowledges the mob mentality and that none of them are in the right state of mind to be blaming anybody for witchcraft crimes. Danforth also expresses his skepticism about the sincerity or dependability of those around him. Danforth suggests that those involved are not trustworthy sources of knowledge or judgment when it comes to blaming or pointing fingers. They might have a reputation for dishonesty or a feeling of distrust towards one another, which makes him doubt their sincerity. There is no limit to age in mob mentality. On the other hand, When it comes to trusting the people who are present in the circumstance being recounted, Danforth emphasizes the need for caution and skepticism. It implies that any attempts to assign blame or conceal the truth will be exposed, and that the only
Arthur Miller's The Crucible highlights a human frailty, arrogance, responsible for the witch hysteria in the 1690s. Each character portrays arrogance which make him abuse power. The play explores the human nature of being arrogant and the fear of tarnishing one's reputation, by acting unmorally. Through Hale's, Parris's, and Danforth's actions, Miller indicates that arrogance is the frailty most responsible for the witch hysteria.
First of all, in both The Crucible and in Lord of the Flies fear of the unknown seem to be the main motive behind all those cruel actions. In Lord of the Flies the boys ended up killing Simon because they were feared of the beast. With the idea of something they cannot certainly see, the boys went too far. In The Crucible too, lots and lots of innocent people’s lives were taken because the townspeople feared the devil who they do not know for certain who he is or where he is. Moreover, both authors portray how being afraid of losing reputation also cause people to act in selfish ways.
Why are villains the ones who make the plot more shadowy? Leaving clues, making crazy decisions and blaming fault on others. Villain, are the most amazing character in the story where they lead to corruption of society or civilization. Jack from Lord of the Flies and Abigail from the Crucible wear masks to hide their true behavior and to fit into their community. Abigail and Jack appear to have a lot in common at first glance, they are remarkably similar.
Civilization breeds civility. The latter is the personal attitude of a person that helps the individual to acknowledge the human rights of others to not only live but also coexist together without harming each other. It entails more than just good behaviour because it involves people sharing their values and beliefs through engagements with the intent of sincerity and respect for one another. The ability to control self-passion and awareness, including having a more profound comprehension of others, should be a civic obligation where everyone strives to participate. Comparing and contrasting The Lord of the Flies and The Crucible provides insights into the issues of civilization and savagery by demonstrating that savagery hinders civilization
This is something that Danforth will not tolerate. In act three, Hale and Judge Danforth collide with each other about whether the girls are telling the truth about witchcraft during the trial. Here is an example of Reverend Hale and Judge Danforth’s collision, HALE: But this child claims the girls are not truthful, and if they are not— DANFORHT: That is precisely what I am about to consider, sir.
The Crucible, Arthur Miller takes the reader into the society and community of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Introducing him or her to a densely populated cast of characters who represent all different sorts of personalities. Miller exposed just how easily and how quickly paranoia can spread throughout a society, and to what lengths people will go to protect the values and the institutions that they consider to be sacred. A tragic hero dies a good man when brought to trial over nothing more than child’s play and dishonesty. Miller dramatized his characters nicely, pitting extreme types against one another to show just how infectious and ridiculous paranoia can become
The situation depicted in The Crucible and today have many similarities such as fear gives power to leaders, corrupted people are given power, and people are judged based on things they shouldn’t be judged on. Fear is a powerful emotion that can cause us to give power to leaders. In the play The Crucible
The Crucible was written as an allegory for McCarthyism in the United States during the 1950’s. People accuse those who are different out of fear and misunderstanding and are not challenged out of fear for being next. Fear is one of humans most powerful emotions. Fear is the reason for hatred, making people do the unthinkable.
“Lord of The Flies” the novel by William Golding is a story about a group of kids that have crashed on a island that they must overcome the dangers of and survive to live and be rescued. John Proctor the protagonist in “The Crucible” in relation to the “Lord of the Flies” was a man who had many problems and major issues. John Proctor during “The Crucible” cheated on his wife Elizabeth with the saucy young housekeeper named Abigail committing the dirty deed of adultery committing a sin just like the Seven Deadly that are explained in the novel “Lord of Flies”. Another relation to the story is Thomas Hobbes theory he believed that the only true and correct form of government was the absolute monarchy. He argued this most forcefully in his most
Danforth is in charge of the proceedings during the witch trials. He controls a lot of power, able to decide who indeed has witch-craft inside of them. Danforth says to Mary Warren during the trials, “Do you know who I am?” (Miller 1313). Danforth says this arrogantly, as if he is above everyone else in the trials.
When people are placed under an intense feeling of fear, they begin to commit actions they never thought they were capable over. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. This is similar to a time in the 1950s when Joseph McCarthy accuses government officials of communism and that ultimately leads to hundreds of citizens losing their jobs. The Crucible reveals the similarities between The Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s and McCarthyism of the 1950s because it demonstrates how a society can be tremendously impacted by the feeling the fear.
Based on the tragic events of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, The Crucible is a hard-hitting tale that reflects upon the subjectivity of goodness and virtue, sparking the reflection of the importance of moral behavior during times of hardship and crisis. In an unyielding and restricted Puritan community like Salem village, a bad reputation could result in social exclusion and scorning from the community. As a result, many members of the community would go to extremes to avoid tarnishing their reputations. The Crucible asserts that those who are concerned only with protecting their standings are dangerous to a society, as they are willing to blame and hurt other people in order to protect themselves.
Thus this shows us how mob mentality is evident in the crucible and encompasses characters to turn from the truth and ends in the demise of the Salem Community. It is clear that mob mentality in “The Crucible” resulted in the
The Crucible: How Fear Changes People During his first Inaugural Address, Franklin D. Roosevelt once announced, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Fear manipulates a persons rationality resulting in them behaving in ways they normally would not, especially in the story The Crucible written by Arthur Miller. The characters in The Crucible allow fear to manipulate their beliefs and actions. They all know what is right, but fear alters their mindset causing them to act differently.
But both of these stories had innocent people losing their lives all because someone lied about them. There is also a mention of the witches in Salem when the