The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Setting, time, and place were among the most obvious of details in The Crucible. As with each time period, the era in which this book took place brought with it unique characteristics of the people and places associated with that decade. Through the use of cleverly constructed characters, Arthur Miller was able to capture the past and give us a glimpse of what it would have been like to live in the late 17th century. Among those characters include John and Elizabeth Proctor, spouse to one another, Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, and Reverend Thomas Hale. Through these five people and more, the customs and general aspects of the Salem community are represented. One way the town expressed itself was through the way its inhabits dressed. The clothing that the people of Salem wore seemed very conservative and down to earth. There were no bright colors, but rather dark reds and browns which matched with the altogether oddities of Salem in Autumn. John and Elizabeth Proctor’s clothes generally were designed to be rugged for the man and yet comfortable to the woman. Most of Salem’s women, like Abigail Williams, were dressed as ladies should have been during those times; her accouterments were designed so they would reveal nothing to those who may have been curious. Among the unique and industrial designs such as Abigail’s bonnet and dress, Judge Danforth was to wear an outfit just as suitable. His dress consisted of a long gown and wig which was typical for a Judge to wear at the time. Like most of Salem, Reverend Thomas Hale tended to dress just as comfortable and casual as any of the other men.

In general, the community of Salem seemed overwhelmed at first with mass hysteria as more and more people were condemned as being witches. Salem was a fairly small town, but it had a good amount of land. In greeting one another, it was customary for land owners to state their name and then tell how many acres they had. When women were addressed, it was typical that their name was prefixed by "Goody." When these women were personally greeted, it was considered polite to curtsy in acknowledgment. Naturally, because he was a judge, Mr. Danforth was looked to as a source of higher authority in the town. This is most likely why it was not typical of him to practice the respectful responses of conversation and customs.