Examples Of Patriarchy In The Crucible

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According to Global Citizen, in 2023, “women earn just 77 cents for every dollar men earn” demonstrating that men still dominate society. The idea of patriarchy is evidenced in The Crucible, a story about the mass hysteria running wild in the town of Salem during the Salem witch trials in the 1600s. The Crucible shows that false accusations can tear a community apart. But back in the 17th century, women had no opportunity at all. In the 17th century, men in society viewed women as sexual objects whose only purpose was to serve men. Although, some women gained power from the Patriarchal society and used that to their advantage. In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, Elizabeth Proctor and Mary Warren are victimized, while Abigail Williams is empowered by …show more content…

We witness this when Proctor gets mad at her and lets her know that he will “show [her] a great doin’ on [her] arse one of these days” (21). Mary is victimized by John in this scene because of his threats of physical abuse. Proctor exerts his dominance over Mary Warren, who is powerless due to her position in society as an unmarried woman and maid. Proctor uses corporal punishment to keep his employees in line. Mary is later victimized by the court officials after Proctor forces her to go to the court to confess that everything the girls are doing is a lie. When Mary can't get the words out, John tells the court that Mary told him it was “Pretense she says. They are also pretending (89).” In this scene Mary is weak, vulnerable and has no power. When Mary can't seem to talk, Proctor is victimizing her because it's an example of puritan beliefs because a man is doing the speaking for the women. In this play, we see men usually have the power. For example, Mary Warren is powerless when it comes to them. Throughout the play, women are victimized by the men in their lives. But some gain power from the patriarchy. Abigail is empowered by John Proctor and Deputy Governor

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