Impact Of Patriarchal Society In The Crucible

Events carried out through the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller had a major effect on the society within that time period. Salem is a strict, hierarchical, and patriarchal society. The men of the town have all the political power due to difference between men and women during that time. Their rule is buttressed not only by law but also by the supposed sanction of God. In this society, the lower rungs of the social ladder are occupied by young, unmarried girls like Abigail, Mary Warren, and Mercy. Powerless in daily life, these girls find a sudden source of power in their alleged possession by the devil and hysterical denunciations of their fellow townsfolk. The Salem Witch Trials played a major role in giving the people a sense of power. It gave them a voice which they previously didn’t have. The Witch Trials were a sign of rebellion from the people; it was something to believe in.

In the Crucible, the girls were previously God’s representatives in a strict town where there was no other choice but to follow God, but in the presence of the witch trials, these girls are suddenly treated as though they have a direct connection to a divine power. In a political cartoon, it shows a witch on trial saying, “It makes no difference what I say. You’ve already decided I’m guilty.” The man replies with, “Gasp! The witch can read minds!” This example proves how much power the people think the witch obtains, when in reality the witches were just not naïve or oblivious. They were realistic, but for some odd reason that had a great impact on the people. They believed that the witches had powers that they didn’t actually obtain, so without hesitation of course the witches were going to use this to their advantage to have power over the people....

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... causes chaos during the brief period of the hysteria and trials, the social order of Salem is turned on its head.

Eric Christ published a literary analysis of The Crucible, where he portrayed his idea that, “Another aspect of the play that struck me was the blatant wrong-headedness of an otherwise intelligent and fair man, Danforth. He sincerely believes that Abigail and the other girls are telling the truth. In fact, he believes the girls’ testimony is from Heaven and therefore cannot possibly be false. He is, quite frankly, duped. In this case, Miller very effectively portrays the raw power superstition can wield over normally reasonable people.” Here, proved in this quote, he provides with proof that the girls had a power over the people that made them feel obligated to believe their statements. Superstition is clearly a powerful thing that can alter judgment.