Importance Of Reputation In The Crucible

Reputation is a very important aspect of social life. It can dictate who you are able to be friends with, or even control where you can live or get a job. Reputation is a key part of social life today, and has been for several centuries. In Salem, this aspect of social life is very important, sometimes meaning more to the members of the society than their family and others in the community. The theme of reputation is shown through several characters within the play, The Crucible. The Crucible is a play filled with many unreliable and immoral people, but there are fortunately some that are willing to put their reputations in jeopardy to defend others, such as Reverend Hale and John Proctor. John Proctor, a middle-aged farmer in Salem, makes a very

thought-provoking statement regarding the girls’ and others’ reliability. When responding to Reverend Hale and other men questioning his wife, Elizabeth’s, trustworthiness, Proctor says, “If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers? I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem -- vengeance is walking Salem” (Miller 2.1.73).

Proctor points out that everyone has been accusing people that have not been rightfully accused, but never have gone back to the source of the accusations and questioned their innocence. Parris and Abigail, in an attempt to protect their reputation, are willing to lie and accuse others to take the blame away from them. Although John Proctor still tries to protect his reputation, he is not allowing it to get in the way of his morals. Another character who highlights the importance of reputation to the members of Salem is Reverend Hale.When learning that Rebecca Nurse, a very righteous woman in Salem, has been arrested for speculation of witchcraft, Hale says, “Believe me, Mr. Nurse [Rebecca’s husband], if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning” (Miller 2.1.67). Hale highlights the absurdity of the accusations, especially because the girls have now accused, perhaps, the most religious woman in the village, who would rather die than engage in something cruel and harmful to others. The accusations against Rebecca Nurse by the girls show how desperate the girls are to maintain their

reputation. Rebecca Nurse questioned the girls’ reliability, and for that, she was accused. The girls are willing to charge anyone, even a woman as virtuous as Rebecca, to protect themselves from getting caught. Individual reputations are something held in high regard in the village of Salem, and can ruin relationships and even lives.