Examples Of Oppression In The Crucible

Analyzing The Crucible: Modern Oppression with a Historical Perspective

In our modern, in-the-moment society, it is easy to forget the timelessness of human struggles. One such example is feminism; while feminists struggle even today for equal rights compared to men, this struggle is nothing new to gender roles. Take Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, for instance; despite its Colonial American setting, the root of all conflict is found in the way women are treated. As such, close analysis of The Crucible through a feminist lens offers a deeper level of understanding and critical thinking in regards to gender struggles. Major revelations come to light when one thinks of such examples as Miller’s portrayal of women, the differences in The Crucible

if these women were equal, and even self-reflection on if the world has improved between then and today. Critical thinking focusing around these points opens a vista of understanding centered around the purpose and significance of the story; as The Crucible will soon show, feminism has always been a societal struggle in America.
The tale of The Crucible cannot be fully understood without a brief summary of the events occurring within.

The Crucible tells the tale of the famed Salem Witch Trials of Salem, Massachusetts; though Miller himself admitted that many parts of the story, such as an ill-fated romance crucial to the plot, are fictionalized, most plot points are true to a modern understanding of historical fact (qtd. in Burns). The driving force in Miller’s work is accusations of witchcraft stemming from an incident where young girls danced in the woods nude. Generally, this would not be seen as a major problem; however, one scared girl faking unconsciousness leaves all of Salem to believe the group of clothesless cavorters “trafficked with spirits in the forest” and took part in “some obscene practice” (Miller 1093). In an effort to avoid retribution, more girls begin faking afflictions; soon after, the entire town goes on a literal witch hunt against whomever the girls choose to accuse. This conflict ultimately stems from an overarching theme throughout the entirety of The Crucible: oppression of rights. Due to the societal stigma against enjoying themselves, the partying girls feel forced to invent lies to be spared from the male-dominated society’s anger. It is this that ultimately leads to the conflict of the witch

trials.
In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uniquely portrays women as both victims and aggressors. The de-facto antagonists-the girls who danced-are simultaneously victims of their society and exploiters of the situation they have put themselves in. For instance, when first acting possessed, the girls do not just limit the fallout to themselves. Instead, they spontaneously scream out a list of at least eleven people, including ten females, whom they “saw… with the devil” (Miller 1111). This expands exponentially, to the point where a jailor claims he has been given sixteen arrest warrants in one night (Miller 1125). This may seem like a display of feminine power in Miller’s portrayal of the events; if not for their abilities, how else could the word of a few girls potentially sentence hundreds to death? However, it is important to note that the majority of the accused were women; the only two men directly stated or implied to be killed, Giles Corey and John Proctor, were those who questioned the narrative of the accusers (Miller 1161, 1167). The trials were also preceded over by two men, Judges Danforth and Hathorne; they regularly hesitate to hear evidence in favor of the accused (Miller 1132). At one point, Danforth even argues that, if victims claim witchcraft, there is no viable defense (Miller 1140)! This systematic oppression of the accused women by those with power--mainly men, with the exception of the girls crying witchcraft--is an insurmountable hurdle for those being persecuted.
Based on The Crucible’s events, it seems possible that the entire conflict could have been avoided if only the women had the same freedoms as their male compatriots. Linda Alchin describes the role of a colonial woman as a supplement to her husband; she is essentially owned by him, and she was only allowed to perform basic societal functions in the absence of her husband (Alchin). It was also this line of thought that began the witch hunt for spirits; the pretending girl was the daughter of reverend, who feared ostracization from the community if it came out that his daughter had participated in unladylike behavior (Miller 1093-4). It can be conjectured that this would never have happened if a group of males had danced in the woods; even today, such behavior is ignored with the all-too-frequently invoked saying “boys will be boys.” Therein lies the foundation of feminist thought, even back in the 1600s: why should it be acceptable for boys to act as they please, but female individuality can lead to a literal witch hunt? It is easy to see how the allegedly “possessed” women may have acted not just from fear, but from thirst for retribution. The girls were given a chance to demolish the patriarchal structure that left them unable to enjoy life to its full extent, and they ran with it. This is but a hidden meaning of The Crucible: systematic oppression, be it feminist, communist, or religious, can be egregiously devastating to society.
Although the events of The Crucible are highly dramatized, a question remains: has the world as a whole evolved beyond the oppression of women as shown by Miller? Is society past the point of restrictive, pointless stigmata against women and other groups? In certain ways, the answer to this question is yes. Women are no longer defined purely in relation to the men in their lives; in the past hundred years alone, pioneers such as Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Hillary Clinton have made names for themselves in their own right. However, the fight for equal rights is far from over. Prominent figures in modern society such as Donald Trump are not only allowed to make comments deriding those not exactly like them, but are rewarded for doing so. The past three hundred years of social progress can be defined by one major change: the feminist struggle emphasized in The Crucible has been made a side party to an even worse struggle: that of all minorities themselves. As women slowly begin to earn equal rights, the battle has shifted to include people of different nationalities, religions, and sexualities. Everywhere feminists or other groups have made a gain, oppressors have found a new target to belittle and ostracize. Feminists are still central to the fight, but they are no longer alone in fighting for their rights.
In essence, the entire conflict of The Crucible is created by the way the men treat the women. Miller’s portrayal of women is central to the plot of the play; had the women been treated as equals, they likely would have never done the things the men deemed to be “evil” or “witchcraft”. A feminist analysis of The Crucible allows for a broader light to be shone upon the knowledge of the story, and even enables comparison to the society of today. The world has changed spectacularly since the time of The Crucible, but the conflict at the heart of it has remained forever constant.