Examples Of Mob Mentality In The Crucible

Mob mentality is when people begin to go along with whatever a crowd of people do without second guessing themselves because it is a large crowd. It is part of the reason why it was so hard to end the trials. Mobs are all unique and have different effects on people, causing all the characters in The Crucible to be affected by it greatly. It can affect their values and how they act within the group. Mob mentality is and important factor in The Crucible because the characters begin to loose their values and it causes them to act differently. The mob created in The Crucible was not created intentionally, and the people with higher status helped the mob to continue hurting people. Leaders do not create mobs usually, the “riots create leaders” (Edmonds 3). The town people were constantly pushing Abigail for answers

The girls felt that if they “acted a certain way” in a large group then they would “not have the same consequences” than if they acted by themselves (Crucibleers). The girls were not the least bit worried of what the court could do to them if they found out the truth, and none of the towns' people really tried to go against the court. They were scared that they would be accused of witchcraft along with the others. The few who tried to expose the girls as liars ended up dying. All the victims from the girls lies “did nothing to deserve their fate” (McMahon & Harris). They were just outcasts and people who the girls did not like. Sarah Good was a beggar woman and Tituba was a slave from Barbados. They did not fit in with the town’s society, making them an easy target. Abigail was very cunning and smart with who she accused. She started with people that would be accepted as witches easily and then worked her way toward people higher up in society that she wanted to be killed because she did not like